A student of poet John Berryman, he is well known for his strong support of rural communities, as expressed in his first book, "Journal of a Prairie Year" published by University of Minnesota Press.
In addition to Journal of a Prairie year, Gruchow's books include Discovering the Universe of Home and Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild; "the Necessity of Empty Places", St. Martin's Press, "Worlds Within Worlds", Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and "Images of Home" with photographer Jim Brandenburg, by the Blandin Foundation of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
In memory of his literary contributions, an annual Paul Gruchow Essay Contest is conducted by Writers Rising Up to Defend Place, Natural Habitat and Wetlands through the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
[4] In 2007 a collection entitled The Grace of Grass and Water: Writing in Honor of Paul Gruchow was published by the Ice Cube Press.
[citation needed] Letters to a Young Madman: A Memoir, Gruchow's seventh and final book was released in September 2012 by Levins Publishing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.