Barbara is most content when in the water, at the water or in her beloved mountains.  Rocks, hiking, camping, books, gardening and cooking with her tribe of neighbors, friends and family have their place as her seasons turn.    

She has been a teacher, a journalist, and an executive officer of an arts non-profit.  Her continued focus and delight are her family which currently includes three daughters, their partners, a husband, and a one-eyed pirate cat. She currently chips away at a novel based on a collection of WWII letters.

Candice is a veteran teacher of nearly 20 years, a mother to two grown children, and grammy to the smartest grandbaby. She is a Pacific Northwest native and enjoys time spent in or near the water or mountains year round (sunny and stormy days alike).  Candice is curious about all things mundane and fantastical. She spends much of her time listening, observing, and wondering about all of it and nothing at all.

Claudia is a Northwest author whose published works include non-fiction, children’s fiction, and poetry. Her “Tolkien’s Trees” appeared in Great Britain, The U.S., Slovenia, and Australia. Her poetry has won awards in contests and been in several anthologies. She loves to sit by her pond and listen for stories brought on the wind by dragonfly and turtle. You can find out more about her at claudia.finseth.ca.

Dawn is a 37-year veteran English and History teacher. Since retirement, she has wandered the harbor and beaches in the small town where she grew up. Dawn also hikes the Olympics and Mount Rainier National Park, in awe of the beautiful vistas. And she has time now to enjoy writing. Dawn has been published in Creative Colloquy: Collected Stories; Voices of Tacoma: A Gathering of Poets Anthology; A Gathering of Poets Analogue Poems, and the Western Washington Poetry Network Anthology: Surviving Interesting Times. Dawn is a regular reader at Creative Colloquy's open mic. nights.

Hello to everyone reading.

I am a library worker and

previous public school teacher.

I educate teachers about implicit bias and

“isms” in the United States.

I enjoy writing poetry and

using my voice to share truths.

I truly appreciate this opportunity

to be a part of this writing group.

Thanks to all who respond to our works.

Community is what we need.

Peace, Love, & Justice

J. Aarde has gone by her last name since primary school. She’s spent most of her life between Lacey, Ocean Shores, and Tacoma. She’s a mother to one adult son, a golden puppy, two orange cats, and four chickens. A small business owner, writer, dancer, partner, rock-hounder, homemaker, caretaker, Aarde has always enjoyed the arts and philosophies of life. 

Raised in an apocalyptic cult by an antiques-dealer father and an idealistic, absent mother, Aarde writes about the intersection of horror and beauty in Marginalization.

Aarde is currently working on a memoir. She writes a weekly advice column in The Weekly Volcano--and is also crafting a children’s book series based on her dog’s adventures. 

Janet is a recently retired educator who worked with all ages of students. She has been drawn to books and writing since childhood. As a child she had to be dragged away from her favorite pursuits for dinner. Being raised in a military family the travel bug bit her early, and hung on all her life. In the mid-eighties she studied Scientific Communication at Clark Community College. The school literary magazine published a piece of her prose about her middle years in Gig Harbor. Writing remained a passion as she journaled through her summer vacation trips during her working years.  Currently, she recites poetry for Creative Colloquy in Tacoma. Janet lives with her husband and Siamese cat in the Hilltop where they plot their escape to the Isle of Pico in the Azore island chain.

Jessica grew up in the South Puget Sound area. After living and traveling elsewhere she always returns, drawn back by the evergreen mountains and sea. She’s had work published in Halfway Down the Stairs and The Weekly Volcano. When she isn’t writing her novel and otherwise living life, she can be found volunteering or saying “hi” to your dog. You can find her on Instagram @writersroomtacoma.

Karen is a retired, tenured college professor and is currently an elected School Board Director.

Karen’s perseverance, determination, and a family legacy motivated her to reject being another high school dropout. Instead, she became a college graduate with a doctorate degree.  Throughout her life, she has known the importance of education. She also believes in the importance of taking a leadership role.

