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C-SPAN - Booknotes+ Podcast: John Berendt, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

John Baron's book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," achieved significant success, remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for 216 weeks and selling over 1.5 million copies. The book is a non-fiction narrative that combines elements of a travelogue and a murder mystery, set in the enchanting city of Savannah, Georgia. Baron's storytelling captures the city's unique charm and its eccentric characters, weaving a compelling narrative around a real-life murder trial. The book's success was largely driven by word-of-mouth and media appearances, including a feature on Good Morning America and a review in the Washington Post. The title, inspired by a chapter in the book, reflects the duality of good and evil present in the story and the city itself. The book's cover, featuring a statue from Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery, became iconic, further boosting its popularity. Baron's meticulous research and immersive writing style contributed to the book's critical and commercial success, making it a cultural phenomenon.

Key Points:

The book stayed on the bestseller list for 216 weeks, selling over 1.5 million copies.
It combines travelogue and murder mystery, set in Savannah, Georgia.
Media appearances and word-of-mouth significantly boosted its popularity.
The title reflects the duality of good and evil, inspired by a chapter in the book.
The cover image became iconic, contributing to the book's success.

Details:

1. 📚 The Record-Breaking Bestseller

John Baron's book 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' remained on the New York Times bestseller list for a record 216 weeks.
The book was published in 1994 and has sold more than 1.5 million copies.
John Baron, a Syracuse native, is currently 85 years old and resides in New York City.
He appeared on the original Booknotes television program on August 28, 1997.

2. 🎤 Author Insights: Preserving Plot Mysteries

John Barren, author of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," emphasizes the importance of preserving plot mysteries in interviews and promotional materials.
He deliberately avoids revealing key plot details, such as the identity of the shooter or the victim in the murder trial, to maintain suspense.
The author believes that books should retain an element of suspense and that revealing too much beforehand can diminish the reader's experience.

3. 📈 The Art and Science of Book Publishing

3.1. Printing Strategy

3.2. Inventory Management

3.3. Coding System

3.4. Decoding Printings

3.5. First Printing and Demand

4. 🏆 From Skepticism to Bestseller

The book maintained its position on the bestseller list for over 160 weeks.
The author did not anticipate the book becoming a bestseller due to its unconventional content, including a black drag queen and other quirky characters.
The author aimed for critical acceptance rather than high sales, initially focusing on recognition from critics.
The author did not receive an advance for the book, indicating initial financial uncertainty.
While writing the book, the author continued working on columns and magazine articles to support themselves financially.

5. 🖼️ The Cover That Captured Savannah

The author did not anticipate the book becoming a bestseller and was primarily focused on critical acceptance and potential modest earnings.
The cover of the book features a statue from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, chosen as an ornament rather than a headstone or tomb marker.
The suggestion to use Bonaventure Cemetery for the cover came from the author, who recommended it for its beauty.
A local Savannah photographer was hired by Random House to capture the image, providing an opportunity for local creative contribution and enhancing the authenticity of the book's connection to Savannah.

6. 🏛️ Statue's Journey: From Cemetery to Museum

A photographer visited Bonaventure Cemetery to capture a captivating image, spending two days and eventually photographing a statue that stood out, despite a tight five-day schedule for the project.
The photograph was enhanced in the dark room to create a mysterious and beautiful image that perfectly fit the book cover, exceeding the author's expectations.
The book cover gained significant attention, leading to an influx of tourists visiting the cemetery to see the statue, causing distress to the family that owned the plot.
Due to the increased attention and sentimental value, the statue was eventually moved to a museum where it could be preserved and appreciated without causing distress to the family.
This transition highlights the impact of photography and media in transforming public interest and the importance of preserving historical artifacts.

7. 🗺️ Discovering Savannah's Magic

The statue, which had been removed for three years, has been donated to the local Art Museum, the Telfair Academy, drawing more visitors and supporting the museum.
The statue has become an icon representing Savannah, visible on various merchandise such as t-shirts, cups, and pins.
Nearly 1.5 million copies of the related book have been printed, indicating significant interest and demand.
The book has been kept in hardcover due to its popularity, which is a rare practice in the publishing industry.
The donation of the statue and its integration into cultural symbols and merchandise has enhanced the city's cultural tourism and economic growth.

