Mary Bailey

Mary Bailey retired from the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2000 after serving over thirty years as a technology professional. Shortly after retirement, she began working on her “MAMAW” degree and now has seven grandchildren.  Burnt Bread, a book of poetry written with her oldest granddaughter, Autum, spans fifty years of a generation gap as they explore topics from their own points of view. Mary is also the author of the Jesus My Son trilogy, which offers a view of Jesus’ life through His mother’s journal entries. Mary and her husband of 53 years, Darrel, reside in Frankfort, but currently spend winters in Florida where she continues to write while Darrel plays golf.

Burnt Bread

Special bonds are created between granddaughters and Mamaws when they are together during the developmental years. These bonds usually last a lifetime and span multiple generations. Through their poems, Autum and Mary Bailey have captured some of the memories they shared as they traveled this road. Cooking together was one thing they both enjoyed. Many of their creations often ended up a little overdone as cousins and guests arrived and the talks became more important than the timer on the oven. No matter how badly the dish was burnt, Mamaw always managed to salvage some of the good. As the years rolled on and life threw out some pretty burnt pieces, Mamaw still managed to salvage some of the good. As illustrated in these poems, the sage advice from the experiences of a Mamaw can offer memories for many generations.