Mysteries of the Body and the Mind

Expanding the themes in The Presence of Things Past, his debut collection of stories, John Taylor reveals himself to be a master of the intimate in Mysteries of the Body and the Mind. Set in Iowa, Idaho, and France (where the author has lived since 1977), these twenty-four stories “act as a sort of reverse coming of age,” as Brian McCombie put it in his review of the first edition in The Bloomsbury Review, “with the memory evoked only now beginning to truly resonate in the main character’s life.” Lost love, unrequited love, or found love often function as compelling narrative impetuses. In subtle, allusive prose enriched by his long dialogue with European literature, this sensitive writer meditates on the passing of time and the quest for selfhood. Funny, sad stories with a final ironic twist are blended with short, dreamlike ruminations. Composed in a variety of styles, Taylor’s engaging prose goes straight to the reader’s heart.