Alfred Castner King was known as "the blind poet of Colorado, " having lost his eyesight in a mine explosion while working as an assayer in Colorado. After the accident, he moved to Grand Junction where he helped in the construction of apartment buildings, which helped pay the bills while he wrote, played the flute, lectured and traveled around the world. Born in March 1873 in Leslie, Michigan, he spent most of his life in Colorado. He died in Grand Junction in September 1941. The Passing of the Storm expresses his deep appreciation for the life and landscapes of the West.