-
A lifelong Michigander, M. Bartley Seigel (Matt to those who know him) has called the City of Houghton home since 2005. In the two decades since, he has become one of the most distinguished literary voices the Upper Peninsula has produced. Now he is bringing that same dedication to public service as a candidate for Houghton City Council.
Seigel is the author of two poetry collections: In the Bone-Cracking Cold (Wayne State University Press, 2025) and This Is What They Say (Typecast Publishing, 2013). His poems have appeared in some of the most respected literary journals in the country, including Poetry Magazine, Michigan Quarterly Review, About Place, and Split Rock Review, among many others.
Recognized for his deep commitment to the literature and landscape of the Upper Peninsula, Seigel served as U.P. Poet Laureate in 2021-2022 — a distinction that acknowledged not only his artistic achievement but his role as a cultural ambassador for this region. He has also been honored as an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, one of the most prestigious recognitions available to an American poet.
Professionally, Seigel serves Michigan Technological University as Writing Center Director, Professor in the Department of Humanities, and as an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts — roles that reflect his dedication to cultivating the literary and creative life of the Keweenaw community he has long been part of.
His ties to Houghton go beyond his professional life. His wife, Marika, is a Houghton native, and both of his children are Houghton High School graduates. He is not just a candidate for this community — he is a member of it.
A neighbor, a teacher, a parent, a poet of this place — M. Bartley Seigel brings to his candidacy for City Council the same qualities that define his work: Careful attention, common sense, civic commitment, and a genuine love for the Keweenaw Peninsula and the people who make Houghton home.
City Council shouldn’t be about ideology. It’s about keeping the lights on, maintaining our infrastructure, managing resources responsibly, and making our community a better place to live.
I believe local government should put local residents first. That means protecting affordability, supporting responsible and accessible development, investing in the services people rely on, and ensuring that growth benefits the community as a whole.
I believe in liberty, personal responsibility, environmental stewardship, quality education, equal rights, and local self-government. I believe people should be free to live as they choose, provided they respect the rights and freedoms of others.
I value common-sense stewardship, independent thinking, and treating people with fairness and respect. Strong communities are built when neighbors help neighbors, people have a voice in the decisions that affect them, and public officials focus on solving more problems than they invent.
My guiding principles are simple: Treat people fairly, respect their dignity, and leave the community better than you found it.
For university business: mbseigel@mtu.edu
For all other business: matthewbartleyseigel@gmail.com, or use the contact form below.
M. Bartley Seigel 