8. 🕵️‍♂️ Weaving Savannah's Story

The magazine editor was inspired by the beauty of Savannah during a trip in 1982, which led to the decision to write a book set in the city.
The city of Savannah was considered a wonderful and magical location, described as unusual and undiscovered at the time.
The author aimed to delve deeply into a story, contrasting with the superficial nature of magazine writing.
A murder case in Savannah provided a central plot point, strategically placed in the middle of the book to enhance reader engagement and surprise.
The narrative structure was designed to introduce readers to characters and the city before revealing the central event, mirroring the surprise experienced by Savannah's residents.

9. 🎭 Bringing Savannah's Characters to Life

The narrative is a portrait of Savannah intertwined with a murder case.
The book is described as a Savannah story, though it comprises hundreds of stories.
Characters reappear in various chapters, creating a tightly knit community feel.
A murder case serves as a thread connecting the characters and stories.
Joe Odum, a recurring character, provides comedic commentary, envisioning the narrative as a movie.
The narrative style resembles a Greek chorus with real people commenting on the author's progression.
The narrative draws from personal experiences in Savannah, weaving them into a cohesive story.

10. 🗣️ Southern Storytelling and Interviews

Jim Williams, known for his storytelling prowess, died unexpectedly in January 1990, collapsing behind his desk in a manner that echoed a pivotal moment nine years prior when Danny Hansford allegedly fired a gun at him.
The irony of Williams dying in the same spot where he might have been shot highlights a poignant aspect of his life story.
The speaker learned of Williams' death while traveling to Savannah, marking a significant moment in the storytelling legacy of Williams.
Williams was celebrated as one of the best interviews in the speaker's career, praised for his openness, humor, articulateness, and ability to encapsulate the essence of Southern storytelling.

11. 📖 The Family Behind the Dedication

Storytelling has been a central tradition in the family, greatly influencing communication and literature appreciation.
The author embraced this storytelling tradition, using a narrative style in the book that reflects these family values.
The subject of the book was actively involved, reading chapters and giving feedback, yet had no editorial control, ensuring authenticity.
Initially, there was uncertainty about the book's tone, but the subject appreciated the careful literary approach taken by the author.
Following the subject's advice, the author focused on quality over speed, ensuring a thoughtful and well-crafted narrative.

12. 🎓 Education and Literary Foundations

Joe Odum passed away at 59 from AIDS, leading a double life not reflected in the book.
The author dedicated the book to their parents, acknowledging the respect for literature they instilled.
The author's mother wrote a 1951 novel, 'Small World', using her maiden name, Carol Toare, published by Simon & Schuster.
Their father has dedicated 30 years to writing a scientific and philosophical book, showing long-term commitment.
Reading was central in the author's upbringing, with their father reading classics like 'The Swiss Family Robinson' and 'A Tale of Two Cities'.
The author's parents, residing in Manlius, New York, are proud of the author, tracking achievements despite technological reluctance.

13. 📝 Navigating a Writing Career

The author maintains strong communication with their support network using a fax machine, emphasizing the importance of staying connected.
Renowned authors such as Kurt Vonnegut have publicly recommended the author's work, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," highlighting its literary impact.
The book received positive reviews and achieved bestseller status, contributing to the author's sense of accomplishment and validation after years of effort.
The writing process took seven years, indicating a significant investment of time and dedication, despite external pressures and expectations to complete the work.
The author faced various challenges during the writing process but remained committed, which ultimately led to a successful career.
Specific anecdotes, such as experiences during the editing phase, illustrate the author's perseverance and adaptability.

