Poppy Z Brite

American author, a trans man who prefers that male pronouns and terms be used when referring to him. Billy Martin, known professionally as Poppy Z. Brite, initially achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s by publishing a string of successful novels and short story collections. His later work moved into the related genre of dark comedy, with many stories set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Martin's novels are typically standalone books but may feature recurring characters from previous novels and short stories. Much of his work features openly bisexual and gay characters. Martin wrote Courtney Love: The Real Story (1999), a biography of singer Courtney Love that was officially "unauthorized", but he acknowledged that the work was done at Love's suggestion and with her cooperation, including access to Love's personal journal and letters. He has written and talked extensively about his gender dysphoria and transgender issues. He is a gay man. In August 2010, he began the process of gender reassignment, and, in 2011 expressed that he would prefer to be referred to by male pronouns. Link to Wikipedia biography