“Catherine was able to create an engaging and safe environment, where participants felt comfortable sharing complex thoughts and experiences, often based on their faith and spiritual leanings. Despite the differences in the (Zoom) room, the conversation remained respectful and generative, and many of the participants seemed to leave with a sense of healing and connection afterwards, due to Catherine’s empathetic leadership in the space.”

“Cat’s approach to this workshop was so thoughtful and generous with folks from all different writing backgrounds and levels. It was a welcoming space that allowed people to feel comfortable sharing their writing, even on such a personal and difficult topic as grief. I really appreciated the nuance with which Cat and her co-facilitator approached the topic as well, bringing in moments of levity and joy while also offering the perspective on how death in the public sphere can be a call to political action. In doing so, she captured the spirit of the exhibition while moving beyond it into new territory. ”

“It takes a particular kind of pedagogical skillset to create a space—on Zoom, especially—where young writers feel comfortable discussing and writing about their own spiritualities and related questions. To create this space in the first hour of a single three hour session is extraordinary. Cat’s combination of writerly experience and knowledge of this field, along with her excellent listening skills, her warmth, and her clear passion for the material at hand all contributed to the success of this session. As a teacher, Cat uses her own perspective as a reader, writer, and human being to fuel the conversation in a way that encourages and engages her students.”

“Cat makes writing techniques accessible to mere mortals and newbies, and creates a safe zone to share our inner worlds through memoir.”