Paul Gruchow

Paul Gruchow (1947-2004) 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 is 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 committed suicide on February 22, 2004 in Duluth, Minnesota, soon after completing the first draft of a book about depression. In memory of Paul's 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