Margaret D. McGee

Margaret D. McGee was born in 1951 in Mansfield, Ohio. She moved to Washington State in 1976 after completing her B.A. in English at Miami University and M.A. in English at Ohio University. She worked as a car hop, secretary, academic advisor, and typesetter before catching the wave of the software industry in the Pacific Northwest as a technical writer. She attained the position "master writer" at the Microsoft Corporation, acting and project lead and principal writer on many projects before leaving that company in 1994. She is co-author of the first edition of Microsoft Access Step-by-Step, a best-selling book in the technical market published by Microsoft Press.

At her web site IntheCourtyard.com, Margaret shares her further adventures along the spiritual path through prayers, meditations, and other writings that spring from her relationship with the Episcopal church.

In 2011, Margaret co-founded Pilgrimage Port Townsend, LLC, with partners Roberta Hiday and Ann Healy-Raymond. Pilgrimage Port Townsend offers retreats in naturally beautiful, historic Port Townsend, Washington, celebrations of blessed events, and online classes that find meaning in time and place.

Margaret's book, Haiku - The Sacred Art: A Spiritual Practice in Three Lines, was published in 2010 by SkyLight Paths. It introduces haiku as a simple and effective way of tapping into the sacred moments that permeate everyday living.

Sacred Attention: A Spiritual Practice for Finding God in the Moment (SkyLight Paths, 2007), uses personal stories and practices to show how a moment of close attention can be a prayer to God.

Stumbling Toward God: A Prodigal’s Return (Innisfree Press, 2001), tells the story of Margaret’s journey from atheism to a new faith with the help of both the Episcopal parish and Unitarian Universalist fellowship in her small town.

At various times in her professional life, Margaret has served as a freelance and staff writer of feature articles, mission statements, white papers, proposals, policy & procedures, community histories, technical documentation, press releases, and in-house publications for both profit and non-profit organizations, including Jefferson Healthcare, the University of Puget Sound, the Microsoft Corporation, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Port Townsend.

Margaret is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and a licensed Preacher and Worship Leader in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Her prose and poetry have appeared in such publications as Alive Now, The Living Church, Episcopal Life, Englewood Review of Books, Northwind Anthology, The Heron's Nest, and bear creek haiku. Her plays have been selected for performance at the Port Townsend Playwright’s Festival and at Love Creek Productions’ Short Play Festival in New York City. She is an innovative teacher, guest speaker and leader of workshops on topics related to spirituality, creativity, and prayer.

Margaret lives with her husband David Schroeder outside Port Townsend, Washington. Their wooded property includes two labyrinths.