Postcards: Collected Poems and Short Stories

by Jo Taylor

Faith, or lack thereof. Love, or something like it. Death in the world of medicine. The impact of childhood memories. In this universal yet intimate collection, Jo Taylor applies her skilled and gentle hand to pen deeply lyrical verses, offering poignant observations of everything from relationships that weren’t meant to be, to sentiments on the meaning of faith, from an ode to a cherished baseball glove, to her years navigating life, death, and grief as an ER nurse. In her short stories, we are inspired by a blind artist, touched by a serendipitous pocket angel; our emotions are tapped as an elderly woman embraces her mortality, as a husband grapples with the eternal resting place of his young wife’s ashes. Filled with the tender wisdom of a writer who has experienced the fragility of life, each installment in this collection is visceral and stirring, provoking questions and honest reflection through the author’s candid yet compassionate lens.

Symmetry is beauty
found in flower, nautilus, and human face . . .

Beauty is in the familiar and the divine,
So, too, we find in faces the match to self or God.

And, so too, such beauty sparks thoughtful interpretation on every page of Postcards.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2024

About the author

Jo Taylor is an obstreperous, retired ER Nurse who is likely an obstreperous writer too. She grew up with three stepmothers (not at the same time). She's lived on a boat and traced her genealogy back to the year 310 (maybe, probably, you know how genealogy is). She's been married for 33 years and all her hero characters are based on her husband, a hero in real life. Her first book, Postcards: Collected of Poems and Short Stories came out in July 2024. Margaret of Thibodaux is her first novel.

Reviews

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, I didn't love every single poem or story in this book. But the ones I did love, I really loved. The poems come in a few themes, including womanhood, love, and loss. The short stories follow a similar pattern, many obviously rooted in the author's experiences as a nurse. Some were insightful. Some were touching. Some ... I just didn't get, but I think they'll touch someone else. No stories made me cry, but many made me think. Jo Taylor has an immersive style that feels almost meditative, and this book was a warm addition to my morning coffee and reading routine.

I was delighted to receive this book signed from the author, and I'll certainly keep it on my poetry shelf to thumb through when I want a moment to reflect.

[George Collins]

Postcards is a quietly powerful collection that showcases Jo Taylor at the height of her abilities in both poetry and short fiction. Lyrical without ornamentation and emotionally precise without sentimentality, the book moves fluidly between intimate observation and universal reflection.

Taylor’s background as an ER nurse informs the work with extraordinary compassion. Whether writing about grief, faith, love, or mortality, she approaches each subject with attentiveness and care, allowing moments to unfold without force. The poems demonstrate a confident command of line, enjambment, and resonance, often surprising the reader with emotional depth packed into deceptively simple language.

The short stories are equally accomplished, marked by a strong sense of form, pacing, and authenticity. Taylor’s prose feels lived-in and humane, drawing readers into moments of reckoning, tenderness, and acceptance with remarkable clarity.

Postcards stands as an exemplary poetry and prose collection one that rewards slow reading and honest reflection. A must-read for lovers of literary craft and emotionally grounded writing.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 2 out of 5]

🖊️ The medium’s poems and short stories were dull and flat to me, including a tone of unhappiness. Too bad, because I was hoping else-wise. But alas! they were not for me. 🗑️ other readers, conversely, might find these satisfying to their psyche, but I do not believe in crystal balls or such parlor tricks. Aboogabooga.

CONTENTS
POEMS: Faith, or Lack Thereof Sister Mary Communion Unending Thread Four Mend the Veil Life’s TenuousThread Jesus Was an INFJ Love, or Something Like It Baseball Glove Honorable Elusive Point Distant Cousin Paper and Time Handsome Face It Will Matter Lined Yellow Paper Death and Medicine On Her Way to Zero Three Souls Choice of Truth Life, the Past, and History Postcards Down a Road Making Change Disappointment Three Things That Happened in March Bruises We Will Not Be Friends Philosophy Red Silk Radiator Author of Scorn Dust Bowl Ireland Bound
SHORT STORIES: Path Before Giants You May Die Tonight, Karl Serengeti, May 2001 Constant Weight Angel Coin Waiting

જ⁀🍇 Kindle.
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