Reynolds Price, 1933-2011

Reynolds Price, whom the Times calls “one of the most important voices in modern Southern fiction,” has died. His novels and stories are indeed worthwhile, but what I most prize is his Three Gospels, which contains translations of Mark and John and a gospel written by Price himself. I am not in any sense a believer, but this book went a long way toward making me understand the simple power of the stories that have shaped our world in so many ways. It’s something you should read particularly if you are without faith; it provides a way in that you might otherwise not be afforded. Price was 77.