WRITER &
​PHOTOGRAPHER

 I write poetry, essays, memoir, and short fiction to explore my inner life and to understand the world and people around me, to celebrate and grieve, to pray and praise, to imagine and invent. I have written three books of poetry, and have edited and published three poetry anthologies and a memoir through my imprint Annas Bay Books. My writing has appeared in dozens of literary journals online and in print. I earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Seattle Pacific University in 2011.

I believe in sharing my gifts with others and in community, both physical and virtual. Currently I volunteer with Hypatia in the Woods arts residency for women, and at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Shelton, where I serve as a Eucharistic Minister and lay preacher. I'm a graduate of the Upper Room's 2 year Academy for Spiritual Formation and serve on the leadership team for the Greater Northwest 5-Day Academy experience.

I have been a point and shoot photographer since I was a kid with a Kodak Instamatic snapping photos of our family pets. I took the leap from my well-loved Panasonic Lumix to a mirrorless 35 mm Canon camera in June 2020. My pandemic hobby has become a passion as I am able to capture the wonderful wildlife and incredible scenery outside my windows both day and night. I take delight in sharing the beauty that surrounds me with others. 

"Cathy, your visions always inspire–to look deeper–to see and feel more–great gratitudes!" 
 —Thom Woodruff, 2020–2022 Beat Poet Laureate of Texas.

EDUCATOR & LEADER

I've taught writers of all ages and levels of experience, including children, youth, and seniors, and have led one-time classes, weekly workshops/classes, and weekend retreats for more than 20 years.  In Washington, I've taught through Field's End/BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network), Tacoma Community College, Western WA University, Kitsap Regional Library, St. David's Episcopal Church, and privately.

It’s my great joy to create environments where creativity, self-expression, and experimentation can flourish along with hospitality, acceptance, appreciation for diversity, and emotional safety. My passion is leading contemplative writing experiences for women, both in-person and virtually.  

​I am a trained facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artists  method where all writing is considered to be fiction. In AWA workshops, we write together, offer only positive feedback, and maintain confidentiality. I use a similar method for  spiritual and memoir workshops.
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WHAT OTHERS SAY

Cathy Warner is one of the finest, most talented writers I have ever worked with. As a writer, she has become a wonderful reader for other people, articulating issues with clarity and balancing support and suggestion. We all listen very carefully to what Cathy has to say, in no small part because her own writing is so remarkable.  
 —Kirby Wilkins, author of Life with Jake
 
Cathy is exceptionally creative and bright, capable, responsible, resourceful, graceful and even-tempered, generously humorous, and a pleasure to work with. She is faithful to both her passion for writing and her passion to use her considerable gifts for the benefit of others. I have attended several of her creative writing workshops and have experienced Cathy’s ability to create an atmosphere of safety and encouragement.  Her techniques have been windows for my own spiritual transformation.   
 —Tarah Trueblood, Director, Center for American and World Cultures at Miami University