Stevens had his first poem published at age 13 in the Waterville Morning Sentinel. He went to college at Connecticut State. Over his lifetime, he has had many jobs: farmer, deliveryman, selectman, and assistant manager at Carval Hall. He worked in hotels for 10 years. He lived overseas for five years, two of those in the Netherlands, moving approximately every six months. He also lived in Ireland, England, Portugal, and Malta. He has always liked images and this pushed him to be a poet and a writer. In addition, he has lectured extensively. He currently lives in his birth town, Smithfield, Maine, with his Dutch wife Stella.