14. 📜 The Esquire Experience

14.1. Writing Journey and Reception

14.2. Financial Sustenance During Writing

14.3. Background and Early Life

15. ✍️ Crafting a Writer's Path

The speaker was approached by Harold Hayes, editor of Esquire in late 1961, to be an editor, indicating the importance of networking and recognition in career advancement.
The speaker was tasked with critiquing six months of Esquire and providing 20 new ideas, highlighting the importance of demonstrating value and creativity in job applications.
The speaker’s impressive submission led to immediate job offer, showing that exceeding expectations can lead to rapid career opportunities.
Interestingly, the speaker and the only other candidate for the position were high school friends, illustrating how professional paths can intersect in unexpected ways.
The other candidate, Michael Herr, went on to write 'Dispatches,' a classic that further demonstrates the caliber of talent considered for roles at prestigious publications like Esquire.

16. 📚 Crafting the Perfect Title

Blurbs can significantly influence book purchases, as they serve as endorsements from respected individuals or peers.
A blurb from a respected figure like Michael can add credibility and appeal to a book, making it more attractive to potential readers.
The cover and title of a book play crucial roles in attracting attention and tipping the balance in favor of purchase when a reader is undecided.
While a blurb alone might not be the deciding factor, it can complement other elements like reviews and recommendations to persuade a reader to buy a book.

17. 🕛 Midnight's Evocative Imagery

17.1. Chapter Titles for Atmosphere

17.2. Murdered Defendant and Voodoo Priestess

17.3. Concept of Dead Time

17.4. Midnight Imagery and Title Creation

18. 🏫 High School to Harvard: Early Influences

Despite initial concerns, the book 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' was published by Random House with its original lengthy title, indicating the publisher's confidence in its success.
The author grew up in the conservative cultural environment of the 1950s, wearing traditional attire like white bucks and chino pants, reflecting the era's norms.
Graduating high school in 1957 and college in 1961, the author was influenced by the conformist atmosphere of Syracuse, which contrasts with the non-conformist characters they were drawn to in their work.
In high school, the author actively participated in journalism as one of the editors of the Nottingham Crimson, showcasing an early commitment to storytelling and writing.
This early engagement with writing during high school laid the groundwork for the author's future career, highlighting the significance of these formative experiences.

19. ✒️ Esquire's Impact on Writing Style

Esquire, under editor Harold Hayes, cultivated a unique writing style that was both knowledgeable and irreverent, requiring all editors to embody this tone in their work.
The magazine's editorial team was responsible for not only assigning and editing articles but also creating unsigned features that aligned with the magazine's house voice, ensuring stylistic consistency.
Notable contributors included David Newman, who co-wrote significant films such as 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Superman,' demonstrating the high caliber of the editorial team.
Kay Felker, another key figure from Esquire, went on to establish New York Magazine, highlighting the magazine's role in shaping influential media leaders.

20. 🎓 Harvard and Beyond

20.1. Harvard Admission: Strategies and Impact

20.2. Academic Choices: From Architecture to English Literature

21. 📰 The Harvard Lampoon Experience

Joining the Harvard Lampoon is highly competitive, requiring weekly submissions of humorous short stories, essays, or poetry to gain selection.
Initiation includes a 'Fool's week' where new members don black eye patches and engage in public pranks, such as locking all 19 gates of Harvard Yard, highlighting creativity and boldness.
The Lampoon boasts a prestigious history with alumni like Robert Benley and John Updike, indicating its role as a breeding ground for influential writers.
A notable achievement was the parody of the Saturday Review, which captured the attention of editors in New York, showcasing the Lampoon's ability to influence and gain recognition in the literary world.

22. 📰 Editing and Publishing Adventures

Mademoiselle magazine engaged five individuals to create a parody issue for July 1961, boosting interest in a typically low-sales month.
A creative cover design with a model featuring a fly on her nose garnered significant attention, leading to media coverage and increased magazine interest.
Harold Hayes from Esquire was impressed by the parody issue and sought to hire talent from the team, leading to a career opportunity for John Baron.
John Baron transitioned from pursuing an English master's degree to writing for Esquire from 1961 to 1969, marking a significant career shift.
Baron maintained connections with Esquire post-1969, contributing pieces over the years, showing the importance of maintaining professional relationships.
He pre-interviewed guests for notable shows like David Frost and Dick Cavett, showcasing his versatility and adaptability in various media roles.
Baron later served as the editor of New York Magazine for two years, highlighting career progression and leadership in the publishing industry.

