John Berendt – författare

Genteel society ladies who compare notes on their husbands' suicides. A hilariously foul-mouthed black drag queen. A voodoo priestess who works her roots in the graveyard at midnight. A morose inventor who owns a bottle of poison powerful enough to kill everyone in town. A prominent antiques dealer who hangs a Nazi flag from his window to disrupt the shooting of a movie. And a redneck gigolo whose conquests describe him as a 'walking streak of sex'.These are some of the real residents of Savannah, Georgia, a city whose eccentric mores are unerringly observed - and whose dirty linen is gleefully aired - in this utterly irresistible book. At once a true-crime murder story and a hugely entertaining and deliciously perverse travelogue, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is as bracing and intoxicating as half-a-dozen mint juleps.

Read John Berendt''s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in Large Print.* All Random House Large Print editions are published in a 16-point typefaceShots rang out in Savannah''s grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981.  Was it murder or self-defense?  For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares.  John Berendt''s sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction.  Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman''s Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight.  These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.From the Trade Paperback edition.

'Glittering, entertaining' Sunday TimesA beguiling portrait of the city of Venice from the bestselling author of the classic true crime Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.Beneath the exquisite facade of the world's most beautiful historic city, scandal, corruption and venality are rampant. Venice and its eccentric locals come to life in the words of exquisite storyteller, John Berendt. Ezra Pound and his mistress, Olga; poet Mario Stefani; the Rat Man of Treviso; or Mario Moro - self-styled carabiniere, fireman, soldier or airman, depending on the day of the week.City of Falling Angels is a mischievous, charming and compelling portrait of a beguiling city and its people.'Fascinating, fantastic' Observer

More than 20 well-known writers and celebrities share the travel experiences that shaped their personalities and changed their lives. Contributors include Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Pico Iyer, John Berendt, Alexander McCall Smith and Jane Smiley.

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A fresh, witty and sophisticated guide to men’s fashion – from wing tips to wristwatches, turtlenecks to tuxedos – from bestselling author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt.For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men’s clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on a particular item of iconic men’s fashion.Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family connection to a certain pair of argyle socks (‘When she came to the telephone, the Duchess of Argyll made it clear by the resoluteness of her reply that she had been asked about argyle socks before…’), educating the reader on the virtues of French cuffs, or identifying the definitive motorcycle jacket and how to wear it (Marlon Brando in The Wild One), Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure.Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this fully illustrated collection of snappy, elegant essays is as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character—and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men’s style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.