An update:
Poppy Brite was greatly affected by the destruction of New Orleans via Hurricane Katrina. Initially intending on weathering out the storm, she and her husband (the chef of Delachaise, Chris DeBarr, and an inspiration for her later food-related work) heeded the desperate pleas of friends and family and fled just before Katrina made landfall.
Returning to New Orleans to find her home flooded and several of her pets (those she could not retrieve and take with her in time) no longer among the living, combined with a return of her physical ailments (after an earlier fall from a considerable distance, she has suffered from back pain and sciatica requiring pain medication) have combined to have a considerable and profound effect on her.
The characters and stories she was continuing with were rejected by her publishers, and was instead placed under some degree of pressure to write "the Katrina novel". However, this turned out to be a rather callous request considering that it cost her her home, several of her friends and pets, and devastated a city so near and dear to her. In addition, she considers herself more of a conduit for characters who speak through her than as someone who can write on demand, and as such would not consider such an undertaking even if she was of a mercenary mind to do so. As of the date of this node she has been unable to write, and has instead turned to book doctoring.
And yet, the ever charitable Brite, in addition to being a vocal supporter of her new neighbours (she moved to a poorer section of the city) and a very vocal critic of the handling of Katrina, has further developed a charitable side, eventually converting to a schismatic form of Roman Catholicism and embarking on a crusade to save several churches slated for deconsecration and sale. The people, the traditions and the lifestyle of New Orleans are very near and dear to her, and she is a proud supporter and veritable treasure trove of information about same. (She bristles at suggestions that she is following in the footsteps of Christian convert Anne Rice, as her newfound faith has stemmed from great adversity, self discovery, soul searching, and a genuine love of her community.)
She is also an avid birder, complete with binoculars and field guides, regaling visitors to her site with details of birds in the area and her birdwatching trips to various Louisiana locations.