I’m a retired ER nurse whose diverse life experiences have enriched my writing journey. From living aboard a boat to tracing my genealogy back to the year 310, I have always embraced exploration and storytelling. I currently reside in Daphne, AL, with my husband of 33 years. All of my hero characters are based on him. I find my other inspirations in the coastal landscapes and rich tapestry of southern culture.

My literary voice resonates through my poetry and short stories, which have been published in various literary journals. Postcards: Collected Poems and Short Stories showcases my best work.

Transitioning to longer forms of fiction, I’m set to make my debut as a novelist in Fall/Winter 2024. My upcoming novel, Margaret of Thibodaux, is a coming-of-age story set in the deep South in 1974. Several titles of various genres will follow.

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"Poet and author Jo Taylor has a rare gift. . . . Equally adept at free verse, rhyming, and metered poetic forms, as well as the short story, Taylor moves seamlessly from one to the next in adroit and often surprising ways. . . . For a truly engaging and artfully diversified reading experience, Postcards is a sure winner."

"Read along and be enthralled . . . Postcards has a melodic ring as [Jo] lets us into her world. . . . Appreciating the beautiful things around us we take for granted is one theme that runs through the entire anthology . . . which showcases a lovely harmony between poetry and prose."

IN THE PRESS

ESSIEN ASIAN

READERS' FAVORITE

GOLDER HAZELTON

READERS' FAVORITE

"Immerse yourself in a captivating collection of observational poetry and slice-of-life stories with Postcards . . . one of those rare collections that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers from pretty much any background. I recommend you not miss out on this one!"

PIKASHU DEKA

READERS' FAVORITE

In The Press

"[Jo's] needle-art reflections mirror her thoughts on life, her perspective of all that matters, and thoughtful inspirational interpretation of everything that was, is, and perhaps will be. . . . a literary collage of thoughts and memories that will have readers thinking more deeply about their own postcard moments. . . . . a book that needs to be savored over time."

EMILY-JANE HILLS ORFORD

READERS' FAVORITE

"An amazing read that offers valuable life lessons and a deeper understanding of the human experience. . . . [Jo's] ability to craft a narrative that draws the reader in and keeps them captivated is a testament to her skill as a writer. . . . a must-read for anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant literary experience."

DOREEN CHOMBU

READERS' FAVORITE

"Jo Taylor’s Postcards: Collected Poems and Short Stories is a glowing example of a deeply underappreciated literary form—the single-author collection of both poetry and prose. Examples of such collections often feel as though one or both of the following objectives are at work: (1) to allow the author a fuller spectrum of intermingling lyrical and narrative gestures in the exploration of their subject matter and/or (2) to flaunt their skill across genres. Taylor’s writerly persona—accessible, honest, heartfelt, and unpretentious—suggests that she is not trying to show off in this collection. But the author assuredly puts a full range of talents on display in this deeply moving and complex book.

Taylor’s background in nursing permeates through the entire collection, not only as the subject of a particular poem or story, but also in the obvious empathy and compassion she exhibits for the human characters in her writing.There is a constant tenderness and care for the people populating the work.

And this pervasive warmth tempts the reader to believe in a current of goodness running through human beings.

As a poet, Taylor has a sharp control of the lines. Each is a powerful increment in her narrative style, almost always breaking with enviable intention as the captured moment is rendered with emotional depth and sophisticated play. Taylor is particularly adept at inviting multiple resonances and surprise into a line through her enjambment. As these are also the poems of a master storyteller, the reader is consistently treated to a dynamic movement of the speaker-narrator’s perspective, scene and meditation unfold their layers of possibility together.

As a short story writer, Taylor operates with a brilliant and affecting attention to form and authenticity. In “Path Before Giants,” for example, a couple’s walk amongst sequoias is punctuated by the narrator-protagonist’s interjections about the temporality of their marriage.

STEPHEN DUDAS

REEDSY DISCOVERY

In “You May Die Tonight,” Taylor’s nursing background lends palpable verisimilitude to the intimate, emotional journey of a patient’s final moments. In all of Taylor’s prose, an unparalleled attention to organization and pacing creates a deeply-embodied experience of drama for the reader. The audience is there through Taylor’s calculated control of movement and timing.

In short, Jo Taylor’s Postcards: Collected Poems and Short Stories is a must-read collection. This is an author at the top of her craft, an author who imbues each piece of writing with precise use of technique and powerfully emotional narratives. As an example of the poetry-and-fiction collection, this book might very well stand and an exemplary text that would behoove students of both genres to read.