Linda Lowe and Writers in the Round Concert Series collection

Linda Lowe was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She grew up in San Antonio, Texas, but her family moved back to Little Rock, Arkansas, when she was in her late teens.

Lowe started writing when she was young; at the age of 16, she published a collection of her poetry, "All in Time." By her 20s, Lowe started setting her writing to music. She moved to Houston in 1978 to pursue her career, playing regularly at clubs like Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant. In 1984, Lowe was recognized as a winner of Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition.

In 1990, Lowe formed Writers in the Round to connect singer-songwriters and provide a platform for their performances. The group met at Rice Villages’ Main Street Theater and Rice University’s Hamman Hall. Many artists performed and participated in the group over the years, including Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Rait, Carolyn Hester, Loudon Wainwright III, Arlo Guthrie, Janis Ian, Trout Fishing in America, Patty Larkin, Lucinda Williams, and Townes Van Zandt.

At one of Writers in the Round’s concerts, Lowe introduced Townes Van Zandt, David Amram, and David Broza. Van Zandt, Broza, and Lowe began to talk about the possibility of collaborating to publish some of Van Zandt’s old poems in song form. After Van Zandt died in 1997, Broza began to work on writing music for ten of Van Zandt’s never-before-seen pieces. He released the album in 2010 as "Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry of Townes Van Zandt."

At first, Writers in the Round was only open to adult songwriters. By 2000, however, Lowe had expanded the organization to create a space for youth who were interested in learning how to play instruments and pen their own songs. She continues to mentor young songwriters through the group. Since starting Writers in the Round, she has helped launch similar programs in Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Indiana.