was born May 25, 1940 in Northfield, Vermont. Ken spent the next 15 years growing up with his family in York, Maine. He received his bachelors degree in English and Classical Civilization from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. While in Florida, he studied Formalistic Poetry with Ralph Hunt, Harry Morris and S.L. Weingart. Beattie is a recipient of the South Florida Poetry Award, the Maine State Poetry Award and before attending the M.F.A. program at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, was awarded scholarship workshops with Pulitzer Prize winners: Alan Dugan, James Dickey,and Richard Eberhart. At the University of Oregon, Ken was exposed to free verse. It is from this combination of poetic styles that he derives his principal focus.