Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

In this short chapter, the narrative returns to Odom. We learn that Odom has been evicted from his home on Oglethorpe Avenue and is now squatting in another home. In addition to the new home, Odom has also set up a new bar, Sweet Georgia Brown’s. He left Emma’s piano bar because his creditors were making his involvement in Emma’s a liability. However, Odom is unable to explain how setting up a new bar will avoid this problem. As Berendt watches Odom pay his workers, using checks that will most likely bounce, Odom critiques Berendt’s choice of interview subject, especially Driggers and Chablis:

‘Cause you know, Mandy and I are fixing to rent a house with a pool out in Hollywood for when they make the movie out of that book of yours. But it’s starting to look like our costars are going to be nothing but a bunch of creeps’ (126).

When Berendt says that he will be interviewing Williams next, Odom approves, saying, “Jim Williams is a stellar individual” (127).