V's Pick #36: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berndt

I've been to Savannah a few times now (me and DeMerese's friend Heather is a SCAD student) but despite my jaunts to the mysteriously hospitable city, I'd never been interested in reading this book. Main reason? I saw the movie in theaters when I was 15; my boyfriend and I at the time chose it because it was long (time for lots of "cuddling"), had an early showing (mom as taxi service) and we'd heard there was some sex in it. As it turned out, the movie was SO boring that I fell asleep within the first 30 minutes and didn't wake until the very end when my boyfriend, who'd stayed away for the whole thing, grudgingly shook me to let me know the torture was finally over. I never looked back...until about two months ago when I was bored with my currently-owned-not-read books and was poking around in Goodwill. I found a battered, used copy for about $1, flipped through some pages and was amazed that the writing captured me so strongly. I took it home and tore into it between thesis work, determined to finish it before our June 10th drive to SV. Part travelogue, part "true-story" murder mystery and part raunchy and delicious Southern gossip in print, The Book (as locals call it) was more than I bargained for.

Like that city has always done, it's an understatement to say it surprised me. Just when I thought I knew what it was about, what it all meant and where I should eat, Berendt flipped the coin and I was back at square one, all my prejudices shaken out of pocket. I did manage to read it all before our trip, finishing the last twenty pages or so on the road...and I feel like this trip to Savannah was very different because of this book. For one, I made us walk about an hour out of our way in the sweltering mid-day sun just to catch a glimpse of the infamous Mercer House (where much of the book and the surrounding murder takes place); I'm not usually one for landmarks like this but I was beyond excited to stand in front of the gates where it all went down. Two, it gave me a sense of belonging in a rather transient town, which included name-dropping from The Book with our hotel bartender who was more than happy to oblige with additional information. Three, I appreciated the homeless, the roaches and the crazy all the more - from the blind guys on River Street playing Louis Armstrong, to the old men in the squares talking about drinking handles of Jim Beam, to the weird-but-nice shopkeepers and of course, the food... It was all there, including Lady Chablis - the famous drag queen who much to my excitement, still performs once a month at Club One.

If you're going to Savannah, do read this. I've yet to see the movie again (have read it's horrible compared to the book) but I feel like I got a first-rate tour of the inner-workings of one of the most mysterious cities in America through Berendt. This book does as much to celebrate and explain as it does to complicate though - be warned. Many believe that Berendt was romantically involved with the murder suspect during his eight years writing The Book...personally, I think that might be true...but I also don't really care. Through him, them, I know about Moon River now, voodoo, the men in alligator shoes, whores and black debutantes; servants and those served, afternoon tea, drinking and driving into trees, invisible dogs, hormone shots, poison, prudes and of course, fried chicken.

I love the South.