Paul Gruchow
Encyclopedia
Paul Gruchow was an author, editor, and conservationist from Montevideo, Minnesota
. A student of poet John Berryman
, he is well-known for his strong support of a rural way of life, as evident in his compilation of essays, Grass Roots: The Universe of Home, which documents his ideas coupled with stories of growing up in rural Minnesota
.
Gruchow was a former professor at St. Olaf
and Concordia
colleges, and a former editor of the Worthington Daily Globe in Worthington
. He was also an essayist whose publications include Discovering the Universe of Home and Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild. He was a contributing writer to several periodicals, including the New York Times, the Utne Reader
, and the Hungry Mind Review.
Gruchow committed suicide on February 22, 2004, in Duluth
, soon after completing the first draft of a book about depression
. In memory of his literary contributions, there is an annual Paul Gruchow Essay Contest held every spring sponsored by Writers Rising Up to Defend Place, Natural Habitat and Wetlands and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
.
In 2007 a collection entitled The Grace of Grass and Water: Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow was published by the Ice Cube Press.
Montevideo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,346 people, 2,353 households, and 1,444 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,190.5 people per square mile . There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of 568.1 per square mile...
. A student of poet John Berryman
John Berryman
John Allyn Berryman was an American poet and scholar, born in McAlester, Oklahoma. He was a major figure in American poetry in the second half of the 20th century and was considered a key figure in the Confessional school of poetry...
, he is well-known for his strong support of a rural way of life, as evident in his compilation of essays, Grass Roots: The Universe of Home, which documents his ideas coupled with stories of growing up in rural Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Gruchow was a former professor at St. Olaf
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
and Concordia
Concordia University, Saint Paul
Concordia University is a liberal arts university located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Concordia University was founded in 1893 and currently enrolls approximately 2,800 students...
colleges, and a former editor of the Worthington Daily Globe in Worthington
Worthington, Minnesota
Worthington is a city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 12,764 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nobles County.The city's site was first settled in the 1870s as Okabena Station on a line of the Chicago, St...
. He was also an essayist whose publications include Discovering the Universe of Home and Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild. He was a contributing writer to several periodicals, including the New York Times, the Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
, and the Hungry Mind Review.
Gruchow committed suicide on February 22, 2004, in Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, soon after completing the first draft of a book about depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. In memory of his literary contributions, there is an annual Paul Gruchow Essay Contest held every spring sponsored by Writers Rising Up to Defend Place, Natural Habitat and Wetlands and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a horticultural garden and arboretum located about west of Chanhassen, Minnesota at 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, Minnesota...
.
In 2007 a collection entitled The Grace of Grass and Water: Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow was published by the Ice Cube Press.
Books
- Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild
- Grass Roots: The Universe of Home
- Journal of a Prairie Year
- The Necessity of Empty Places
- Travels in Canoe Country