Mary Ellen Talley

I am excited to announce that my second poetry chapbook, “Taking Leave” was just published by Kelsay Books in January of 2024 and is available for purchase.

Mary Ellen Talley’s heartfelt poetry collection offers a window into the lives of two sisters born twelve years apart as they navigate lives begun in the Lilac City, and one bravely nears her end in Texas. She also writes poignantly about the loss of her niece, and shares family advice on coping with grief: “When you get to the end of your rope / tie a knot and hang on.” Talley skillfully balances sobering threads of the Vietnam War, alcoholism, cancer, and hospice with times of celebration and humor, all woven within the security blanket of family love and hometown roots. Taking Leave inspires us to reflect on our own connections and draw strength from the memories and legacies of loved ones as “saying goodbye becomes music and breath.”

—Kelly Sargent, author of Seeing Voices: Poetry in Motionand Echoes in My Eyes

I am grateful to these brick and mortar stores where you can visit and purchase my book. Many thanks to Open Books: A Poem Emporium in downtown Seattle, Phinney Books in North Seattle, and Book Tree in Kirkland, WA.

Mary Ellen’s first chapbook, “Postcards from the Lilac City” was published in 2020 by Finishing Line Press.

“Lilacs made me laugh and cry. You will strike gold if you open it. In Lilac City, the poet teaches and sings. Her story resonates with anyone who drove her teacher-mom to work in a car with the butterfly out of place, and with those of us who didn’t. This book of twenty-six poems is a love story to the author’s family and to the city she grew up in, Spokane, Washington.” — Esther Altshul Helfgott, author of “Dear Alzheimer’s”