Brian Antoni

• + Bio

  Brian Antoni published his first novel, Paradise Overdose, in 1994. This glam-existential story, a sort-of tropical version of Bright Lights, Big City, was followed in 1997 by Naked Came the Manatee, a work of Florida fiction written by Antoni and 12 other authors, much like In the Belly of the Beast. Antoni’s South Beach: The Novel is due in early 2008.

• + Back Story

  "When I was 18, I took my first road trip, from Miami to Los Angeles. I stopped off in New Orleans, and after drinking one too many hurricanes, I decided to head off to see voodoo queen Marie Laveau’s grave. My friend, Robin, told me it was too dangerous to go, because it was getting dark and the graveyard was in a bad area. After one more hurricane, I convinced her. On the way we stopped off at a thrift store, where I bought a vintage top hat. At that time, the hot clubs in New York all had strict door policies and the only way to get in was to be picked out of the waiting crowd. I had figured out that by wearing a top hat I would get noticed and the velvet ropes would always part for me. I had a collection of them.

  We parked the car, and I put on my new top hat. We jumped the fence and visited Marie’s grave. On the way back, some scary guys started following us, calling out something in a strange-sounding language. We started to run. They followed. We jumped into the car and locked the door. The men got down on their knees and held their hands out to me. I realized that my new top hat made them think I was a voodoo priest. I knew I had to bring In The Belly of the Beast back to this graveyard, because it was the only place in the world people have ever kneeled to me."