I’m Katie Ludlow Rich, a Utah-based historian, ghostwriter, and editor who works with individuals and families to turn their lived experience into carefully researched, beautifully written books and legacy projects.
With my bachelor’s in history and master’s in English literature, I bring a dual lens to my work, combining rigorous research with narrative craft.
As a historian, my work focuses on Mormon women’s history and questions of agency and voice. I bring out the stories of overlooked people and groups. I am the co-author of Fifty Years of Exponent II (Signature Books, 2024), an award-winning narrative history and anthology that traces five decades of a grassroots feminist publication. My writing has appeared in Religion News Service, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Journal of Mormon History, Dialogue, Wayfare, and Exponent II, where I also serve as a blogger and historian. I sit on the Editorial Advisory Committee for Signature Books and regularly speak at conferences, retreats, and on podcasts about women’s history, narrative craft, and prioritizing community over ideological purity.
Alongside my historical work, I serve as a ghostwriter and editor for clients seeking expert guidance throughout the entire arc of a book project. I help shape memoirs, biographies, private family histories, and multi-voice legacy books, guiding each project from early conversations and interviews through research, drafting, and final editing. My approach is trauma-informed and client-centered: I listen closely and work with care around sensitive material. Whether or not my clients see themselves as writers, I help them articulate their stories into books with clarity and narrative momentum.
I believe stories matter. They shape how we understand our lives, our families, and our past. When told with care, stories can hold complexity, invite honesty, and connect people across generations. If you’re considering a book or legacy project, need support finishing a long-standing manuscript, or are seeking a speaker on women’s history or storytelling, I invite you to reach out.
Co-Author of Fifty Years of Exponent II (Signature Books, 2024)
Selected Publications
My publications span peer-reviewed scholarship, trade books, and public-facing essays, reflecting my commitment to rigorous research and to making complex ideas accessible beyond the academy.
Books
Fifty Years of Exponent II. Signature Books, 2024. Co-written with Heather Sundahl.
Peer-Reviewed Scholarship
“The Shadow Succession Crisis: Challenging the Claim that Brigham Young Disbanded the Relief Society in 1854.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 2 (Spring 2024): 74–104.
Essays, Journalism, and Personal Writing
“For over 50 Years, Mormon Feminism Has Been Consistently Complicated.” Religion News Service, April 9, 2025. Co-written with Heather Sundahl.
“I’ll See You in the Mormon: Lives in Connection through Fifty Years of Exponent II.” Wayfare Magazine, September 21, 2024.
“How I Came to Co-Write the Forthcoming Book, Fifty Years of Exponent II.” Exponent II 43, no. 4 (Spring 2024).
“Opinion: As feminists, we need to be more welcoming.” The Salt Lake Tribune, March 21, 2024.
“Opinion: In Romney: A Reckoning, McKay Coppins misses the mark on Mormon feminism.” The Salt Lake Tribune, November 2, 2023. Co-written with Heather Sundahl.
“Mothers and Authority.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Spring 2022).
“Only YOU…” Exponent II 41, no. 3 (Winter 2022).
“Tracing My Family History of Cancer.” Exponent II 40, no. 4 (Spring 2021).
Book Reviews
“Breaking the Silence.” Review of I Spoke to You With Silence: Essays from Queer Mormons of Marginalized Genders, edited by Kerry Spencer Pray and Jenn Lee Smith, Exponent II 42, no. 2 (Fall 2022).
“From Private Dreams to Public Damnings.” Review of Brigham Young, Colonizer of the American West: Diaries and Office Journals, 1832–1871, 2 vols., edited by George D. Smith. Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Fall 2022).
Thesis
“Between the Camera and the Gun: The Problem of Epistemic Violence in Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 2011.
Selected Talks, Conferences
and Media
I present my work at national academic conferences, appear on major podcasts, and deliver keynote and invited addresses for scholarly, religious, and public audiences.
Academic Conferences
“Blanche Berry: Harlem Renaissance Actress and Mormon Feminist Poet?” Mormon History Association Conference, Ogden, Utah, June 2025.
“Writing the Perilously Recent Past: Fifty Years of Exponent II.” Mormon History Association Conference, Cleveland, Ohio, June 2024.
“‘If they undertake to trample on her she will look to herself’: Women’s Power and Influence in the Succession Crisis of 1844–47.” Mormon History Association Conference, Logan, Utah, June 2022.
“A Contingent Restoration: Challenging the Claim that Brigham Young Disbanded the Relief Society in 1845.” Mormon History Association Conference, Park City, Utah, June 2021.
“Fifty Years of Exponent II.” Sunstone Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 2024.
“Author Meets Critic: American Zion: A New History of Mormonism.” Sunstone Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 2024.
“Building Community Pre-Internet: Judy Dushku’s Sisters Speak and Sisters Help Columns.” Sunstone Symposium, Sandy, Utah, July 2023.
Podcasts and Media Appearances
Mormon Stories Podcast: Episodes 2010 and 2006 (April 2025); Episode 1973, “Is Mormon Feminism Dead?” (December 2024).
Breaking Down Patriarchy Podcast, Episode 39, “50 Years of Mormon Feminism,” October 2024.
Sunstone Mormon History Podcast: “50 Years of Exponent II,” October 2024; Episode 84, “Shadow Succession Crisis,” November 2022.
Listen, Learn, and Love Podcast, Episode 781, “Exponent II Celebrates 50 Years with Katie Ludlow Rich and Heather Sundahl,” September 2024.
Dialogue Book Report Podcast, “Fifty Years of Exponent II,” September 2024.
Keynotes, Invited Talks, and Workshops
“Reclaiming My Voice.” Keynote Address, Midwest Pilgrims Retreat, Morgantown, Indiana, April 2025.
“Mormon and Feminist? Navigating Dual—and Dueling—Identities Through Exponent II.” Convocation Address, Snow College, Ephraim, Utah, December 2024.
“History Has Its Eyes on You: Putting Yourself in the Narrative.” Exponent II Craft Workshop, September 2024 (online).
“Cultivating Joy in a Body that Keeps the Score.” Workshop presentation, first presented at the Exponent II Retreat, Greenville, New Hampshire, September 2023; adapted for multiple audiences.
“An Evening With D. Michael Quinn’s Most Controversial Books.” Sunstone Education Foundation, in partnership with Utah Humanities, September 25, 2021 (online).