Now Entering Savannah

Highway sign just before the city limits: "You are now entering Weirdsville." Just kidding. There's no sign like that although there damned well should be.

We visited Savannah (and then Beaufort, Perris Island and Charleston) for one reason only. I had been positively enthralled by John Berendt's book "The Garden of Good and Evil," published in 1995. I couldn't get to Savannah to see it all for myself fast enough!

We flew in at night and the lights of the bridge and town and the contrastic darkness of the river and country looked promising. The next day we set off touring. We took a carriage ride through the squares. The woman tour guide patiently guided the horse and told us dribs and drabs of local history. Indicating a grand old house, she murmured, "Poor man, he shot her in a jealous rage and when he only winged her, he turned the gun on himself. He knew she'd be hell to live with afterward."

We came to the square that held the house featured in the book. Signs of activity dotted the front lawn. There was going to be a book signing of The Book (as it's always referred to there) that very afternoon! We'd get to see and possibly talk to The Lady Chablis, her husband, Emma Kelly, dubbed "The Lady of Six Thousand Songs" by Johnny Mercer who had lived across the square. Our hostess was "Mandy" who owned the house and rented out "the penthouse" for $150/night, breakfast included. She told us that she was never Joe Odum's girlfriend as he was gay. Others nodded their heads and said the story took place in Johnny Mercer's house. There seemed to be no authority who could tell us definitely what was what.

The ladies were very nice. The Lady Chablis was friendly and flirtatious, ignoring her husband who sat placidly in a lawn chair at the back of the yard. Emma seemed somewhat confused as to her part in this whole performance and Mandy looked tired.

The bottom floor of the house had a souvenir shop and we were urged to partake of the treasures therein.

I lied and told Mandy that I'd left my copy of The Book at home, "home" being the RB Main Library. She promptly pulled out a book marker - like a bigger version of a visiting card - and all of the ladies signed it for me. I think it cost $2.50.