Advance Praises For The Grace of Grass And Water:
Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow

“The fine essays in The Grace of Grass and Water: Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow offer personal recollections and reflections about Paul Gruchow’s life, and, a sense, from his peers, of his vital contribution to the literature of place. The inclusion of Paul Gruchow’s own essay “The Meaning of Natural History” is sufficient reason to own the book. The essay, here published for the general reader for the first time, is a history of the greats of American nature writing. It offers readers a superb overview of the growth of a field, as well as insights into why, now more than ever, we must understand the earth in order to save it.”
—Emilie Buchwald, publisher emeritus, Milkweed   Editions; publisher, The Gryphon Press

This elegantly produced collection of memorial essays is a treasure not only for those who cherished Paul Gruchow as a lyric essayist and fond friend but as a  clarion voice for political courage.  Paul and I were kids together--working on the student paper at the University, pretending our way into being writers.  As the decades passed it seemed he was always there, saying the right thing at the right moment.  And then, shockingly, he wasn’t there.   It’s still a signal loss, and this book of essays by some of our best essayists and poets goes a long way toward reminding us of his charm and his fierce courage, and especially his enduring hopes for the planet.
 —Patricia Hampl, author, Blue Arabesque: A Search for the Sublime

Beloved in his home place, Paul Gruchow deserves to be known far and wide, and this lovely volume makes clear exactly why.
 —Bill McKibben, author, Deep Economy: The Wealth of  Communities and the Durable Future

A useful introduction to Gruchow’s work and a lovely tribute to his life. Its reminiscences, appreciations, and analyses are as eloquent and insightful as the books of the man it honors.
 —David Pichaske, author, Rooted: Seven Midwest Writers  of Place

As these essays reveal, Paul Gruchow was a brilliant writer and a profound thinker who never failed to amaze his friends and acquaintances with his wisdom and kindness. Gruchow’s work—like his life—resonates with passion and intensity. Whether writing about the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the Beartooth Range of Montana or the Sandhill Cranes of Nebraska, Gruchow makes us see, think and feel in new ways and, ultimately, gaze inward to confront the hard, painful questions of our own humanity—something that Gruchow knew all too well in his own tragic life. He was our generation’s Thoreau. The Grace of Grass and Water is a deeply moving and fitting tribute to the man and his work.
 —Thom Tammaro, coeditor, Imagining Home: Writing   from the Midwest and Inheriting the Land: Contemporary   Voices from the Midwest

“We are fortunate Paul Gruchow was a writer, for American stands in dire need of his vision and understanding. This collection of beautiful essays will serve as an invaluable introduction to the complicated life of a true American hero.
—Paul Theobald, author, Teaching the Commons: Place, Pride, and the Renewal of Community