Library to host author John Berendt

Warwick — Best selling author John Berendt will discuss his book “The City of Falling Angels” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at Warwick Village Hall on Main Street in Warwick. There will be an author signing following the discussion, and copies of the book will be available for purchase. The book is also available on loan from the Albert Wisner Public Library, which is sponsoring the event. Berendt, a journalist and former editor of New York magazine, lives in New York. Eleven years ago, his “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” achieved a four-year run on the New York Times bestseller list, and was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction. Berendt’s ability to uncover strange and wonderful true stories, and the colorful characters who inhabit them, brought the town of Savannah vividly to life for millions of readers. In “City of Falling Angels,” he turns his eye to Venice, and the 70,000 people, both Venetians and expatriates, who live there year-round. It is a magical setting that evokes mystery, romance, nostalgia, grandeur and decay, yet is nonfiction from start to finish. The story opens on the evening of January 29, 1996, when a fire destroys one of Venice’s landmarks, the historic Fenice Opera House, where five of Verdi’s operas premiered. The smell of smoke still lingers in the air when Berendt arrives in Venice three days later. Inevitably, he finds himself investigating the mystery of the fire, while at the same time inquiring into the nature of life in this remarkable museum-city. He locates the true pulse of Venice, its residents, with a tale of crime, corruption, and enchantment. There is no fee, but registration is required. To register, call 986-1047 or visit Albert Wisner Public Library at 2 Colonial Ave. in Warwick.