Carolyn Dunn was a woman of contrasts: an introspective scholar, poet and librarian on one hand; a staunch proponent of social justice and environmental stewardship on the other.
She lived for 17 years in Astoria, and died in Silver Spring, Md., June 7, of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
Born in 1940 in New Jersey, Dunn attended Grinnell College in Iowa and earned an master’s of library science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, she directed the Clatsop Communtity College library from 1986 to 1992.
Dunn’s time in Astoria was highlighted by her desire to serve her neighbors. Robert Adams of Astoria, Dunn’s brother, recalled her devotion to civil issues. “Her life was governed by an unusual breadth of social concern,” Adams said. “She was determined to make the community better through action.”
In her poem, “Take a Good Breath,” Dunn encourages others to be heard and take action:
“Sit up and sing
Someone is listening
Take a good breath
stay on key
maneuver the intricacies
Sit up.”
She gave her time to a food bank, taught English as a second language and joined efforts to protect the regional environment. These included monitoring Hanford’s waste output and campaigns against liquefied natural gas terminals. Her opposition to nuclear power was central to her resolve.
She donated her Kensington Avenue home to Greenpeace activists as a communications hub for a protest against a suspected nuclear-armed ship coming up the Columbia River.
Dunn’s friend, Karin Temple of Astoria, was proud of her convictions. “She had immense civil courage,” Temple said.
“She was a very private person who struggled to get over her dislike of publicity. It was very admirable.”
Dunn was distinguished by her intense commitment to poetry. “She was committed to both the writing of poetry and living an observant, reverent life that made writing possible,” Adams said. “She based poems on news photographs: ugliness, beauty, struggle. One can imagine how the tragedy in Connecticut would have sent her to the writing desk. Poetry allowed her to express hope.”
Her most significant role was as a proud mother of two sons, Michael and James. “She was first and forever a mother who loved her sons,” Adams said. “And beyond them, every child was her concern, as her poems testify.”
Daily Astorian, The (Astoria, OR) - December 31, 2012
Author/Byline: DAN HAAG For The Daily Astorian,
She lived for 17 years in Astoria, and died in Silver Spring, Md., June 7, of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
Born in 1940 in New Jersey, Dunn attended Grinnell College in Iowa and earned an master’s of library science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, she directed the Clatsop Communtity College library from 1986 to 1992.
Dunn’s time in Astoria was highlighted by her desire to serve her neighbors. Robert Adams of Astoria, Dunn’s brother, recalled her devotion to civil issues. “Her life was governed by an unusual breadth of social concern,” Adams said. “She was determined to make the community better through action.”
In her poem, “Take a Good Breath,” Dunn encourages others to be heard and take action:
“Sit up and sing
Someone is listening
Take a good breath
stay on key
maneuver the intricacies
Sit up.”
She gave her time to a food bank, taught English as a second language and joined efforts to protect the regional environment. These included monitoring Hanford’s waste output and campaigns against liquefied natural gas terminals. Her opposition to nuclear power was central to her resolve.
She donated her Kensington Avenue home to Greenpeace activists as a communications hub for a protest against a suspected nuclear-armed ship coming up the Columbia River.
Dunn’s friend, Karin Temple of Astoria, was proud of her convictions. “She had immense civil courage,” Temple said.
“She was a very private person who struggled to get over her dislike of publicity. It was very admirable.”
Dunn was distinguished by her intense commitment to poetry. “She was committed to both the writing of poetry and living an observant, reverent life that made writing possible,” Adams said. “She based poems on news photographs: ugliness, beauty, struggle. One can imagine how the tragedy in Connecticut would have sent her to the writing desk. Poetry allowed her to express hope.”
Her most significant role was as a proud mother of two sons, Michael and James. “She was first and forever a mother who loved her sons,” Adams said. “And beyond them, every child was her concern, as her poems testify.”
