D*U*C*K [Hardcover]

Poppy Z. Brite (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The ghosts of pre-Katrina New Orleans haunt Brite's latest culinary caper (after Soul Kitchen) in the form of great meals, good times and the carefree spirit that gave the Big Easy its nickname. Hardscrabble chef John Rickey and his lover, G-Man Stubbs, are still cooking up a storm at their restaurant, Liquor, and struggling to survive daily adventures in kitchen dysfunction reminiscent of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. The loose plot of this picaresque tale concerns Rickey's tribulations at crafting an all-wild-duck menu for Ducks Unlimited, a Cajun hunting club. Though Rickey's self-conscious fretting at all the possible disasters that could happen build an element of playful suspense, there's never any doubt that this will play out as a happy Cinderella story from soup to nuts. Brite does a fine job of evoking the Crescent City and its soul through delectable descriptions of its unique cuisine and the quirky characters who prepare it. This is fun foodie fiction, and readers will scarf it down as quickly as a plate of blackened crawfish. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

What if hurricane Katrina never reached New Orleans? With this touch of alternative history as a backdrop, Brite's series featuring master chefs Rickey and G-Man takes a more ruminative turn, following the chaotic goings-on in Soul Kitchen (2006). This time the gay duo is struggling to prepare a banquet of wild duck for the Louisiana branch of Ducks Unlimited. The real core of the book, though, is surprisingly philosophical, as Brite reflects perceptively on how we become who we are. The last few pages invoke a magical harmony between reality, imagination, and humaneness. Hardly a crime novel, but a must for followers of this quirky but fascinating series. Elliott Swanson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Subterranean Press (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159606076X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596060760
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,692,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of eight novels, three short story collections, two nonfiction books, and some miscellanea. My earlier books -- LOST SOULS, DRAWING BLOOD, WORMWOOD, EXQUISITE CORPSE, THE LAZARUS HEART, ARE YOU LOATHSOME TONIGHT? (a.k.a. SELF-MADE MAN) -- tend toward the twisted, horrific, and frequently erotic. I still have a definite interest in this sort of thing, but my writing doesn't reflect it as much these days. My recent books -- THE VALUE OF X, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, LIQUOR, PRIME, and the forthcoming SOUL KITCHEN -- all have to do (in varying degrees) with a couple of young New Orleans chefs named Rickey and G-man, their families, and their restaurant, Liquor. I've been married to a chef for 16 years now and he's still bringing me new stories. We lost our home in Hurricane Katrina, but we are back in New Orleans and doing our best to help rebuild the city. I'll note new books, anthology appearances and such here, but to read my day-to-day blog, please visit http://docbrite.livejournal.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that knows what it means, January 11, 2007

By 

J. R. Woodland "Remoulade" (Dearborn, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: D*U*C*K (Hardcover)

One of the poignant scenes repeated after any great natural or manmade disaster is that of the survivor picking through the wreckage, rejoicing at the discovery of old family photos, a piece of Grandma's silver, or a damaged childhood toy. In D*U*C*K, Poppy Z. Brite offers such a rescued treasure, this one dredged from the ruins of memory, purified through the fire of exile and burnished to luminosity by the passion of loss and heartache. Her post-Katrina novels will come, Brite tells us in her introduction to the book, but this is a last desperate memory of the time Before, of a past that never was. Writers about New Orleans have always turned to the past, of course, but where George W. Cable would perfume an air of jadis, of once-upon-a-time, with the smell of orange blossoms in spring, Brite in the very first scene rubs our nose gleefully in the glorious rot of a dumpster on a hot summer night: these are not your grandfather's Creoles. Along the way, the slight plot offers glimpses into the past of Brite's chef couple, Rickey and G-Man, the exhilaration of a pass completed, whether in the Superdome or a bed. The narrative builds to a wonderful meal (as we have come to expect in the Liquor series) and a includes a generous helping of restaurant gossip and local detail. The book is larded with the memory of places become familiar to the nation from cable news: the Superdome, the Lower Ninth Ward, Mid-City, City Park: places that will never be the same. But through sheer willpower, Brite offers them up to us again: places which once comforted and inspired, places that now haunt and fester, places that nurture the spirit of rebirth. For those who already know and love Rickey and G-Man, this book offers one more precious slice of their life in New Orleans, as if everything had not changed. New readers will find this an easy introduction to a city where, in Paul Soniat's haunting words, "life ain't easy in the Big Easy any more." If you love New Orleans, the closing pages of the book will break your heart. (And it's damn sexy too!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I could taste America all over again!, August 11, 2007

By 

M. van der Walt "Vampire Marius" (Venice, Italy) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: D*U*C*K (Hardcover)

I have always loved her work and might even be a little obsessed with her mind. She takes you from delicious horror to the smells and spells of glorious food. The love that drives these two men to create a new take on the old lies very close to my heart and being! I lived in America for about 6 months and this novel took me back instantly, thank you!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars D*U*C*K*-tacular!, July 23, 2010

By 

Carl Kesner II "sideshowcarl" (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: D*U*C*K (Hardcover)

This might be my favorite Rickey and G-man adventure. The somewhat wistful nature of the narrative is similar in tone to a Bradbury story. D*U*CK* is a moving, amusing and honest character study built around a truly marvelous foodie & football conceit: the Liquor crew is hired to cater an out-of-town banquet and the guest of honor is none other than the gridiron savior of the New Orleans Saints, Bobby Hebert. Hebert, aka the "Cajun Cannon", is Rickey's boyhood hero and the opportunity to deliver a delicious duck-themed meal to his idol is a dream-come-true irresistible challenge. I purchased D*U*C*K* when it was first published and deliberately held off reading the novella because, well, I have come to love the Liquor characters and I knew that this could be the last we see of them for awhile. Recently, I had to endure a five hour gastric emptying study and I thought "what better, ironic way of passing the time" than by finally immersing myself into the succulent, juicy, often turbulent world of Rickey, G-man and D*U*CK*. The chapter where Rickey reminisces about how Hebert's performance on the football field inspired him to find his talent nearly left me in tears. I think we can all identify with that sentiment. Excellent book, highly recommended, in my opinion, one of Brite's best. (I also like the nod to the original film version of M*A*S*H* on the cover).