William Joseph Martin, formerly known as Poppy Z. Brite, is an American author born on May 25, 1967, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Initially achieving fame in the early 1990s within the gothic horror genre, Martin published a series of successful novels and short story collections. He is best known for his works Lost Souls (1992), Drawing Blood (1993), and Exquisite Corpse (1996). His later works veered into the genre of dark comedy, often set against the backdrop of the New Orleans restaurant world. Martin's novels, typically standalone, may feature recurring characters from his previous works, with much of his writing including openly bisexual and gay characters.

Identifying with male gender and experiencing gender dysphoria, Martin, born as Melissa Ann Brite, has openly discussed his gender identity issues. As of 2011, he started taking testosterone injections and goes by the name Billy Martin. His personal life includes stints living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Athens, Georgia, before returning to New Orleans in 1993. An avid fan of UNC basketball and the New Orleans Saints, Martin, along with his husband Chris DeBarr, a chef, runs a de facto cat rescue.