Strange Horizons, June 8, 2020

“The Present Only Toucheth Thee” by Kathleen Jennings

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The narrator of “The Present Only Toucheth Thee” by Kathleen Jennings addresses a person reincarnated multiple times. The one to whom the narrator speaks lives as humans, animals, and plants. During these lifetimes, the narrator uses the other person’s body to create various parts of a book. The narrator, apparently immortal, speculates about their relationship in the far future.

This work is more of a short prose poem than a traditional work of narrative fiction. The premise is intriguing, and evocative writing creates a mysterious mood. Readers expecting a linear plot may find this piece less than satisfying.

Victoria Silverwolf knows the source of this story’s title.