Abbie Johnson Taylor

Abbie Johnson Taylor is the author of three novels, two poetry collections, and a memoir. Her work has appeared in Magnets and Ladders, The Writer's Grapevine, and other journals and anthologies. She is visually impaired and lives in Sheridan, Wyoming. For six years, she cared for her late husband, Bill, totally blind and partially paralyzed by two strokes. Before that, she worked as a registered music therapist with senior citizens in nursing homes and other facilities. She also facilitated a support group for blind and visually impaired adults, taught Braille, and served on the advisory board to a trust fund that provided adaptive equipment to blind and visually impaired children and adults. Please visit her website at http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com

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Website: https://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
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Blog: https://abbiescorner.wordpress.com

https://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com

author    blindness    caregiver    children    christmas    class reunion    college    fatherhood    high school    infidelity    love    marriage    paternity    romance    stroke   

• The Demmies: A Novel on Dec. 15, 2017
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  I met the author, Ann Parsons, several years ago when she joined a writers’ group to which I belong. She began writing this story in the 1970’s. After joining our group, she decided to start work on it again and sent chapters to our email list. Even so, knowing how the book ends, I found it hard to put down and might have pulled an all-nighter in order to finish it more quickly. You don’t have to be a science fiction buff to appreciate this story of oppression followed by freedom. In a way, this book is similar to Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World except in this case, the demmies are only conditioned not to trust big folk, and the ending is more positive. The Demmies is the first of a trilogy of books Ann has written about these little ccharacters. I hope she publishes the other two books in this series. I want to read more. Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcome, How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver, That’s Life: New and Selected Poems, and My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds Website: http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
  
• Love Letters in the Grand: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Big-City Piano Tuner on Dec. 15, 2017
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  Since I play the piano, I was fascinated by the author’s explanation of the inner workings of the instrument, as he related his various experiences. I liked his descriptions of Madison Square Garden and Lincoln Center where he was sent to tune pianos. As a registered music therapist, my favorite piece was “Song for Adrienne,” in which his playing of a familiar Christmas carol touched the heart of a young woman in a psychiatric hospital. I loved his quote at the end. “Life is like a piano. It has highs and lows, but when all is said and done, it is an instrument on which we all must play our tunes.” Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcome, How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver, That’s Life: New and Selected Poems, and My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds Website: http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
  
• Insight Out:One Blind Woman’s View of Her Life on Jan. 02, 2020
  
  I met Mary several years ago through Behind Our Eyes, an organization of disabled writers, of which I’m president. Unlike her, I tried a few of the physical activities in which she participated, fell once or twice, and gave up. I admire her courage and determination. Anyone reading this book will be enlightened and educated.
  
• Bubba Tails on July 23, 2020
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  Bubba Tails is a fun way to educate children and the young at heart about guide dogs. King Campbell tells his story in a way all can understand. The book includes information about The Seeing Eye, so parents and other adults can learn more about their work and how they can help. The last story in the book, “Wish of the Wee Golden One,” could be made into an animated Christmas film. I strongly encourage people of all ages to read this book for entertainment and enlightenment.
  
• Fifty Years of Walking with Friends on Feb. 01, 2021
  
  Years ago, I met the author, DeAnna Quietwater Noriega, through Behind Our Eyes, an organization of disabled authors to which I belong. Before that, she worked with my late husband, Bill, on the Colorado Council of the Blind. I’ve enjoyed reading her poems and stories, most of which were about her guide dogs and Native American heritage. Fifty Years of Walking with Friends didn’t disappoint me. Through DeAnna’s narrative, I was with her and her dogs through their trials and tribulations. I laughed a lot at the dogs’ antics and got mad once when a rehabilitation center where she worked banned one of her dogs because people were complaining about his barking when someone entered her office. I love the way DeAnna’s poems are inserted throughout the book. My favorite is one in which she compares one of her dogs, a chocolate Lab, to a cup of cocoa. Even if you don’t have a guide dog, and maybe even if you don’t like dogs, you’ll find Fifty Years of Walking with Friends heartwarming, educational, and entertaining.
  
