Beverly Beckham describes herself as a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, writer, writing coach and fledgling cabaret performer. In her cabaret shows, she tells her stories in song.

Her stories and her writings are often personal with themes that spring from every day life. “I believe I was meant to write,”  she says. “It’s not always easy. I write and I re-write. But after 50 years, I’m finally beginning to trust that the words will come.”

The Early Years

Beckham’s love of storytelling began when she was a young child because of tales her grandmother told. She wrote stories throughout her childhood and teens until her freshman year of college when an English teacher wrote the word “TRITE”in red capital letters on every one of her essays.  She quit writing then until she was 30. But she never stopped wanting to write and has been writing professionally for 50 years.

Columns

Beckham’s first column was for the Quincy Patriot Ledger where she worked for five years, moving to the Boston Herald in 1985, and to the Boston Globe in 2005. She also wrote a monthly column for Grandparents.com until its demise and is a frequent contributor to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series.

Books

Beckham is the author of "A Gift of Time," a collection of personal essays, "Back Then, A Memoir of Childhood”, "The Best of Beverly Beckham" an e-book published by the Boston Globe and “Love Stories: 21 for 21” essays about her granddaughter, Lucy, who has Down syndrome.

Life

Beverly Beckham lives in Canton, Massachusetts with her husband, Bruce. She has three children and eight grandchildren whose milestones, passages and journeys are often woven into her columns.

Because she enjoys singing, she took a cabaret class just for fun when she was 60. That class led to more classes which led to her singing at an open mic in Boston, which led to her writing and performing her own cabaret show, sometimes alone and sometimes with her daughters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5aEAUdT_AY. In addition to writing and singing,  Beckham loves photography and gardening. 

She has been honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for “Outstanding journalism in the fight against drinking and driving,” has received Boston’s “Women Amongst Us” Grimke Award in recognition of her “efforts and contribution to the Boston Community” and the Dr. Adrian Rondileau Award for “professional achievement and community service.”  She also served as a Board Member of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and is currently an Honorary Member. 

Why this website?

“Readers are always asking me for past columns, which I can never find because I can’t find anything. Organization is not my greatest skill,” Beckham says. “My goal is to create a space where almost everything I’ve written, columns, books, cabaret shows, can be easily accessed.  I found someone who knows what she’s doing and this site is the result. It’s a work in progress. As am I. We, this site and I, have a long way to go. So hold tight because this is only the beginning. 

Why I Write about the Eternals

Because times change. Fashions, movies, music, fads come and go. But life, death, joy, despair, happiness, heartache, stops and starts, successes and failures, the way you feel on the first warm day after a long, cold winter, the way you feel when someone breaks your heart. These are things that never change. These are the eternals.

Many of the columns you will find here are about these eternals, about the things that we all share. Many are about family. Many are about friends. Some are about a crazy dog named Molly who died a long time ago. She cost us a fortune in vet bills. But we loved her. Anyway, if you like what you read, please let me know. E-mail me at bev@beverlybeckham.com

Thank you!