Point of View

Taft is, by and large, told from a first person point-of-view. This vantage is that of John Nickel, a former blues drummer in his thirties living in Memphis in the late 1980s. As such, the entire relation of the narrative is colored by his point-of-view, though it is a point of view that is relatively trustworthy.

Early in the novel, John discusses the rules by which he lives: always sending a check to his son, never pouring a drink from the business side of the bar. He has seen enough of the world as a touring drummer that he knows the spiral of sex and drugs that can tear a person down. The reader enters the narrative after that period of John's life is over. Now, all he ever goes is Muddy's, his apartment, and the Woodmoore house. Even when making intuitive decisions like holding Fay...