tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post244854259710083604..comments2024-03-28T22:42:54.810-07:00Comments on Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Lantern Marsh" by Poppy Z. BriteTracyKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-48425224681643527932021-10-22T13:03:51.702-07:002021-10-22T13:03:51.702-07:00Rick, I have noticed over the years that torture (...Rick, I have noticed over the years that torture (graphically depicted) features more in crime fiction than it seemed to in the past. I suppose that fits in with graphic depictions of violence in serial killer thrillers. Those are the kind of books I give up on, even if the writing or characterization is good. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-75002457458620469022021-10-22T12:44:52.194-07:002021-10-22T12:44:52.194-07:00I read with interest what dfordoom had to say, and...I read with interest what dfordoom had to say, and I agree. Social media has exacerbated the problem.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-75503559988309307122021-10-22T10:40:12.251-07:002021-10-22T10:40:12.251-07:00Dfordoom, that is very interesting information abo...Dfordoom, that is very interesting information about Poppy Z. Brite and pop culture. I never have understood pop culture, how it is formed and influenced. I am definitely not interested in celebrating violence. I wonder how Brite's opinions have changed over time, and what influences she/he had.<br /><br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-67949019903173603132021-10-21T20:48:20.300-07:002021-10-21T20:48:20.300-07:00Tracy, while EXQUISITE CORPSE is the most extreme ...Tracy, while EXQUISITE CORPSE is the most extreme there are things in all Brite's early work that are very extreme.<br /><br />There was a major change in horror fiction and crime fiction around the late 80s, in the works of lots of authors. It was not just that the material became more extreme. There was a subtle tonal shift. The books gave the impression of being assaults on the reader.<br /><br />Popular culture started to change. An obsession with sex was replaced by an obsession with extreme violence. There was the serial killer obsession. And books (and movies) dealing with serial killers started to change. Popular culture started to become very unhealthy, or that's how it seemed to me. Popular culture started to become not just violent but aggressive in its celebration of violence and misery.<br /><br />I got to the stage where I felt that I just didn't want to get inside the heads of the people creating this stuff. <br /><br />It's interesting to compare serial killer movies of the 70s (such as Italian giallos) with serial killer movies a quarter century later. Serial killers had gone from being villains to being people admired by the film-makers and writers.<br /><br />And Brite was one of the writers pushing that change, and pushing it hard. Brite was one of the the authors who convinced me that I wanted to put as much distance as possible between myself and contemporary pop culture. When I finally made a complete break with contemporary pop culture I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.<br /><br />I've now told you more than you ever wanted or needed to know about my relationship with pop culture!dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-86364871936750933372021-10-21T14:12:10.503-07:002021-10-21T14:12:10.503-07:00Dfordoom, I had considered trying some of the book...Dfordoom, I had considered trying some of the books in the later series set in the restaurant world in New Orleans. <br /><br />I just looked up Exquisite Corpse, and you are right, that would be too extreme for me.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-33805884996826133832021-10-21T14:05:06.670-07:002021-10-21T14:05:06.670-07:00Cath, if you ever try them I will want to hear wha...Cath, if you ever try them I will want to hear what you think. The other horror stories by this author may be more than I could take, but this story was not so bad.<br /> TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-85349753243393744292021-10-21T05:21:50.319-07:002021-10-21T05:21:50.319-07:00while researching for this post I found some info ...<i>while researching for this post I found some info about Poppy Z. Brite's short story collections and that the setting is often New Orleans.</i><br /><br />Her stuff is seriously weird, but not in a good way. Lots of seriously sick stuff. <i>Exquisite Corpse</i> is simply disgusting. I think you'd be well advised to steer well clear. Or make sure you have a vomit bag at hand. Seriously.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-24787964472581061202021-10-20T14:55:14.987-07:002021-10-20T14:55:14.987-07:00Years ago I had Poppy Z. Brite recommended to me b...Years ago I had Poppy Z. Brite recommended to me by several people but I can't remember what the novels were about. Vampires maybe. I never did try her. Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-49875382992065223752021-10-20T13:39:20.691-07:002021-10-20T13:39:20.691-07:00SECOND LINE sounds interesting. SECOND LINE sounds interesting. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-52366293898729967652021-10-20T13:26:53.598-07:002021-10-20T13:26:53.598-07:00His literary transition, that is (thought I'd ...His literary transition, that is (thought I'd caught all those, but won't leave/erase another ghost comment).Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-32098443091495842422021-10-20T13:24:14.592-07:002021-10-20T13:24:14.592-07:00I don't, Tracy--I can say that Brite has liked...I don't, Tracy--I can say that Brite has liked to rearrange his biography in some ways, but his personal website notes he was born in New Orleans just after his parents moved there from Kentucky, while the WIKI source is one Constance Brite, presumably a relative...whether mother or sister or ?, dunno. SECOND LINE is his New Orleans cf novel (only, so far, I believe) and he has the one story in SHADOWS OVER BAKER STREET that might also be one of the early marks of her literary transition away from horror...<br /><br />http://www.poppyzbrite.com/bio.htmlTodd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-64593561291039530412021-10-20T13:21:18.704-07:002021-10-20T13:21:18.704-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-34534217578963540652021-10-20T13:19:31.115-07:002021-10-20T13:19:31.115-07:00True, Todd, the Wikipedia article notes that he wo...True, Todd, the Wikipedia article notes that he would prefer to be referred to by male pronouns.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-50892144388812586002021-10-20T13:05:32.303-07:002021-10-20T13:05:32.303-07:00Well, more properly these years if indeed not alwa...Well, more properly these years if indeed not always, his life, as Brite has transitioned, as I've just been reminded.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-24838599803526634812021-10-20T13:04:07.679-07:002021-10-20T13:04:07.679-07:00Todd, Thanks for that info. I had just read that b...Todd, Thanks for that info. I had just read that bit about her retiring from writing this morning. Wikipedia notes that the author was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Fantastic Fiction says New Orleans, Louisiana. Do you know which is correct? Just curious.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-43667430911409804212021-10-20T12:28:26.278-07:002021-10-20T12:28:26.278-07:00Brite moved toward crime fiction after making a ma...Brite moved toward crime fiction after making a mark in horror, and then rather abruptly hit a block or otherwise found other things to do with her life.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-62606287548986679222021-10-20T11:13:58.444-07:002021-10-20T11:13:58.444-07:00Margot, the horror and gore were off stage in this...Margot, the horror and gore were off stage in this story, so not too bad. More left to the imagination, which works well for me.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-65985097604292615722021-10-20T10:52:33.660-07:002021-10-20T10:52:33.660-07:00I know what you mean, Tracy, about stories that ar...I know what you mean, Tracy, about stories that are creepy, but not gory or too unsettling. Once in a while I can enjoy a truly scary story, but most of the time, they're not my thing. Glad you liked this one. Margot Kinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08599589137890528065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-14201434804086952292021-10-20T10:45:47.420-07:002021-10-20T10:45:47.420-07:00Col, I have always avoided horror fiction, but Gle...Col, I have always avoided horror fiction, but Glen reads in that genre plus a lot of ghost stories, so I get some exposure. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-81954331159078051352021-10-20T10:44:20.692-07:002021-10-20T10:44:20.692-07:00George, as Todd Mason pointed out to me earlier, t...George, as Todd Mason pointed out to me earlier, the anthology originally came out 10 years earlier as OCTOBER DREAMS, which is a more fitting title I think. On Goodreads, both titles got very mixed reviews, some people liking all the stories, some people didn't like any of them. It has lots of Halloween Memories essays also.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-69702031966722525712021-10-20T10:41:13.432-07:002021-10-20T10:41:13.432-07:00Patti, while researching for this post I found som...Patti, while researching for this post I found some info about Poppy Z. Brite's short story collections and that the setting is often New Orleans. I am interested in looking into some books and stories by this author.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-69195334406392200942021-10-20T10:32:09.304-07:002021-10-20T10:32:09.304-07:00Rick, you are so right. It is worse for us because...Rick, you are so right. It is worse for us because we are so far from the street (which is a benefit in other situations). They said we would be able to access the driveway, just no cars, but they were wrong, we have had piles of broken up pavement and ground down pavement on the driveway for weeks. We can't get packages delivered and we have problems lugging in groceries. But, still, these are small problems in comparison to some. I think we should have a working driveway in about a week.<br /><br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-46914160769468613082021-10-20T10:01:16.158-07:002021-10-20T10:01:16.158-07:00Nope, no horror or scary stuff, thanks. The true h...Nope, no horror or scary stuff, thanks. The true horror is how long that driveway work is taking…Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-86934261197405389902021-10-20T08:47:42.337-07:002021-10-20T08:47:42.337-07:00Heard of the author and may have tried her years a...Heard of the author and may have tried her years ago when I read a bit of horror, but nothing has stuck.col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-67729034528466203992021-10-20T08:05:54.468-07:002021-10-20T08:05:54.468-07:00I'm a big fan of Poppy Z. Brite, too. And I&#...I'm a big fan of Poppy Z. Brite, too. And I'll have to look into that HALLOWEEN HORRORS anthology. I've never seen it before.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546161337366365635noreply@blogger.com