Linda Lundgren
Author, Storyteller, and Poet
As a literary artist, I am pleased to share my background with you, both personally and professionally, illumintating who I am and the inspiration for many of my writings, from books to stories to poems.
Personally & Professionally…
I am married to my high school sweetheart, Rich, and together we have two children, four grandchildren, and a great grandchild. When I was young, I loved my career as a science and language arts teacher, and for over thirty years co-authored a best-selling biology book and numerous supplemental science booklets. In fact, my best-selling biology book was translated into several languages, and is still in use internationally. In conjunction with my biology book, I was a science consultant for my publisher for thirteen years, and during this time conducted teacher workshops flying over 100,000 miles throughout my career. In addition, I wrote laboratory manuals for wildlife refuges, the National Association of Biology Teachers, the Denver Water Board, and several environmental organizations. Last, but far from least in my heart, I spent several years as an assistant manager of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge, including several summers as a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park.
As a Mother…
What a delight it was raising two remarkable children! It was a special treat to see them succeed not only in their academic life, but also in their passions. Both became accomplished classical pianists at a young age, competed in and won science fairs, and pursued a variety of athletic interests, becoming competitive ice skaters and ice dancers. Rich and I took them hiking and camping in the Western Mountains during the summer months, starting at an early age, and watched proudly as came to love the outdoors. Ultimately, our daughter become a cardiologist, balancing work and her own kids’ passions, and our son an astrophysicist, devoting himself not only to his high-powered career but also to environmental causes. Truly, I am proud to say that both of our kids are committed to making the world a better place, and, yes, I still enjoy calling them my “kids,” no matter how they are.
As a Grandmother…
Though I have many memorable experiences, nothing is better than being a grandmother. My older grandchildren are now adults, and the younger are making their way through college, though I foster wonderful memories of them as babies, toddlers, teens. When they were young, Rich and I took them to zoos, beaches, July 4th celebrations, and to the mountains to hike. We loved playing board games with them, and reveled in their curiosity about the world, their eagerness to learn everything: to ride a bike, swim, fish, sew, knit and to tell stories, solve puzzles, and do math. When they were teenagers, we cheered them on in marching band, jazz band, karate, and piano performances, and are are so proud of the adults they are: caring, kind, and sensitive people who are tuned into creating a better world for everyone. Truly, their teachers, parents, and of course grandparents, see them as outstanding athletes and young citizens of the world
Outdoors & Indoors…
In addition to writing and doing grandmother things, I have time for other fun activities. As an adult, I was a competitive ice dancer for more than fifteen years. Cross-country and downhill skiing came next, and today I love hiking and bicycling in the Colorado Mountains. While the woodlands of Massachusetts were my solace when I was a child—a place to escape from my father’s continual wrath, today the Colorado forests are a joy to experience. I love hiking through evergreens, appreciating majestic cliffs, and enjoying hummingbirds. Colorado is the perfect place to live except there are no ocean shores, so Rich and I vacation in coastal areas from Maine to North Carolina, where we walk the beaches. I love hearing waves on the sand, the calls of gulls, and the scent of salt air. And, when the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor pleasures, I have my sewing machine ready to make quilts and other projects like warm scarfs, hats, and neck warmers for charity.