Guilty But Insane [Hardcover]

Poppy Z. Brite (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Poppy Z. Brite is nothing if not wacky and witty. Best known as the author of four novels (Lost Souls; Drawing Blood, etc.), she again proves her skill for provocative, meditative writing in her current collection of short nonfiction essays, Guilty but Insane. These brief pieces cover a variety of subjects, including decadence, the genre of horror writing, William S. Burroughs and her fantasy of an inspired love affair between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Although her readers know that Brite loves to toy with them, her ability to do so candidly and immodestly will please her current fans and should attract new ones, particularly among a literary Gen X crowd.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 185 pages
• Publisher: Subterranean Press; Limited edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892284898
• ISBN-13: 978-1892284891
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,436,495 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

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Multi-faceted look at Brite's psyche, August 29, 2004

By 

Josh Hitchens (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guilty But Insane (Hardcover)

Taking a break from exquisite short-story collections and sublime novels, Poppy Z. Brite releases an entire book of articles she has written, which give the faithful reader a great glimpse into who Brite really is. Her observations are always honest and witty, not unlike Dorothy Parker actually. This is a great collection to read again and again if you are able to get ahold of it. I will provide a brief description of each essay so you know what you're getting.

SUR LA DECADENCE: A little history of some of the world's most famous decadent people, as well as a little love letter to New Orleans, the city Brite loves. This is probably the weakest of the essays, but a good introduction.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 1: The first in a series of columns that Poppy wrote for "Cemetary Dance" magazine. Brief comments on Mardi Gras, various misconceptions about Brite herself, and a moving tribute to a deceased friend.

ART CAN'T HURT YOU: Foreward to a book called "Killer Art" in which Poppy discusses artistic freedom in art.

DEPRAVED IN DUBLIN: Fun little description of Poppy's times in Dublin in the company of a transvestite.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 2: A New York diary by Poppy, in which she visits the Dakota where John Lennon was killed, takes some drugs and gives an interview the next day. Also her thoughts on Stephen King's "The Stand," one of her favorite books.

WOULD YOU?: Wonderful piece detailing Poppy's long-running fantasy about John Lennon and Paul McCartney being lovers. This essay was the ispiration for her novella "Plastic Jesus."

A TRIAD DREAM: Very short note about a dream Brite had while writing "Triads" with Christa Faust.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 3: Brite writes about her process of creating characters. Interesting insight into her writing.

R.I.P: Letter to the deceased writer William S. Burroughs, in which Poppy fantasizes about making love to Burroughs' corpse.

SINSEMILLA AND SENSIBILITY: Poppy Z. Brite discusses the merits of legal marijuana in Amsterdam.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 4: Brite pays trubute to author Ramsey Campbell, who was a major influence on her work.

REVIVING CHELSEA: One of the best essays. Poppy searches for nude pictures of Chelsea Clinton on the internet and ends up debating the sexualizing of young girls in the media, making reference to her own life and to Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita."

WILDLIFE AND DEATH IN MANHATTAN: Another book introduction describing a date between Poppy and artist Dame Darcy.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 5: Brite talks about research and writing, and about author Peter Straub.

THE POETRY OF VIOLENCE: Discusses images of violence in today's culture. Another extremely perceptive essay.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 6: Brite recommends several books to horror writers about death.

IN BED WITH GENERATION Y2K: Extremely informative and amusing survey about people's sexual habits. Very good read.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 7: Poppy talks about the petty discord that goes on in the horror writing community.

ENOUGH ROPE: Extraordinary autobiographical of Brite's struggles with defining her sexuality. She discusses her statement that she was "a gay man trapped in a woman's body" and her desire for male genitalia. Brave and psychologically insightful.

GUILTY BUT INSANE 8: Extracts from Poppy's writing notebook.

NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE: This may be one of the best things that Brite has ever written. It's an utterly fearless account of her chronic back pain, her destructive addiction to painkillers, and her hard-won recovery. You really learn what a brave, extraordinary woman she is. The final paragraph makes me cry.

4.0 out of 5 stars Weirdly Entertaining, September 15, 2005

By 

jon hay - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guilty But Insane (Hardcover)

I've not read any of this author before, but i have to say that i enjoyed this book quite a bittins. it's actually more of a 3.5 star book, btw. O.K., having said that, it's not a fiction piece, but rather a little bit of the author's collections of short articles for different things. some of the articles are about brite's thoughts on writing-these are probably the best parts of the book. the other great articles in the book are about her personal life, such as the closing essay on her crippling back pain and her deeply gutteral and frank musings on the nature of her twisted sexuality. it's quite a short book, and very manageable- i read it in a night, and i ain't no speed reader. i see the book is quite expensive, so unless you're a fan don't buy it, try and get it from your local library first. Thanks.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Glimpse into who Poppy really is, May 20, 2001

By 

Sarah E. Golding (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guilty But Insane (Hardcover)

This is a book for anyone who loves Poppy Z. Brite--and even those who hate her. Anyone who has read anything by Brite (whether they liked it or not) probably wondered who Poppy Z. Brite really is. Guilty but Insane is Poppy's own reflection on who she is, what she has expierenced and her stories. This is the type of book that lets you into the mind and feelings of Poppy. The format of the book is wonderful to read. The book is devided into 21 "chapters" that give Poppys view on things ranging from AIDS, drugs, her writing, New Orleans, Mardi Gras and places shes visited. This book is highly personal and written in an incredibly likeable style. Poppy wrote this book just like she was talking to a friend--it is easy to read, easy to understand and very easy to get lost in. If you like Poppy this book will let you know about her life and I guarentee you will find it fascinating. If you dislike Poppy (for whatever reasons) this book will help you understand who she is and why she writes the type of stories she does. This is an honest Poppy book that does not tell fictional stories--only the honest truth of who Poppy Z. Brite is. I also want to note that my copy is not a copy purchased from amazon.com it is a signed rare limited edition that may slightly differ from other copies.