Beneath the lofty themes of world mythology, Joseph Campbell taught us, lie patterns that reveal the ways in which we all may encounter the great mysteries of existence: birth, growth, soul development, and death. The Larsens, Campbell's friends and students for over 20 years, weave a rich tapestry of stories and insights that illuminate both his personal and public challenges and triumphs, drawing deeply on Campbell's own journals, letters and notes about his own sources. April.