It makes me want to explore Savannah and see if it's really like Mr. Berendt writes. I read "City of Fallen Angels" last summer, and having lived in close proximity to Venice for two years, I can say that the entire time I read the book I was going "I've been there!" and wondering a-new at the things that were mentioned, the little historical facts that the book brought to my attention that I hadn't realized before.
Beyond this however, the connection formed in my head, that in reality it's not a true novel so much as a collection of short stories that all happen to take place in the same area. Much akin to Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio".
Well about mid-way through reading about Lady Chablis my mother called and she asked what I was up to, I told her, and she says "How many times have you read that book?" and to be honest, I have no clue, but quite a bit at this point.
The connection formed in my mind however that in reality, this story could take place anywhere with anyone. I think back to the fact that I graduated from Nelson County High School in Bardstown, Kentucky. We had our own little fair share of characters and Bardstown has it's own little historic background and buildings. It's the home of Stephen Foster (the man who wrote such songs as "I Dream of Genie", "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Camptown Races"). It has the worlds largest Bourbon industry, producing 85% of the worlds Bourbon and has been doing so since the town was founded. It's also home to St. Joseph's Proto-Cathedral, the first Catholic cathedral west of the Appalachian mountains.
But beyond that we had our own little set of characters that I still remember to this day. As a example, take our ever loving mayor Dixie Hibbs, the man owns the home heating industry for our country and three counties surrounding us and is a horrible misogynist. This is the same man who wanted to charge Wal-mart double to build on city land, so they moved outside of it. When they did the city then Annexed the land it was on, thus getting the profit anyway.
Or our County Clerk, Phyllis, bless her heart, but to this day she knows me, my family our history, where we came from, and what we've been doing. We aren't alone, she knows this about ~everyone~ in the county. It's amazing, she's 85 and if you ever want to know where someone is you just have to ask. Thats why she's still County Clerk after all, and we all love her.
James the man who is the reason why we have a law in Bardstown that you can't walk your pet Lynx down main street.
Jimmy the kid who would fuck a chicken if you paid him 10 bucks.
And a whole collection of people who all have there own stories and little byways down my past as I remember them.
I'm not all misty eyed over this, but it's a interesting comparison.
Reality is never quite as normal as we'd like to make it out to be, and sometimes you have to search real hard to find that "normal" world that we are all brought up to believe in.
2 comments:
Having grown up in the South as well (and btw went to UK for grad school), I can attest to the characters one runs across. As for Savannah, it actually is as strange and surreal as Midnight makes it seem, except the drag is notoriously bad. The Lady Chablis may have had her hey-day, but the rest of it is booger drag. I witnessed a tired ole queen come out in flip-flops. Seriously, if you want a tip I need to see some heels.
True.
And funnily enough I graduated from NCHS, but I attended boarding school in England for a year and a half out of my four.
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