Karen lives by a Maya Angelou quote: "I've learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Karen is a writing teacher at Clover Park Technical College, a columnist, and an editorial writer who believes in the transformative power of words. A wife, mom, sister, and friend, she values the deep connections that shape our stories. Her work is grounded in the belief that the best writing uncovers inner strength, reveals authentic voice, and taps into a sense of wonder—because wonder, she says, always leads us to gratitude. 

Kat has dedicated her adult life in Social Services to ensuring that children grow up in loving, safe homes. To stay mentally healthy, she has become an avid golfer. During Fall and Winter, Kat devotes Sundays to her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Then, there's March Madness.  

Kat has been married to her wife Kelly for 20 years. Their daughter is a US Army helicopter pilot. Their other two “kids” are pups, Chilli and Bernie Sanders, who love daily walks with their moms (Yep, even in the PNW rain!).

Writing has been therapeutic for Kat. And it's scary to call herself a writer. But Kat lives by the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

Kay Hayes is most proud of being a wife, mother and nana. After working in healthcare her entire working career, which included over 20 years in management, being at home with family is where she would rather be. 

Kay’s family lost their 27-year-old daughter in 2006 which started her writing to deal with the grief. Her best writing happens when she is sad; the heart just opens wide. Kay enjoys playing in the garden, reading, taking walks, day trips and time with family and friends. 

Raised in Orting, Washington, Leah has always been drawn to stories and making things by hand. With a degree in English teaching and a minor in creative writing, she taught and coached junior high students for nearly ten years before committing more fully to her own creative life. A mother of six, she is at work on essays and books that explore resilience, becoming, and the many ways we are held, while also exploring pottery, wood turning, and other art forms. She is also beginning a professional venture focused on walking alongside women through transitions and helping them commit to their own authentic voices.

Liesl grew up in the mountain town of Paradise, California, before finding her home in the Pacific Northwest.  After finishing her degree in design and architecture, she then switched focus and finished a Bachelor in Music with an emphasis on Brazilian and Latin traditions.  At a young age, Liesl fell in love with writers like Toni Morrison, Neil Gaiman, and the Beat Generation, who shaped her voice and inspired her to explore the subtleties of the human condition in her own writing.  As a true entrepreneur, Liesl curates luxury rentals, wellness retreats, and design services that promote slow and intentional living. Grounded by her yoga practice and love of community, she also finds joy in mushroom hunting, gardening, and long road trips, always finding her way home to her cat, Large Marge, whose love is seasonal… mostly at feeding time.

Marlene, a fourth-generation Pacific Northwesterner, grew up believing she owned Mount Rainier, a story passed down by her mother and grandfather. She’s always felt a deep connection to nature. Marlene has three grown children she adores. She began her career as a sign painter and muralist, creating Ivan the Gorilla's cage at the B & I. Her first book, Date Lines, captures the post-divorce dating whirlwind. Her second, The Good Earth Stewards, co-written with her mother, focuses on hope and compassion. Her latest, No Mask Between Them, is an edgy children’s book, inspired by being a "Latchkey Kid."

Meredith is a yoga teacher and advocate for mental health and addiction recovery. Her mission is to break stigma through honesty, vulnerability, and compassion. She encourages her students to practice self-acceptance and nonjudgmental introspection. Meredith’s writing is inspired by her recovery journey. She hopes to make others feel less alone in their own darkness. Drawn to thriller and suspense genres, she writes to process intense emotion in a safe space. Meredith believes it’s never too late to change direction. By sharing her story, she encourages her readers to embrace transformation. 

Tobi is a 21-year old hair stylist with a passion for animation, art, and creative writing. With an AA in arts, Tobi has more experience in analyzing visual media than writing professionally–though she was excited to join WWWT when seeing the group mission. She has filled multiple journals with personal writings; however, the only pieces they’ve released have been anonymous. Still finding a writing voice, this women’s writing group will be first Tobi’s first official publication. All the pieces she’s written are linked below.