"D*U*C*K" by Poppy Z. Brite
Title: D*U*C*K
Author: Poppy Z. Brite
Final Thought: Very Enjoyable
This novella features chefs Rickey and G-man from Brite's Liquor series which I adore so much. This is the first original fiction she's completed since Hurricane Katrina. As she notes in her intro before the story, D*U*C*K is set in kind of an alternative New Orleans in which Katrina changes course and never hits the city. She will however tackle the reality in the next full-length book in the series, which I can't wait.
In this story, Rickey is invited to cater a banquet for Ducks Unlimited, a hunting & conservation group. The special guest of honor is Rickey's childhood hero former New Orleans Saints football player Bobby Hebert. With that fact, it's hard for Rickey to refuse, despite the stress that is sure to follow. With a battered body after a vicious assault, a newbie juvenile delinquent on his kitchen staff, a crazy police chief playing war games in the name of national security, and a slew of ducks that need to be plucked... what could possibly go wrong?
This also came with a 27 page chapbook called Liquor for Christmas which were basically two short things Brite had written for the stage. The first one was a monologue called Rendezvous which featured Rickey about 10 years younger when he was still slaving away at another restaurant. This monologue ended up being performed for the theater series Native Tongues where actor Kris LaMorte portrayed Rickey. The second theater piece was called The Santa Claus at Lakeside Mall which was Brite's original idea for Native Tongues before she wrote Rendezvous. This featured G-man, Rickey, and his mom who's still in denial about her son's homosexuality. And with that combination, you know there's major drama to follow.