A relatively little-known contemporary poet, Susan Ludvigson has generally found a warm and generous audience with critics. She has been commended for her minimalism, her ability to avoid sentimentality when dealing with sentimental subjects, and her skill with both closed and open forms. Particularly in her later volumes, Ludvigson deals with several pervasive themes. Memories from childhood are an important part of her work as is the inner working of the female mind. While Ludvigson's poetic voice is not stridently feminist, she captures well the essence of feminine nature from childhood to maturity. Ludvigson is also able to bring characters to life in her poems. Humor, often offbeat humor, also plays a role in her poetry.

Susan Ludvigson was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, on 13 February 1942. She is the oldest of the four children of Howard C. and Mabel Helgeland Ludvigson. The poet's father owned two restaurants in...