J. Drew Lanham’s life has been defined by birds. He grew up in rural South Carolina learning mystical stories about birds from his grandmother, emulating bird calls and even trying to fly. This love sparked Drew’s academic and creative careers — in ornithology and writing— that center nature and winged creatures.
Host Anita Rao talks to Drew about why he fell so deeply for birds and how he has sustained that love despite the challenges he's faced as a Black man and a conservationist.
J. Drew Lanham is an ornithologist, poet and the author of “The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature.” His latest poetry collection is “Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves.”
