The Value of X

Brite, Poppy Z. (Billy Martin)

ISBN 10: 1931081670 / ISBN 13: 9781931081672

Published by Subterranean Press, Burton, Michigan, 2002

About this Item

First, 'Special Signed Edition', first impression. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, WITHOUT DEDICATION, IN BLACK PEN, ON ILLUSTRATED 'SPECIAL EDITION' PAGE. Some minuscule edge wear to top and bottom of jacket and spine, top corners very slightly bruised, not price clipped ($35.00), no other inscriptions, internally clean tight and squareish, overall a vg++ copy. 183pp. Gary and Rickey grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward, products of New Orleans as surely as Community Coffee or the Superdome. Friends since childhood, they become lovers at age 16 and must deal with the reality of being gay in a hardscrabble neighbourhood, a traditional Catholic family, and the restaurant kitchens where they've begun to work. 'The Value of X' is a novel about growing up, about outgrowing the templates of family and society, about the pirate crew culture that goes on behind the scenes of every restaurant. Perhaps most of all, it is a novel that portrays New Orleans in a richer, truer light than Brite has ever done before. From American author Billy Martin, known professionally as Poppy Z. Brite. He initially achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s by publishing a string of successful novels and short story collections. His later work moved into the genre of dark comedy, with many stories set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Much of his work features bisexual and gay characters. Scarce signed.

Seller Inventory # 008068

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Value of X
• Publisher: Subterranean Press, Burton, Michigan
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1931081670
• ISBN 13: 9781931081672
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jacket by Alan M. Clark
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

Here is the novel that marks a major turning point in the work of Poppy Z. Brite. Fans of Brite's earlier work will find that she has matured, streamlined, and moved closer to the heart of common experience without abandoning her own extremely personal perspective.

Gary and Rickey grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward, products of New Orleans as surely as Community Coffee or the Superdome. Friends since childhood, they become lovers at age 16 and must deal with the reality of being gay in a hardscrabble neighborhood, a traditional Catholic family, and the restaurant kitchens where they've begun to work.

The Value of X is a novel about growing up, about outgrowing the templates of family and society, about the pirate-crew culture that goes on behind the scenes of every restaurant. Perhaps most of all, it is a novel that portrays New Orleans in a richer, truer light than Brite has ever done before.

About the Author

Poppy Z. Brite is the author of seven novels, three short story collections, and much miscellanea. Early in her career she was known for her horror fiction, but more recently she has turned to writing a critically acclaimed series of novels and stories set in the restaurant scene of her hometown, New Orleans. She is married to Christopher, a chef.