I’ve had the pleasure of living in Georgia for two long
stretches over the years—first in the historic city of Savannah, then years
later in the capitol of Atlanta. “Fatlanta”
offered everything you could expect of life in large city, including excellent
art and history museums, a fine symphony, quality theater and loads of traffic. But the years spent in coastal Georgia were
certainly the most colorful and have provided a setting for an upcoming novel. Savannah’s historic River Street runs along
the old cotton exchange that was the life blood of the city until the boll weevil
ate the heart out of the industry in the 1930s.
Now the gray brick roadbed is lined with thriving bistros and shops. The city’s magnificent oak-lined squares are
surrounded with buildings that range from the Colonial to the Victorian periods—gifts
from former city fathers who chose to capitulate to General Sherman, who
otherwise had an unfortunate habit of setting fires. The iconic live oaks with Spanish moss also line
many of the side roads, some of which will lead you to the nearby beach, where
the old Tybee Lighthouse is an enduring landmark. Among the more captivating regional festivals
are Savannah’s all-out celebration of St. Paddy’s Day and the annual Blessing of
the Fleet down the coast at Darien—an observance with roots in centuries-old European
tradition. I was fortunate to do much of
the work on my newly released novel Maya Lord while living in Georgia
and always found people energizing and the landscape a source of imagination.
John Coe Robbins is an independent writer and documentary producer. After
receiving a B.A. in History from Duke University and an M.A. in Communications
from the University of North Carolina, John worked as a television reporter and
documentary producer for fifteen years. In 1994, he established an independent
scriptwriting and production company.John's television work has won numerous awards and has appeared on ABC, CNN, Discovery, A&E and TV stations around the country. His Hugo-Award winning documentary on organ transplants, Dying To Live, began appearing on public television stations across the country in the summer of 2012. Maya Lord is his first novel.
(Pictures provided by author)
Savannah is a beautiful city. I lived in Bluffton SC, so I spent a lot of time in Savannah. My son lives in Roswell, so I know the Atlanta area, and yes, there is way too much traffic. You did a lovely blog about Georgia, thank you. Lots of luck with your book.
ReplyDeleteI've only traveled through Georgia without stopping to enjoy the sites and sounds of the state. Atlanta interests me in some respects but I think I would more like to spend time in Savannah. The sites that city offer are more to my liking. Another place to visit dropping onto my bucket list! Thanks for the travelogue today.
ReplyDeleteNice snapshots of your state. I've never been to Georgia, but I may have to someday, if only for the beaches and the waterfront.
ReplyDeleteGreat photographs!
ReplyDeleteGeorgia is such a wonderfully historic state. When I was a Girl Scout way back when, my troop visited Savannah to see the Juliet Lowe home (founder of Girl Scouts) and then we toured the historic district and enjoyed the beach. It was such a great experience that I will remember Georgia fondly all my life. Of course, I have been back to Atlanta, Georgia since then and went up the Peach Tree restaurant that sits on top of a very high structure like a gigantic ball on a stick. My fear of heights kicked in and I tried to away with liquor, but I couldn't get drunk enough to relax knowing I had to go back down that glass elevator. Yikes!
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