From a hotel room in Savannah

I’m down here for the inaugural SAVANNAH BOOK FESTIVAL, and I must say the weather gods are smiling–it’s supposed to get up to 70 today. We’re promised a sunny, gorgeous day to wander around the most beautiful city I know, listen to authors, buy books, talk books, breathe books. Last night’s kick-off talk was by my friend Terry Kay. Terry is another fellow AJC alum. His new novel, THE BOOK OF MARIE, is getting rave reviews, but many of you know him from the book that was made into the movie,
TO DANCE WITH THE WHITE DOG. The talk was given at the gorgeous old Lucas Theatre in downtown Savannah. What fun it is to sit in a restored 1920s movie house and see some 800 people raptly listening to talk about Southern writing. Terry was introduced by John Berendt, who wrote a little thing called MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. After the talk, there was a cocktail reception in another restored building that now houses Harry Norman Realty. My hostess for the weekend,Carolyn Stillwell, is one of the top agents for HN, and not coincidentally, one of the charter members of The Ardsley Park Supper Club. If you’ve read SAVANNAH BLUES, you may remember the scene where a very nervous Weezie attends a dinner given by the APSC. The scene was inspired by my own evening with the supper club. Let me just say that in Savannah, you will never be thirsty! Not to be a name-dropper or anything, but last night I got to chat with fellow authors Michael Malone (HANDLING SIN), Paul Hemphill, (LONG GONE, THE NASHVILLE SOUND, ect.), his wife Susan Percy, who edits Georgia Trend magazine, the aforementioned Kay, and lots of Savannah book-lovers. I even struck up a coversation with another fellow former journalist, and we discovered we went to the same junior high–Bay Point, in St. Pete. My talk will be at 12 today, so if you have a chance, come on down to Savannah to say hey.