In most of Taylor's work, his major concern is with change and the contrast that it produces between parents or grandparents and their children or grandchildren. Two of his short story collections, In Miro District (1974) and The Old Forest (1985) continue this theme.

In the title story, "In Miro District," the contrast is between a grandfather, who remembers Nashville by its ancient Spanish name, the Miro District, and his sometimes-wild grandson. In "The Captain's Son" the contrast is that of attitudes and lifestyles. The contrast and differing views often result in conflict. The conflict in families and between friends provides a poignant comment on life in an ever-changing South.

All of the narrators of these stories are males representative of the younger generation. In "The Captain's Son," the narrator tells the story of his sister's marriage to a man reared in Memphis, a city of the modern...