Daily Astorian, The (Astoria, OR) - December 31, 2012
Author/Byline: DAN HAAG For The Daily Astorian,
Carolyn Dunn was a woman of contrasts: an introspective scholar, poet and librarian on one hand; a staunch proponent of social justice and environmental stewardship on the other.
She lived for 17 years in Astoria, and died in Silver Spring, Md., June 7, of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
Born in 1940 in New Jersey, Dunn attended Grinnell College in Iowa and earned an master’s of library science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, she directed the Clatsop Communtity College library from 1986 to 1992.
Dunn’s time in Astoria was highlighted by her desire to serve her neighbors. Robert Adams of Astoria, Dunn’s brother, recalled her devotion to civil issues. “Her life was governed by an unusual breadth of social concern,” Adams said. “She was determined to make the community better through action.”
In her poem, “Take a Good Breath,” Dunn encourages others to be heard and take action:
“Sit up and sing
Someone is listening
Take a good breath
stay on key
maneuver the intricacies
Sit up.”
She gave her time to a food bank, taught English as a second language and joined efforts to protect the regional environment. These included monitoring Hanford’s waste output and campaigns against liquefied natural gas terminals. Her opposition to nuclear power was central to her resolve.
She donated her Kensington Avenue home to Greenpeace activists as a communications hub for a protest against a suspected nuclear-armed ship coming up the Columbia River.
Dunn’s friend, Karin Temple of Astoria, was proud of her convictions. “She had immense civil courage,” Temple said.
“She was a very private person who struggled to get over her dislike of publicity. It was very admirable.”
Dunn was distinguished by her intense commitment to poetry. “She was committed to both the writing of poetry and living an observant, reverent life that made writing possible,” Adams said. “She based poems on news photographs: ugliness, beauty, struggle. One can imagine how the tragedy in Connecticut would have sent her to the writing desk. Poetry allowed her to express hope.”
Her most significant role was as a proud mother of two sons, Michael and James. “She was first and forever a mother who loved her sons,” Adams said. “And beyond them, every child was her concern, as her poems testify.”
Daily Astorian, The (Astoria, OR) - December 31, 2012
Author/Byline: DAN HAAG For The Daily Astorian,
She lived for 17 years in Astoria, and died in Silver Spring, Md., June 7, of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
Born in 1940 in New Jersey, Dunn attended Grinnell College in Iowa and earned an master’s of library science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, she directed the Clatsop Communtity College library from 1986 to 1992.
Dunn’s time in Astoria was highlighted by her desire to serve her neighbors. Robert Adams of Astoria, Dunn’s brother, recalled her devotion to civil issues. “Her life was governed by an unusual breadth of social concern,” Adams said. “She was determined to make the community better through action.”
In her poem, “Take a Good Breath,” Dunn encourages others to be heard and take action:
“Sit up and sing
Someone is listening
Take a good breath
stay on key
maneuver the intricacies
Sit up.”
She gave her time to a food bank, taught English as a second language and joined efforts to protect the regional environment. These included monitoring Hanford’s waste output and campaigns against liquefied natural gas terminals. Her opposition to nuclear power was central to her resolve.
She donated her Kensington Avenue home to Greenpeace activists as a communications hub for a protest against a suspected nuclear-armed ship coming up the Columbia River.
Dunn’s friend, Karin Temple of Astoria, was proud of her convictions. “She had immense civil courage,” Temple said.
“She was a very private person who struggled to get over her dislike of publicity. It was very admirable.”
Dunn was distinguished by her intense commitment to poetry. “She was committed to both the writing of poetry and living an observant, reverent life that made writing possible,” Adams said. “She based poems on news photographs: ugliness, beauty, struggle. One can imagine how the tragedy in Connecticut would have sent her to the writing desk. Poetry allowed her to express hope.”
Her most significant role was as a proud mother of two sons, Michael and James. “She was first and forever a mother who loved her sons,” Adams said. “And beyond them, every child was her concern, as her poems testify.”
Daily Astorian, The (Astoria, OR) - December 31, 2012
Author/Byline: DAN HAAG For The Daily Astorian,
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