A Time for Every Purpose

Lo, dear friends, the time has finally come!

Its sound is unmistakable in the scrape of dried magnolia leaves tumbling along the asphalt.

Its scent is heralded by wafts of pumpkin spiced beverages and those impractical but delightful cinnamon brooms in the grocery checkout aisles. 

It can be seen in the advent of bright red hues across the Southeast, displayed upon the thickets of University of Georgia football fans. (Go Dawgs, murmurs the forest.)

Most importantly, it can be felt in the early morning breeze, its gentle caress no longer as sticky and gross as the fingers of an affectionate toddler who has bathed in applesauce. 

Even if the exact moment of the Autumn Equinox comes this Saturday, September 22 at 2:50 am, I’m gonna call it: It’s finally fall, y’all. 

After the planet’s hottest summer on record, this slight tilt away from the scorching center of the galaxy brings a deep sense of relief. We may still be weeks away from sweater weather, but it is divine enough just to sit outdoors without it feeling like stepping into an open mouth. 

Can’t get too excited, though: Those of us below the Gnat Line must also endure the vigorous resurgence of nobody’s favorite miniscule carnivorous demons. These little bloodsuckers have lazed around since spring for the evenings to be cool enough to lure out their human prey, and they’re hell bent on ruining your Savannah Jazz Fest picnic. (To wit: The delicious culinary geniuses at Sixby are packing pre-order meals perfect for Saturday in the park; just don’t forget the No Natz, peeps!) 

Otherwise, it’s perfect screened-in porch season, which I believe is best enjoyed with a good book. If you’re in need of more reading material, Savannah’s newest independent bookstore has plenty of pages to peruse, and the gnats probably won’t follow you down the Stone Stairs of Death to River Street. (For those who remember its hilarious heyday, it seems that the snarky social commentator who operates under the SSOD moniker has slowed their roll considerably.) 

Located in the cutest lil’ waterfront kiosk near Plant Riverside, The Tiniest Bookshop is like Mary Poppins’ purse: Deceptively small but full of surprising treasures, from sizzling hardcover bestsellers to used poetry paperbacks to an edition of the Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe with a most captivating cover, as well as an adorable assortment of totes, stickers, and gifts. 

Ghastly and delightful

Proprietor Kaitlynn Perry identifies as Appalachian but has dug deep roots in the Lowcountry, previously working as an archaeologist with her alma mater Georgia Southern and other local historical outfits. Also a book nerd of the highest order, she took her love of literature post-pandemic first to the streets, popping up all over town in a snatched Chevy Bluebird converted into a book boutique on wheels. A Kickstarter parlayed The Books Bus into the itty bitty brick-and-mortar on the river, where the touristas have provided a remarkably steady customer base, though Kaitlynn isn’t surprised. 

“People love books,” muses the belletristic Gen Zr, who keeps a personal collection of over a thousand tomes at home. “I have older customers who think young people are only on their phones, but my generation very much want to have a book in their hands.”

While its square footage is limited, The Tiniest Bookshop’s ambitions know no bounds. Inventory revolves quickly to keep up with fast readers, and the doors are wide open for the LGBTQ+ community, with a book signing on Oct. 12 with the wonderful Mercury Stardust, aka TikTok’s Trans Handy Ma’am. The shop and The Books Bus also serve as a nexus for harm reduction, offering fentanyl testing strips to anyone who asks (just use the code word “Peaches.”) 

Listening to the water lap from the wake of the big ships as you surreptitiously read the first chapter of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a fine way to wile away what will surely be many glorious afternoons in the next few months, and I hope more locals will make their way down (step carefully now!) to support this and other small local businesses along the river. 

The Tiniest Bookshop is just THE CUTEST

Fall’s cool arrival also coincides with the Jewish New Year, making yet another turn along the upward spiral that much sweeter. These days in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as The Days of Awe, when we take stock of our successes and sins as well as take time to be extra mindful of the grand and glorious cycles of which we have little control over but enjoy a front row seat. 

For me, it’s all about where the magnolias are right now. After their floral show-off at the beginning of summer, their leaves are now brown and littering the streets, their strange fruit carried off by chattering squirrels. How their bright red seeds—the same shade as a fourth generation Georgia Bulldog, I’ll warrant—beget dinner plate-sized creamy white flowers in another season epitomizes life’s mystery and magic. 

Awe-mazing

Speaking of magical mystery tours, many of us local music lovers are still grieving the sudden passing of Larry Jack Sammons, whose contributions to the community were summed up beautifully by Bill Dawers in the Savannah Morning News this week. A smiling fixture in front of the stage and a gray-haired cheerleader in Rolling Stones garb, Larry was kindness personified. He will be deeply missed. A certain song keeps spinning around my brain, and I can picture him tapping his toe along: A time to dance, a time to mourn… 

See ya on the Big Dance Floor on the other side, friend

As this wild world continues to turn, turn, turn, I once again find myself looking to reaffirm my purpose under heaven. I’ll be taking a sabbatical from this column for the next few weeks, taking time to travel, meditate, and celebrate 25 years of being married to a most interesting and handsome man. 

Paid subscribers will receive one more column next week with a special fall recipe, which I hope will nourish y’all in body and soul.  If you’re currently on the free list, you’ll receive a 20% discount if you upgrade by the end of October — I promise, there is plenty in the archives to keep you busy until I get back.  

In the meantime, may fall’s sweet relief invite us all to stand in awe, read more books, support local music and businesses, and be kinder to others and ourselves. 

Except for the gnats. They can rot in hell. 

Come on outside, the weather’s fine ~ JLL

Oh ya, you can also pick up copies of Savanah Sideways and The Camellia Thief at the Tiniest Bookshop

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