Peter Taylor, a master of the short story and one of America’s finest literary artists, was born in Tennessee in 1917. He received the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for his stories, and the Pulitzer for his second novel A Summons to Memphis. As a teacher, he was known for his generous encouragement of talented young writers. He died in 1994 and is survived by his wife, the poet Eleanor Ross Taylor, and their children. Photo by Wright Langley.