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Taylor was born and raised on a farm in Eastern North Carolina. His
parents used theTurner's Farmer's and Planter's Almanac for planting, harvesting, pruning, etc. So that's where the
interest in "the moon signs" started. After graduating from high school, he went to college in Norfolk, Va. He began
working for the Navy as a civilian. Then came service in WWII in the U. S. Army Air Corps, later known as just the Air
Force.
After an Honorable Discharge, Taylor went to New York City and back to work for the Navy.
He moved to Florida, went back to college and became a court reporter. He worked for the largest firm in Miami
for several years, then went into business for himself. The firm, known as Taylor Reese & Associates, is still in
existence in Coral Gables as far as he knows.
During his reporting days, he was elected to the board of the Florida Shorthand
Reporters Association, and subsequently became the state president. After two terms in that position he was
elected to the board of the National Court Reporters Association and became the national president for his profession.
Taylor retired in '89 and began writing humor and poetry. In both instances, his pieces
were sent to magazines. Many rejections and acceptances followed. He continued to write.
About this time Jack and Taylor, lifelong friends, put their heads together
and came up with the almanac books, the first one was published in '93. Since then they have written separately
in their respectives genres. Some of the humor is from Taylor's court experience. He has written
a memoir of the first 17 years of his life. The latest is a book of down-to-earth poetry. Taylor is currently
working on a continuation of his memoir.
Taylor is not new to the humor and non-fiction field. He has been published in a
variety of magazines, including: Saturday Evening Post, Farm and Ranch Living, Progressive Farmer, Country America, and What
of Tomorrow (Yorkshire, England). His short stories, poetry and essays have appeared in Arizona Mandala, Heartland Journal,
Christian Single, Virginia Bar Association Journal, The Villager, America's Intercultural Magazine, Purpose, Poetic Page and
the Purple Patch (West Bromwich, England). Literary magazines include: Skylark (Purdue University), St. Andrews Review
(St. Andrews Presbyterian College), Portland Review (Portland State University) and Tidewater Review (Tidewater College).
His short story, A Painful Cleansing, was included in Emyl Jenkins' anthology, THE BOOK OF AMERICAN TRADITIONS (Crown Publishers).
With co-author Jack R. Pyle, he has written two non-fiction books on how to use the farmer's almanac: RAISING WITH THE MOON:
The Complete Guide to Gardening and Living by the Signs of the Moon and YOU AND THE MAN IN THE MOON: The complete
Guide to Using the Almanac. The latter, a basic guide to using an almanac; the former a guide to using the moon signs
for planting, harvesting and other activities around the homestead. (Both published by Parkway Publishers.)
Taylor participates in bookstore signings and events, and speaks at numerous libraries and garden clubs throughout the southeast.
He has participated in the Novello: Festival of Reading (Charlotte, NC), the Kentucky Book Fair (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003 and 2004), The Southern Kentucky Festival of Books, the very first Western North Carolina Book Fair, A Celebration
of Books and Authors at East Tennessee State University, The Carl Sandburg Book Fair (Hendersonville, NC), the High Country
Book Fair in Banner Elk, and the Haywood High Country Book Fair. in Waynesville, NC.
Taylor
is an active member of the Writers Guild of Western North Carolina and the Appalachian Authors Guild.
Taylor Reese, P. O. Box 911, Spruce Pine, NC 28777-0911
(828) 675-4865 - Fax (828)
675-0026 - e-mail:
tayree23@yahoo.com
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