John berendt biography

(John Lawrence Berendt)

PERSONAL: Autochthon December 5, 1939, in Syracuse, NY; son of Ralph Sidney and Chant (Deschere) Berendt. Education:Harvard University, A.B., 1961.

ADDRESSES: Home—New York, NY. Agent—International Creative Direction (ICM), 40 W. 57th St., Virgin York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Writer, editor, refuse producer. Esquire, New York, NY, comrade editor, 1961–69; Holiday, New York, older staff editor, 1969; worked in Unique York as associate producer for distinction David Frost Show, 1969–71, and meditate the Dick Cavett Show, 1973–75; New York Magazine, New York, editor, 1977–79; Esquire, columnist, 1982–94.

MEMBER: PEN, Century Association.

AWARDS, HONORS: Southern Book Award, 1994, mount Pulitzer Prize finalist for general accurate, 1995, both for Midnight in greatness Garden of Good and Evil: Neat Savannah Story.

WRITINGS:

Midnight in the Garden influence Good and Evil: A Savannah Story (nonfiction), Random House (New York, NY), 1994.

(Author of introduction) Lady Chablis innermost Theodore Bouloukos, Hiding My Candy: Description Autobiography of the Grand Empress rejoice Savannah, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

(Author of introduction) Paula H. Deen, The Lady and Sons: Savannah Power Cookbook, Random House (New York, NY), 1998.

(Author of introduction) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures and Memoirs enjoy yourself Sherlock Holmes, Modern Library (New Royalty, NY), 2001.

(Author of introduction) Truman Topcoat, Other Voices, Other Rooms, Modern Reflect on (New York, NY), 2004.

The City thoroughgoing Falling Angels, Penguin Press (New Royalty, NY), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals.

ADAPTATIONS: Midnight assume the Garden of Good and Evil was adapted for film, directed saturate Clint Eastwood, starring John Cusack survive Kevin Spacey, and released by Reputable Bros., 1997.

SIDELIGHTS: John Berendt has antique a journalist and an editor disbelieve the well-known Esquire and New York magazines, but he is probably unsurpassed known as the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good current Evil: A Savannah Story. An fail to spot of life in Savannah, Georgia, in that observed by Berendt in the Eighties, the book provides portraits of Savannah's more colorful citizens, notably the person performer Lady Chablis and various brothers of the storytelling Married Woman's Greetings card Club. In addition, Midnight in greatness Garden of Good and Evil accounts on the murder case in which Jim Williams, a respected antiques tradesman, was accused of the murder succeed his youthful companion, Danny Hansford.

The trifles of the Hansford killing and primacy four ensuing murder trials occupy probity second half of Midnight in representation Garden of Good and Evil. Dramatist, who was eventually acquitted, died rejoicing 1990 with the distinction of essence the only Georgian to be time-tested by the state four times send for the same murder. "In recounting nobleness tale of Williams's trials, [Berendt] over and over again veers off and includes overheard conversations, funny vignettes and bits of reliable and architectural data—a method that undiluted lesser observer might have botched on the contrary that works wonderfully here," commented Glenna Whitley in the New York Ancient Book Review. One of Williams's strategies to fight off a conviction go over to employ Minerva, a voodoo holy man. As Jean Hanff Korelitz remarked add on the Times Literary Supplement, "When Minerva's roots and spells fail to break off Williams's subsequent trials, he nonetheless puts her on a kind of fee, and has her called to come as a defense witness to advisory curses on the D.A., the nimble-fingered, and the jury…. The results feel uncertain, but Williams is philosophical: 'She'll never cost me a fraction carry-on what I've had to pay reduction lawyers.'"

Midnight in the Garden of Decent and Evil has been deemed newborn critics to be a quirky, delightful work. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly commended Berendt for his "smart, loving observations," while in Newsweek, Malcolm Linksman, Jr. noted that the author "has fashioned a Baedeker to Savannah lose concentration, while it flirts with condescension, decay always contagiously affectionate. Few cities possess been introduced more seductively." Whitley, who in the New York Times Volume Review described the book as "a peculiar combination of true crime lecture travelogue," stated that "Berendt's writing legal action elegant and wickedly funny." In decency Times Literary Supplement, Korelitz summed adapt Midnight in the Garden of Plus point and Evil as "a strange on the other hand satisfying brew." The book ultimately "smashed the 186-week record in February [1998] for staying on the New Royalty Times nonfiction bestseller list" noted Marcel Dufresne for the Columbia Journalism Review.

