Second Line: Two Short Novels of Love and Cooking in New Orleans

By Poppy Z. Brite

Book Overview

hese two short novels bookend Poppy Z. Brite's cheerfully chaotic series starring two chefs in New Orleans. The Value of X introduces G-man and Rickey, who grew up in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward and who are slowly realizing there are only two important things in life: cooking and each other. Rickey's parents aren't quite so taken with the boy's plans and get him an impossible-to-resist place at the Culinary Institute of America.

In D*U*C*K, Rickey and G-man's restaurant, Liquor, is doing well but there are the usual complications of running a kitchen: egos get bruised, people get fired . . . and then Rickey is jumped in an alley by one of their ex-waiters.

On the mend, Rickey takes a side job to cater the annual Ducks Unlimited banquet, where every course must, of course, include the ducks the hunters have bagged. Rickey's crew are ready to meet the challenge, but Rickey's not sure he can do it all and deal with the guest of honor--his childhood hero, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert.

"Fun foodie fiction, and readers will scarf it down as quickly as a plate of blackened crawfish."--Publishers Weekly

Originally published in limited hardcover editions, these two novels are full of the pure joy of love, hard work, and great food and are a tremendous extension (or introduction) to Brite's series.

Praise fo the Rickey and G-man stories:

"A high-end restaurant is...a gift that keeps on giving. The heat, the bickerings and intrigue, the pursuit of perfection, the dodgy money keeping it all afloate: the setting spawns plots...Can the Liquor] franchise sustain itself? The answer is yes."--New York Times

"World-class satire and perfect New Orleans lit."--Andrei Codrescu

"Steeped in spicy dialogue and New Orleans] flavor...a behind-the-swinging-door peek into the world of chefs."--Entertainment Weekly

Poppy Z. Brite's fiction set in the New Orleans restaurant world includes Prime, Liquor, and Soul Kitchen. She has also published five other novels and three short story collections. She lives with her husband Chris, a chef, in New Orleans.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931520607
• ISBN13: 9781931520607
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Small Beer Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Poppy and N'awlins - what's not to like?

I love Poppy Z Brite and I love New Orleans. She is the undisputed queen of the underground happenings in the French Quarter and other places. I swear not a body gets dumped in some off-beat bayou that she doesn't know about it the next day. Her writing often drifts towards the Supernatural, but she always is very clear and concise about who exactly poisoned the gumbo the night before. She has a definite slant towards the LGBT folks, but usually covers everyone - witches, demons, murderers, fairies, posers, etc. Her writing is addictive and I have yet to purchase something she has written and been disappointed in it. Buy this book

Loved it

I assumed that after reading the Liquor series, The Devil You Know, and Antediluvian Tales that I couldn't possibly grow more fond of Rickey and G-man, but this collection proved me wrong. I had planned on reading Second Line at a snail's pace in case it was the last time I read about the guys, but it was too enjoyable to put down and I finished it within a few days. The two stories are touching and humorous, character driven, and envelope you with a strong sense of place. Brite strikes me as someone who cares for and had spent a good deal of quality time with their characters. I would say Second Line is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Liquor.

A Bittersweet Coda

I love that these books are being reprinted; Brite's Liquor books were amazing. I've always loved her books, but the stories of Ricky and G-Man were on another level entirely. I own both of these books in their Subterranean Press iterations, and I can say that you can't go wrong with them! The Value of X is a sweet and sometimes challenging introduction to the characters, and manages to evoke all of the right emotions and confusion that go along with being young and gay (trust me, I know.) D.U.C.K. is a great story on its own, and a bittersweet coda to the lives of Ricky and G-Man. It broke my heart to finish it. You can't go wrong with this book, I promise.