Whatever happened to John Berendt?

I post at year's end what I accomplished in the 12 months afforded to me (see rail on right), but what about what I don't accomplish? 

There's quite a bit left unaccomplished, but usually, what can I say? A piece was rejected or never finished, and I move on, not always sure if the subject is worth pursuing (maybe it was rejected or left unfinished for a good reason). But here's a story that not only would I have liked to write (I pitched it too late, I'm afraid), but also one for which I would STILL like to know the answers.

And it's this:

Whatever happened to John Berendt?

You know, the extraordinarily talented writer who, a little over 25 years ago, published his blockbuster nonfiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994).

Few authors can say they have actually transformed a city through their writing but Berendt did just that when he wrote Midnight, a bestseller and Pulitzer finalist. Savannah went from being a sleepy, albeit eccentric Southern city known to as a regional destination to becoming a de rigeur stop for any discerning American traveler. 

But in the quarter century since it was published, Berendt has published little in the way of books or lengthy magazine articles, even though he had successful tenures as a top editor at New York and Esquire magazines. It's not to suggest 'Midnight' was a fluke. He turned his formidable writing and probing skills on Venice to produce a nonfiction book that was arguably its equal (City of Falling Angels, published in 2005).

Yet for a writer as talented and heralded as Berendt, why is his body of work so slim? Why is he holding out on fans who have come to love his ability to synthesize history with the exploration of the lives of people so colorful they make his nonfiction read like fiction?

All of this to say, just where did John Berendt go and why isn't he more prolific?

I'm happy to live in the era of #MeToo where women's voices are finally receiving the attention they deserve, but Berendt's is one male voice I would love to hear from again.

Here's hoping someone turns up some information or better yet Berendt begins publishing again.