On January 29th, 1996, three days after a catastrophic fire destroyed a landmark opera house in Venice, the author, John Berendt, arrives for his annual visit—one which turns into an indefinite stay. From what he reads and learns from historians and others—American expatriates, artists, bums, and streetwalkers-- about the Finice Opera House and the fire, he discovers the subject of his next book “The City of Falling Angels”.

As in his first book, he uses a legal trial as a literary device to keep the story moving. His new book may very well gain the readership of his 1994 bestseller, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” which had a four-year run on “The New York Times” bestseller list.

Prior to writing this book Berendt had spent the last several years (following his bestseller’s success) on long vacations in Venice. He had walked the streets, glided down the canals in gondolas, and visited the palazzos of the rich and famous. As a noted American author, he was entertained and feted by the locals. He had found Venice more than a match for Savannah with its hints of mysteries, eccentric inhabitants, and odd traditions. Both cities are isolated both geographically and culturally from the rest of the world. Venice sits in the middle of a lagoon; Savannah is surrounded by marshes, forests and the ocean. Venetians regard themselves as Venetian first, Italian second. Natives of Savannah hardly ever leave their city.

In “Midnight…” the author uses a commentator who transports the reader through the story. In “The City of Falling Angels” it’s the storytelling by Count Girolamo Marcello that ushers the story along. As the Count says, “Everyone plays a role, and the role changes. The key to understanding Venetians is rhythm, the rhythm of the lagoon, the water, the tides, the waves. It’s like breathing. High water, high pressure: tense. Low water, low pressure: relax. The tide changes every six hours.”

While the trial of the alleged opera-house arsonist drags on in a bureaucratic muddle, Berendt and the Count schmooze with the expatriate community and carry on long discussions about the preservation of local art, culture, and architecture. By the time the opera house is rebuilt, the author has conjured up a delightful story of modern life in Venice and has given the reader an armchair tour of this dignified but deteriorating city.

The Columbus Library Foundation has received memorials in honor of Melvin Deyke from Dan O’Donnell, Craig Kuccera, Wes Johnson, and John Mierau. Mr. and Mrs. Arden Saalfeld presented a donation in memory of Lois Wiser. The Memory of Frances Henderson was honored by a memorial from Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kumpf, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Trautwein presented a donation in memory of Ellene Saunders.

The “Friends of the Columbus Public Library” continues to grow with over 80 households. Last week, Nebraska Humanities Council program, “George Drouillard, Sign Talker, and Guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition” was sponsored by the Friends. The fifty or so persons in attendance heard agreat presentation and learned much about the experiences and hardships of the Expedition which reached St. Louis, Missouri 200 years ago this past Sepember 23rd.