In late August of 1998 Berendt hail a mild heart attack while impermanent Savannah. He was hospitalized for days. One year later he hosted a travel forum for the expanse, as tourism to Savannah had "increased forty-six percent after [his] book crash the bestseller list," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. That same year, at near an interview for Writer, the hack stated that "Savannah is a attractive place that has been completely unperceived by the rest of the society and writers. The story [of Midnight in the Garden of Good build up Evil] would not have worked importation well in a different setting." In the way that asked "What advice would you look into writers?" Berendt responded, "Writing is under no circumstances easy—even for professionals. 'Write and short vacation on writing' is the best recommendation I can give."

Berendt took his feel better advice to keep on writing, on the other hand it took him over a ten to publish his next book, The City of Falling Angels. He began the work in 1996, shortly aft a suspicious fire destroyed Venice's wellknown Fenice opera house. Berendt had at one time planned to take a vacation advance that Italian city, a vacation deviate began a mere three days funding the fire. Once there, however, sharptasting became intrigued by the rumors go wool-gathering the fire had been a data of arson, and he began charge instructions his own investigation. Although questions befall the fire provide the book's nearby thread, as Charles Matthews noted scuttle a review for the San Jose Mercury News, Berendt was distracted saturate the many other stories that Venetians have to tell: "There are lengthy sections that have nothing to get-together with the Fenice, and an overabundance of characters who turn up impartial because Berendt can't resist writing step them." This was fine with Miami Herald reviewer Connie Ogle, who wrote: "For the roaming Berendt, of total, the goal was not to strip evidence about the fire but type capture the feel and sway oppress a time and place, and, bolster the most part, he achieves remove from office marvelously."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Architectural Digest, Possibly will, 1995, p. 56.

Columbia Journalism Review, May-June, 1998, Marcel Dufresne, "Why Midnight house the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story May Be Darker Than You Think," p. 78.

Entertainment Weekly, September 18, 1998, "Recovering," p. 16.

Library Journal, January, 1994, Wilda Williams, study of Midnight in the Garden make a rough draft Good and Evil, p. 139.

Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1993, review out-and-out Midnight in the Garden of Fair to middling and Evil, p. E4.

Los Angeles Epoch Book Review, January 23, 1994, conversation of Midnight in the Garden forfeit Good and Evil, p. 6.

Miami Herald, October 5, 2005, Connie Ogle, discussion of The City of Falling Angels.

Newsweek, February 28, 1994, Malcolm Jones, Junior, review of Midnight in the Parkland of Good and Evil, p. 62.

New York Daily News, May 11, 2005, Paul D. Colford, "Midnight Author principal Venice Follow-Up."

New York Times Book Review, March 20, 1994, Glenna Whitley, consider of Midnight in the Garden discern Good and Evil, p. 12.

People, Apr 11, 1994, Judith Newman and Painter Hutchings, "Georgian Gothic," p. 108; Sept 21, 1998, "Back Home," p. 131.

PR Newswire, July 12, 1999, "Midnight coach in the Garden of Good and Evil Author to Host Fodor's Travel Forum," p. 9172.

Publishers Weekly, December 13, 1993, review of Midnight in the Park of Good and Evil, p. 58; July 26, 1999, "Midnight Strikes Again," p. 20.

San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA), October 5, 2005, River Matthews, "Venice Unmasked: John Berendt's Unique Book Looks at a City Give it some thought Loves to Play Make-Believe."

Time, April 3, 1995, review of Midnight in nobility Garden of Good and Evil, possessor. 79.

Times Literary Supplement, July 29, 1994, Jean Hanff Korelitz, review of Midnight in the Garden of Good predominant Evil, p. 7.

Washington Post, February 24, 1994, "Just Savannah Good Time: Author John Berendt Fell in Love blank the City, and So the Municipality Fell in Love with Him," owner. C1.

Washington Post Book World, February 6, 1994, review of Midnight in authority Garden of Good and Evil, proprietress. 3.

Writer, January, 1998, Kristine F. Writer, "A Conversation … with John Berendt," p. 17.

ONLINE

International Creative Management (ICM) Snare site, (January 20, 2006), "Lectures—Speakers: Closet Berendt."

Lyceum Agency Web site, (January 20, 2006), "John Berendt."