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- Anna Farro Henderson
Anna Farro Henderson
Anna Farro Henderson is a PhD climate scientist who worked as an advisor in the U.S. Senate and to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. She has done over 45 book events across the country, including a series of events in rural communities for her 2024 INDIES Foreword winner and a 2025 Clara Johnson Finalist book. She teaches at the Loft Literary Center.
Tell us about the featured book. What is it about, and why did you choose to write this story?
The title of my book, Core Samples: A Climate Scientist’s Experiments in Politics and Motherhood, refers to the geologic samples I collected as a research scientist. But this is not a book of explanations or arguments, and the title has another, more metaphorical meaning, referring to the intimate and literary nature of my book. The book has a strong narrative arc, but I wrote it as essays that could also stand alone. I thought some readers might just be interested in the essays on science or on politics.
I was shocked and delighted in college to find that the actual work of science research was creative, meant getting covered in mud, and required living off the grid in remote locations. This was nothing like the crisp equations in my textbooks. The negotiation of a bill might show up as a headline in the news, but living it meant eating ice cream cake with the Governor at midnight while waiting to hear back from the legislature. The camaraderie, risks, and sense of mission were thrilling. I thought that by sharing my experience, including the huge subplot of becoming a mother and raising my sons, it might make science and politics feel more approachable to readers.
Tell us a little about your writing process. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
As a scientist, I recorded everything in a waxy yellow write-in-the-rain notebook. I never knew what details might be important later. From the front to the back of the notebook, I wrote about the expedition. But, from the back to the front, I wrote lines of poetry and journal entries. Writing was a way to process intense experiences. When I left the laboratory to go work in politics, I was pregnant with my second child. While I pumped milk for the baby during the workday, I wrote in a journal. Science had not prepared me for the U.S. Senate. I was bewildered and intimidated. But I also felt like I had been made for this. Politics combined my technical and social skills into mission driven projects.
All those notes sketching scenes of science and policy work gave me a lot of material. A big part of the research for this book was my own journals and notes. Since I was writing about public figures, government processes, public town hall meetings, and legislation, I also did a lot of fact checking and research to make sure I was grounded in broader context. I sometimes use direct quotes, and for these I watched YouTube videos over and over.
The biggest challenge for me writing nonfiction was choosing my focus. Much like when I aim a camera and decide what part of a science to frame, I had to hone my writing to exploring a question and a limited set of themes. At the same time, writing is a process of discovery. I was continually expanding, reaching beyond, and then herding myself back into the confines of an essay.
Are there any writers or authors who have influenced your writing? If not, who are some of your favorite writers?
I love fun books and learning from books. I want to laugh and feel and to not be able to put a book down. I read everything, including children’s picture books. I love books that make the world and nature seem fresh and inviting. Some recent examples include:
Ada Limón’s book of poetry, The Hurting Kind. Her poetry engages and plays with nature and relatable human experiences.
T. Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone fantasy fiction made me laugh and cry. While it is set in a different world with its own geography, the landscape, animals, and magic wove into the plot in delightful ways.
Dan Egan’s The Life and Death of the Great Lakes was shocking to me. I did not know how drastically the fish and ecology have changed over time, and how this reflects the immigration of Europeans, exploration of the continent, and development of cities and industry.
Has a library or librarian impacted your life?
My big sister is a children’s librarian! She started giving me reading lists when she went to college to make sure I was learning about the world. Since my book came out, I have done over 50 speaking events, many of them at libraries around Minnesota. I love going to each library, meeting the librarians, and then meeting the local community. There are so many beautiful libraries around the state. I also teach creative writing in libraries through The Loft Literary Center, and I love meeting library patrons and learning about their projects and interests.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I work in environmental policy. I always like to be learning something new, right now that is broomball and making sourdough bread. I am teaching my older son to drive. And, my younger son still lets me read to him at night (fingers crossed this keeps going).
Favorite place to visit in Minnesota?
When I first moved to Minnesota twenty years ago, a friend told me that a walk around Lake Harriet could solve any problem. I got engaged at Lake Harriet, and when I was in labor with my first son, I walked to the lake and stood on the dock wondering how the next hours would unfold.
I’ve come to love other waterbodies over time. I walk my dog along the Mississippi River most days. I love driving north and all the hikes along the rivers and waterfalls of the North Shore.