Susan Pitchford retired from teaching sociology after thirty years at the University of Washington. She now focuses on writing, speaking, preaching, leading retreats, and offering spiritual direction. Susan is the author of Following Francis: The Franciscan Way for Everyone; God in the Dark: Suffering and Desire in the Spiritual Life; and The Sacred Gaze: Contemplation and the Healing of the Self. She is also a regular contributor to Give Us This Day.