• One Glittering Wing on April 20, 2021
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  I met the author, Joan Myles, years ago through Behind Our Eyes, a writers' organization to which I belong. Her work, filled with plenty of vivid imagery, has always fascinated me. I reviewed her first collection, One with Willows, here after it came out. In One Glittering Wing, I like the way Joan incorporates the collection’s title into her poem, "Death." I can relate to the poems, "Walls," "Tammy," and "Shivah" as a result of my personal experiences. My favorite is "Dancing with Emily Dickenson," which inspired me to write a poem about dancing with Billy Collins. Other poems touch on nature, human relations, and additional subjects sure to resonate with many readers. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the poetry of life.
  
• Born From Stardust And Other Poems on Jan. 13, 2022
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  I like how the author groups some of the poems in this collection by subjects such as the beach, storms, and the pandemic. My favorite is “To Be Beside the Sea” because it reminds me of happy times when visiting my brother and his family in Florida and going to the beach. “When Mummy Missed Story Time” tugged at my heart, making me thankful I was not a small child during this pandemic. I also like how she begins her collection with the title poem, “Born from Stardust,” and ends with “In the Mountain Valley.” Even if you don’t like poetry, you’ll delight in the stories these poems tell.
  
• One Goes to the Sea on April 12, 2022
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  I like the vivid imagery and word play in this author's poetry. This collection has a nice mix of rhyming and non-rhyming poetry. The title, One Goes to the Sea, is referenced in her poem, “The Journey,” and it’s easy to see the connection. According to Joan Myles's bio at the end of the book, she “has always been a child of Wonder as well as a spiritual seeker.” This comes through in her poetry, which I highly recommend, even if you’re not into spirituality.
  
• The Pilates Class on May 09, 2023
  
  Author Stevie Turner and I have been following each other’s blogs. Recently, she offered a promotion code on Smashwords that would allow readers to get The Pilates Class for free. I took her up on this and am glad I did. This book definitely has some humor. Although I didn’t care for some of the characters, I liked how others evolved in the course of the story and how some connected with others as a result of the class. I would like to have seen a more satisfying outcome for a couple of the participants. But overall, the ending isn’t bad. The Pilates instructor does an excellent job describing the various moves. You could try some of them at home before joining a class. But even if, like me, you’re happy with your current workout, you’ll find this book highly entertaining.
  
• Behind Our Eyes 3: A Literary Sunburst on Nov. 25, 2023
  
  I’ve been a member of Behind Our Eyes since 2006 and have served the organization in many capacities. I still help edit our online magazine, Magnets and Ladders, chair our email list guidelines committee, and serve on various other committees. As you may have guessed from the title, this is our third anthology. It contains work by our members, some of whom have passed away. Many of these pieces were published in Magnets and Ladders and were posted on our email list, and I enjoyed rereading them. I also discovered some new work that perhaps I don’t remember reading. Having been a music therapist, my favorite piece is “Song for Adrienne” by John Justice, in which the author explains how, as a piano tuner, he touched the troubled life of a mental patient. I also enjoyed Mary-Jo Lord’s poem, “I Walk Among Them,” in which she describes her experience with kangaroos and wallabies in Australia. Alice Jane-Marie Massa’s poem, “A Snowflake Garden” ends the anthology on a high note. Two of my poems and one of my essays also appear in this collection. With Christmas around the corner and with something for everyone, Behind Our Eyes 3: A Literary Sunburst would make a great gift!
  
• Each Day Holds Some Small Joy: Poems on April 09, 2024
  
  I’ve known Lynda for years. We first met through Behind Our Eyes, a writers’ organization to which we both belong. Having always enjoyed her work, I eagerly snatched up this latest collection that just came out. It never ceases to amaze me how, despite having lost vision later in life, Lynda can provide such vivid descriptions of plants, trees, and wildlife and even tell us the color of the sky. Through her poems, in which each line tells its own little story, we’re transported to her garden or other outdoor locations, where, through her eyes, we witness nature’s wonders. Readers may appreciate the way her poems appear on the page like paintings in an art gallery. Photos and other authors’ blurbs add a nice touch. “Dancing Past Wintry Storms” sums up the idea behind this collection, that every day offers some miniscule source of happiness. If you appreciate nature, this book will give you many reasons to smile.