Meaning has directed Iris Lee Underwood along the many paths of her life – from her childhood in Appalachia, hailing from the McCoy part of the Hatfield-McCoy legend, to raising three daughters in Michigan, to losing her eldest daughter to drug addiction and farming lavender as a way to heal from that devastating loss.
Along the way, she’s served as president of Detroit Working Writers and writer-in-residence at the Troy Public Library, published three books and authored a weekly column for her local newspaper. She also opened her home to the public as a lavender farm, baking lavender scones and making lavender lemonade as guests clipped the fragrant branches under the bright sunshine.
In this episode, Lynne and Iris discuss:
- The legacy of a storyteller
- A decade of hosting a lavender farm
- The blessings of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Finding your tribe
- Iris’ Christian faith as a beacon
- Medicinal plants
- Culinary lavender
- Sustainability, beekeeping and solar energy
Links and Resources
- Detroit Working Writers
- Seven Ponds Nature Center
- Hatfield-McCoy legend
- Lavender farming
- Iris’ books
- Iris’ column in the Tri-City Times
- Gardening in Michigan – Michigan State University
- Hillsdale College
- The McCoy Homeplace
Coming up next on the Make Meaning Podcast: Lynne interviews John Hartig, a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at the University of Windsor, focused on protecting the environment and the fresh water habitats that fill the Great Lakes region.
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning podcast episodes!