23. 🗞️ Publishing Insights with Murdoch

The speaker was hired as an editor for a weekly magazine and worked for two years, highlighting a key lesson: the importance of adequately delegating authority. This lack of delegation contributed to their dismissal.
Despite being fired, the speaker was trusted to write Rupert Murdoch's annual report twice, demonstrating Murdoch's ability to separate professional respect from personal political differences.
Rupert Murdoch maintained a diverse publishing portfolio, unapologetically managing publications ranging from racy to respectable, emphasizing strategic diversity in media offerings.
In response to competition from the New York Daily News, Murdoch strategically launched an afternoon paper named the 'popular press', showcasing his tactical approach to market positioning and competition.

24. 📈 Media's Influence on Success

Rupert Murdoch emphasized that his media content was designed for a specific audience, and despite criticism, it succeeded because it resonated with them.
The closure of the Daily News afternoon paper highlights the challenges traditional media faced when not fully committed to their content strategy.
The success of a book was attributed to word-of-mouth rather than just media exposure. However, appearances on national television, such as Good Morning America, led to noticeable spikes in sales.
The book's success was due to its ability to engage readers, offering them thrills and surprises in each chapter, which encouraged discussion and word-of-mouth promotion.

25. 🎭 Savannah's Unforgettable Characters

25.1. Savannah's Unique Characters

25.2. Reception and Impact

26. 📺 Media Features and Boosts

26.1. Media Features

26.2. Impact on Sales

27. 📺 TV Exposure and Book Popularity

The book's popularity surged after being featured on 'This Old House', a PBS show with the highest ratings on the network, attracting 10 million viewers. This exposure contributed significantly to the book's sustained presence on bestseller lists.
Following the TV feature, the book maintained a strong sales trajectory, demonstrating the powerful influence of media exposure on consumer behavior.
The book was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, which enhanced its credibility and appeal, further boosting sales and public interest.
The abridged version of the book was featured on Publishers Weekly’s audio bestseller list for several weeks, indicating broad interest and appeal across different formats.

28. 🎤 The Unabridged Audio Journey

70,000 copies of the abridged version have been sold, but the author prefers the unabridged version, indicating a belief in the value of the complete work.
The author's agent advised against recording the audiobook due to the time commitment, highlighting the challenges authors face with audiobook projects.
Random House took over the unabridged version from Recorded Books and repackaged it, showing strategic moves in publishing to maximize distribution.
The book was featured as the hottest non-fiction book of the 90s in the Weekly Standard magazine, underscoring its significant cultural impact.
Nancy Hillis, a character from the book, actively promotes her role by opening her house to tourists for $5, demonstrating innovative promotional efforts.

29. 🎭 Public Perception of Characters

A character energetically promoted herself to be in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, showcasing effective self-promotion strategies that led to a role in a high-profile project.
The character participated in a jazz show based on Johnny Mercer's songs. This show was part of a road tour across eight cities in 10 days, illustrating how literary characters can be integrated into diverse performance arts.
Despite participating, the character expressed dissatisfaction for not being included in the road show, highlighting the significance of inclusion in promotional activities and its impact on public perception.
The character accused the author of exaggerating events in the book, emphasizing the delicate balance between narrative embellishment and factual representation, which can affect credibility and audience trust.

