Urdang published her first book of poems, Charades and Celebrations, in 1965. She wrote two novels, Natural History in 1969 and American Earthquakes in 1988. She wrote novellas and other books of poetry during the 1980s. She also taught at Washington University and helped establish the university’s writing program. She received the Oscar Williams and Gene Derwood Award for excellence among poets and artists, the Delmore Schwarz Memorial Poetry Award, and the Carleton Centennial Award for Poetry.