Born in 1950, Cathay Gunn is the oldest of eight children, all born within 11 years, 9 months. Due to the adventuresome outlook of her unconventional father, as well as a stint in the U.S. Army, the family moved, on average, every one to two years. Cathay attended 12 schools before college.

In her first book, a childhood memoir, she explores the inner life of the child as a starting point for telling her story.

Cathay is also an actor, and frequently performs staged readings from her book, “TreeHouse Blues.”