Beverly Voldseth Allers was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and attended Augustana College (Sioux Falls) and Bethel College (St. Paul). She is a poet who also worked as director of the Northfield, MN Historical Society and as coeditor of the Goodhue County Tribune before assuming editorial control of the magazine. Black Hat Press was founded in 1989 by Beverly Voldseth when she became sole publisher of Rag Mag, a small poetry magazine. She edited and served as publisher for Rag Mag until its final issue in 2001. In addition she published numerous small books and chapbooks from 1990-1998 and published the Minnesota Poetry Calendar from 1997-2001.