Carroll S.Taylor's poem "In Memoriam" awarded Second Place in the Mnemosyne Award for the 2018 Georgia Poetry Society's fall contest.

Carroll S. Taylor has been awarded Second Place for her poem, "In Memoriam," in the Mnemosyne Award contest for the 2018 Georgia Poetry Society's fall contest. The poem will be published in the 2019 edition of The Reach of Song. 

Carol Crawford judged this award category. Her comments are as follows: 

"In Memoriam" comes at the reader with vivid visual imagery. It reads like an artist's black and white photograph, with sharply drawn contrasts. The word pictures of death and mourning are dramatic. The stark warning of the dead bird bringss to mind violence humans commit against each other and serves as its own warning and cautionary tale.

Carroll S. Taylor grew up on a dirt road in rural West Central Georgia. A graduate of Tift College (Mercer University) with a BA in French, she holds graduate degrees in French and English as well as an EdS in Educational Leadership. She was an educator for forty-three years. As a secondary teacher, she taught French, English, Journalism, Creative Writing, and ESL. She advised students in the creation and publication of school newspapers and yearbooks. After her retirement, she moved on to her second career as a part-time instructor at Columbus State University, teaching freshman composition. 

She is the author of two young adult novels, Chinaberry Summer and Chinaberry Summer: On theOther Side. She is currently writing the third novel in the series, Chinaberry Summer: Down by the Water. Her books emphasize generational storytelling and respect for the valuable role of reptiles and amphibians in our ecosystem. One of the personal highlights of publishing her novels was her book reading held in the childhood home of Carson McCullers.

Carroll is a member of North Carolina Writers’ Network, North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, and the Georgia Poetry Society.

 She and her husband retired to Hiawassee, Georgia, where they share a home with their two cats. She loves studying nature, especially snakes. She enjoys writing in all forms, including poetry and novels. Readers may find her journal blog at chinaberrysummer.com and follow her at: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaberrySummer/.