File this under “Books Blacklight Picked Up And Went HUH?”. Blacklight is a sweetie but as far as he knows Susie Bright is a character from an Archie comic. Blacklight avoids the section of Barnes & Noble were Susie Bright’s books live like the plague. So combine his lack of knowledge about Susie Bright along with a title like Big Sex, Little Death and a HUH? isn’t exactly a surprise. Remember he’s the one who calls The Ladies of Missalonghi “The Ladies of Miss Bong Gee”.
Contrary to Blacklight’s confusion (“Is this about a hooker turned killer?”) which after me reading things like The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness back to back isn’t that bizarre, Big Sex, Little Death is how teen activist Susannah Bright became Susie Sexpert Susie Bright best selling author. It’s that story.
And it’s the story of a mother who dragged herself out of a horrendous background with sheer brains and wit. In some ways Susie Bright’s mother Elizabeth reminds me of Judith Krantz’s mother Mickey. Two brilliant women who might have been better off not having children. And a father who wasn’t a farmer like his father but still cherished and loved by his family.
I’m going to be very honest and admit that Susie’s years as an activist/worker where the chapters I trudged through. And shuddered. The crazed Earl almost killing Marty Breyers. Yikes! That made me jump AND put the book down and wonder if I would just stop there. But a couple of hours later, I was back on Mr Couch plowing through the rest. Susie’s friendship with the dancers at Lusty Lady and her jobs at Good Vibrations and On Our Backs reminded me of Lily Burana’s Strip City. And when you reach the point where Susie is fired/quits On Our Backs, her pain and sadness is so strong it reaches right through the pages.
Big Sex, Little Death isn’t my usual reading fare, but even with the parts that made me almost not finish the book, it’s worth a read.
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