Karen Knudsen

Karen Knudsen was introduced to camping, Jeeping and exploring Utah and it’s ghost towns at an early age. This poem was written during high school after several of those trips. Other writing at that time included a play that was performed at East High’s Take Five. Karen continued exploring at Utah State University, performing with a Reader’s Theatre group and working on the Policy Board of the Bridgerland Special Olympics. Post college took her to California, West Germany and back to Utah with various jobs as a swimming instructor, camp counselor and she also continued with some theatre. After the arrival of a daughter and a son, the exploring became more of a Utah and western theme. And, yes, the kids got to see ghost towns, too. Working at the Post Office, she was amazed in the late 1990s to find a package addressed to Grafton, Utah. Now getting close to retirement, she can hardly wait to spend her final years exploring the rest of our great country!

Story of Dust
I have visited our ghost towns since I was able to drive and was moved to write a poem about ghost towns when I was still in high school. This poem was almost lost as it was in my locker as east high school burned, but I was able rescue the poem and on our science club trip my friends and I even turned the words into a song. It became sort of special to a bunch of us, even as I shared it with friends in college and throughout the years to follow. I just love to visit these towns while they are still here and imagine their history.