Customer Reviews

The Grace of Grass and Water: Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow

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The late Paul Gruchow is an under recognized literary master. His work makes a powerful statement about the majesty of nature and the common sense of humans living in harmony with it. In Gruchow's view, it is not just a duty to restore the environment but a source of hope, meaning and pleasure. He broke new ground by writing not just about dramatic landscapes like mountains and deserts, but also the prairie and forests of the rural Midwest.

In addition to Gruchow's own books, there is now a superb anthology that gathers many of the Midwest's finest writers to celebrate his work: Bill Holm, Carol Bly, Mary Pipher, Thomas Dean, Jim Heynen and others. It also offers a moving essay by Paul honoring the writers and scientists who most influenced him.

The essays about Paul go beyond the usual tributes to offer a collective portrait of a generous, uplifting, deeply complex and troubled yet inspiring man. This book makes an excellent introduction to Gruchow for those just discovering his work, and a long awaited companion for those who've read all of his books.

I knew Paul. Sad to say, at the close of his life he might have found these pretentious essays flattering. If so, it was his momentary poverty. Paul, at his best, was sassy, irreverent and painfully insecure about his writing, his stature, his place in the world. While these writers stretch to gather his genius, their work is preening and artificial. The "natural" celebrated in these essays might be appreciated if the writing were grounded in something basic, crisp and lovely. But no - Holm is his usually puffed-up self. The others? Not worth your money. Instead, take the cash, put some gas in the Buick and take the kids to the North Shore this weekend. Breathe deep. Be glad you're alive - and consider all the lonely people, lost in personal sickness who no longer love this glorious world. And remember Paul.