| Kindred Spirits |
| Written by Natalie Goldberg | |||
| Monday, 24 October 2011 14:24 | |||
 "As I was walking on Broadway to Nassau Street, I kept looking up, and saw the towers on fire. There was so much vibration, everything was rumbling..." author Melvin A. Taylor tells me of his experience on September 11, 2001. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Taylor was more than accustomed to taking the PATH train into New York City. In fact, he would transfer at the World Trade Center stop to a connecting train, which led him to where he worked on Wall Street. "I ran for my life that day," Taylor recounts, "I hightailed it home, and I reflected." Taylor's situation that day resonates with many New Yorkers: they ran as fast as they could, and then they reflected. That was all one could really do. Taylor's world, along with the worlds of many others, as he knew it, was shaken.
Melvin A. Taylor, whose novel, The Kindred Spirits: River's Return, was published on July 6, 2011, was a frequent meditator long before that fateful day. His spirituality saved his life. "I heard a voice, one month before 9/11, telling me I had to make my connecting train, that there might not be another one." This eerie message became a reality on that day, and Taylor has never again questioned listening to the voices in his head. That lack of questioning served him well some time later, when Taylor heard that same voice, convincing him to write something about his experience on 9/11. "I would 100% be a different person had these events not occurred," Melvin reminds me, "it just kept coming back to me." These thoughts became the catalyst behind The Kindred Spirits: River's Return, which revolves around someone who is also dealing with what was an unsettling experience, "battling demons," as Taylor put it. The characters certainly do not follow the exact same story line that Taylor went through, but the main character's travesty comes close. "If I can do this, anyone can," Taylor remarks in regards to his writing a novel without any sort of formal training or experience. He believes that his lack of a traditional writing/literature upbringing or background renders him unique as an author. He says it best on his site. "The characters from the idea were all reaching out to me, demanding to be heard and introduced to the public." A brother envisions his brother's death, and it turns out that his entire future experiences are dependent on him. The next book is to come soon, and it certainly will have the same influences as the first. 9/11 was one of the most trying days in our nation's history, but real people like Melvin A. Taylor make it more real, more alive. The fact that he has purposefully and deliberately followed his instincts and become an author renders him incredible and inspirational. Many channel their fear into hiding, but not Melvin A. Taylor. For anyone who has ever had a story to write, or a dream, Melvin A. Taylor's books will be a treat. Visit this meditative and strong author's website at http://melvinataylor.com/.
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