John Berendt'sMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evilhas been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame.
Contents:
Evening in Mercer house --
Destination unknown --
Sentimental gentleman --
Settling in --
Inventor --
Lady of six thousand songs --
Grand empress of Savannah --
Sweet Georgia Brown's --
Walking streak of sex --
It ain't braggin' if y'really done it --
News flash --
Gunplay --
Checks and balances --
Party of the year --
Civic duty --
Trial --
Hole in the floor --
Midnight in the garden of good and evil --
Lafayette square, we are here --
Sonny --
Notes on a rerun --
Pod --
Lunch --
Black minuet --
Talk of the town --
Another story --
Lucky number --
Glory --
And the angels ...
view wiki