30. 🎬 Adapting the Book for Film

30.1. Character's Credibility Issues

30.2. Media Inaccuracies

30.3. Film Release Timeline

31. 🎥 Filming and Author Involvement

Filming was completed quickly, with indoor shots in California finished by July 14th, indicating a fast production pace.
The director is known for being ahead of schedule and under budget, which is a notable achievement in film production.
The film is on track for a November 21st release, with a finished print required by November 1st, demonstrating tight but manageable timelines.
The author decided not to write the script to avoid compromising the book's integrity, showing a strategic choice to maintain the original story's essence.
John Lee Hancock, a skilled writer, was entrusted with adapting the script, highlighting the importance of expertise in screenplay adaptation.
Significant changes were necessary for the script, such as reducing four trials to one, to maintain suspense and fit film constraints, illustrating adaptation challenges.
The narrative style had to shift from a passive book perspective to a more involved film approach, emphasizing the need for active storytelling in movies.

32. 🔍 The Truth Behind the Fiction

The narrator played a pivotal role in advising Jim Williams on defense strategies during his third and fourth trials, focusing on key points for the lawyer to emphasize, and identifying critical witnesses to call.
The narrator was intrigued by the defense strategy and suggested that this element could be more prominently featured in the story adaptation, potentially impacting its reception.
The narrative style in the book is deliberately neutral, refraining from explicitly judging characters as good or bad, which allows the characters' stories to unfold naturally.
Despite finding the evidence against Jim Williams convincing, the narrator was aware of a semi-confession made by him, which stood in contrast to his court testimony, adding complexity to the case.

33. 🖋️ Writing in Savannah

Jim Williams and Danny Hansford had a confrontation that escalated into violence after returning from a movie, during which Hansford became enraged, causing damage to property and brandishing a gun, leading to his fatal shooting.
The District Attorney argued that Jim Williams staged the crime scene to appear as self-defense, presenting nine pieces of evidence supporting this theory.
The defense successfully refuted some evidence, yet unresolved issues remained, casting doubt on Williams's innocence.
Danny Hansford had a history of violent behavior, including a previous incident with a gun at Mercer House, which was pertinent to the defense's argument.
The narrator believes Williams was provoked but questions the claim that Williams was initially shot at, indicating skepticism about the self-defense narrative.

34. 🏠 Immersing in Savannah's Culture

The process of writing took seven to eight years, with the first year dedicated solely to interviewing people.
The author moved to Savannah in 1985 and spent a significant amount of time researching at the Georgia Historical Society.
Writing and researching in Savannah continued from 1986 to 1990, with the author carrying a notebook at all times to capture observations.
Initially planning short stays, the author decided to live full-time in Savannah for five years to better immerse in the culture.
Living in Savannah allowed the author to discover unexpected and valuable information for the book by being present in everyday events.
The author lived in a historic apartment building with a view of downtown Savannah, enhancing the cultural immersion experience.

35. 🌍 The Quest for the Next Story

The author regularly wrote at a scenic location overlooking the Savannah River, utilizing an early Apple computer and upgrading as needed.
Writing routine included starting work around 8 or 9 AM with coffee, beginning with writing or organizing notes, and making appointments.
Monthly commitment to writing an Esquire column required breaking away from book writing, taking two days to return to the book's rhythm.
The search for the next book's setting involved exploring various cities, including multiple visits to Venice over several years.
Venice was considered a potential book setting, but language barriers with Italian posed a significant challenge.
The transition between writing routine and exploration involves balancing regular writing commitments with travel and research for new book settings.

36. 🧩 Uncovering Venetian Mysteries

The speaker initially struggled with gathering information due to language barriers but remained fascinated by Venice, returning multiple times to explore different stories.
Interest shifted from writing a book to potentially crafting an article for The New Yorker, focusing on English-speaking expatriates in Venice and notable sites like Palazo Barbara.
Palazo Barbara, owned by an American family for a century, served as a filming location for movies like 'Brideshead Revisited' and 'Wings of the Dove', and was frequented by figures such as Henry James.
The exploration led to the discovery of a story linked to Henry James' short story 'The Aspern Papers', involving a historical quest for the papers of a fictional poet, drawing parallels to real historical figures like Lord Byron.
The narrative of 'The Aspern Papers' involves a scholar's failed attempt to acquire valuable letters, which were ultimately destroyed, echoing a similar modern event in Venice that the speaker plans to investigate further.

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