A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Image of Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is by Melissa Deakin

It was my delight and privilege to talk with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. Her poetry is delicious—like a strawberry smoothie or a fresh mint lemonade. She brings vowels and consonants together in ways that leave the mouth happy and satisfied.

Not only that, her family lives in the countryside and has made the choice to not have a television. One way they fill those hours is to explore the great outdoors right beyond their backyard. Amy readily admits that she did not know the names of plants, trees, mosses, and wildflowers when she began. But together with her science-loving husband and two children, they grew in their ability to recognize and name the natural world around them. You will see those affinities in her poetry which bursts with detail and nomenclature.

I also enjoyed Amy’s enthusiasm for children. She shares a love of writing and the belief that all children are writers already. She calls them “walking poems.”

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Amy’s first book, Forest Has a Song, has received many praises, including the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. Amy also recently released her new book, Every Day Birds.

Enjoy our conversation, and please do check out her books!

Here’s the link Amy mentions in the podcast: The Private Eye​

Read Amy’s written interview on Poetry Teatime!