Do
any of you remember those pseudo-Polynesian appetizer assortments,
complete with the fiery wrought-iron cauldron in the middle to heat
up all the finger food? Do they still exist? When I went searching
for images on my favorite stock photo site, I came up with zero hits.
Are PuPu Platters totally passé? Have they gone the way of granny
glasses and lava lights?
Modern
concerns with healthy eating have probably played a role in the
platter's demise. It's difficult to imagine a more
fat-and-cholesterol intensive repast than the traditional fried
wonton, crispy egg rolls, barbecued spareribs, battered giant shrimp,
cheese-filled crab puffs, and all the other delicacies that might
show up ranged around the flaming Sterno. One PuPu Platter can undo
weeks of toil at the gym.
But
God, how I loved them! Indeed, I recall that on my first real date,
my companion (with whom I was highly enamored) ordered us one. This
may explain my lingering fondness; PuPu Platters are somehow mixed up
in my mind with sex. (Not that I had sex on my first date, of course,
but a teenager's hormones color everything in her world). And there
are some similarities, after all. A PuPu Platter is decadent, all
luscious flavor with little food value. You devour the components
with your fingers and lick off the juices afterward. And you can't
eat one all by yourself. PuPu Platters are made to be shared.
The
real attraction for me, though, is variety. (I also adore mezze
plates – Middle Eastern appetizer assortments.) A taste of this, a
hint of that, never enough of any one dish to be bored – that's
what I love. Diversity is my ideal in life. I want to sample a wide
range of different experiences, rather than being forced to choose
one dish, one path, even one person – although I have been married
to the same guy for more than thirty years. (He likes variety, too.)
As
a reader, I also seek out diversity. Anyone who scrolls through my
books on Goodreads will find plenty of erotica, true, but also
romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, classics, historical
novels, biographies, plays, poetry, a bit of almost everything. If
you focus in on the erotica, you’ll see I read and review work
ranging from extreme hard core BDSM to sweet vanilla. I read and
enjoy gay, lesbian, bisexual and multi-partner fiction –
contemporary, historical, futuristic – really, whatever I can get
my hands on.
Most
authors write what they like to read. Hence it's not surprising my
books are all over the map. At this point I’ve published nine
novels (defined as works over 50K words). Two are gay erotic romance
– one paranormal, one sci fi. One is M/F and F/F erotic noir. One
is M/F paranormal. One is steampunk BDSM paranormal ménage. My first
three are even harder to classify, offering a bit of everything, from
a sexual perspective – from exhibitionism to enemas – with many
assortments of gender and in one case, a parallel historical subplot.
I’m
proud of my books. I like the challenge of tacking new genres as well
as new forms. However, lately I’ve started to believe that
diversity can be a liability to an author’s career. When someone
asks you what you write, “almost everything” may not be a
strategic answer.
Think
about the authors whose names are household words. Steven King writes
horror. Anne Rice writes paranormal. P.D. James writes (or wrote)
mysteries. James Patterson writes political thrillers. Nora Roberts
writes romance. J.K. Rowling writes fantasy. (Remember how nasty the
critics were when she published her realistic contemporary novel, A
Casual Vacancy?)
I
couldn’t think of any really popular writers whose books vary as
much as mine do, from one to the next.
Meanwhile,
my favorite authors are the ones who can write anything – and do.
M.Christian comes to mind as maybe the best example. I’ll devour
anything by Kathleen Bradean/Jay Lygon. Jonathan Lethem’s wild
imagination produces something different in every offering. And
though I haven’t read anything by him in a long time, John Barth
used to delight me with every book I read. I never knew what to
expect – and that’s the way I liked it.
Of
course, in answer to the question, “what do you write?”, I could
say “erotica”. That doesn’t pin things down much, though. Some
erotica readers are pretty picky about the themes and topics they
want to read. I know people who find anything other than BDSM fiction
totally boring. Others have complained they can’t find hot vanilla
M/F stories anymore. The segment of the erotica market that’s
reading primarily for arousal wants stories that push their
particular buttons. Someone who gets off on water sports isn’t
interested in femdom. And so on.
Anyway,
the “erotica” answer isn’t strictly true. I also write erotic
romance, which has a different audience. I’ve been told in no
uncertain terms by some erotica readers that my stories were too
tainted by romance. Meanwhile, I’ve had romance readers shy away
from my work as “too hot” and “too much like porn”. I’ve
considered adopting a new tag line: “Too raw for romance, too sweet
for smut.” (I’m only halfway joking.)
I
guess I have to accept the fact that the majority of readers does not
value variety to the extent I do. Instead they are seeking
predictability – the antithesis of enjoyment, from my perspective!
This
is a bit depressing, if I allow myself to dwell on it.
Am
I willing to focus on one sub-genre in order to become popular? If I
were making my living as an author, I think I’d have to.
Fortunately, I have the luxury of writing what I feel like – of
indulging my love of diversity.
Now
all I have to do is find readers with similar tastes.
Anyone
care to share a Pu Pu Platter?
