Maggie Estep, 1963 - 2014

February 12, 2014 11:48 AM

Maggie Estep, the writer-poet-performance artist and all-around cool person who came to some fame while living in the East Village in the early 1990s, has died. After suffering a massive heart attack on Monday, Estep died at age 50. Before publishing her first novel, Maggie worked as a horse groom, a go-go dancer, a dishwasher, a nurse’s aide, and a box factory worker. She initially received national attention in the 1990s, when MTV covered the spoken-word movement on an all-poetry episode of "Unplugged."

Estep published seven books, including the Ruby Murphy series of mystery novels. Her final blog post, from last Friday, told the story of the Great Umlaut Cake of Slutdom.

Sex Goddess of the Western Hemisphere
I'm an Emotional Idiot
Hey Baby
Happy
RIP
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posted by neroli (37 comments total)

So fucking young. Goddamn.

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posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:50 AM on February 12, 2014

She is the single reason I ever put my lips to the microphone. Thank you for the inspiration, bike lady.




(i can't stand to do this)

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posted by psylosyren at 11:52 AM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh. Oh shit.

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posted by Kitteh at 11:58 AM on February 12, 2014

. (Hey baby yo baby <- awesome)
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:58 AM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

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I really liked her mystery novels. She had a great sense of character.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:59 AM on February 12, 2014

No. Dammit. NO.
posted by scody at 12:08 PM on February 12, 2014

Don't forget this!

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posted by dr_dank at 12:10 PM on February 12, 2014

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Emotional Idiot was the first novel I read purely for enjoyment as an adult. RIP.
posted by jewzilla at 12:16 PM on February 12, 2014

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I hadn't thought about her work in ages, but there was definitely a time went it meant a lot to me. RIP, Maggie.
posted by Stacey at 12:19 PM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

Wow. I dug her MTV stuff back in the day, and recently I purchased an anthology called Queens Noir that had a fine short story by her.

RIP
posted by jonmc at 12:22 PM on February 12, 2014

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it seems in adequate. but

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posted by crush-onastick at 12:29 PM on February 12, 2014

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posted by echolalia67 at 12:54 PM on February 12, 2014

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!

I went looking for "(Writer Guy) I Want Mangos" on YouTube just a week or so ago (couldn't find it) to try to link here, 'cause someone was talking about mangos an' I always hear Maggie Estep yelling-singing "Gimmee gimmee ya gimmee trunks of love, gimmee ya ya gimme what I need" whenever someone mentions "mangos".

I can only find the text, and Maggie's voice is so great that it's sad I can't find the audio, but here's Scab Maids On Speed, "MAIDS STOLE MY LUUDES MAN!"

Well, thanks for burning so bright, Maggie, and enjoy all the free hamburgers up in heaven.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:55 PM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

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posted by Renoroc at 1:02 PM on February 12, 2014

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posted by brujita at 1:37 PM on February 12, 2014

I am shocked and saddened by this news. Thank you for posting it.

I brought in "Bad Day at the Beauty Salon" to play for my English class in high school.
posted by laconic titan at 1:58 PM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh, no.

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posted by allthinky at 2:04 PM on February 12, 2014

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I was dreading when I saw the headline that it would be an OD. It's still awful, but at least it wasn't that. I knew her vaguely back in the day and always admired her work. Truly sad.
posted by Maias at 2:32 PM on February 12, 2014

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posted by cazoo at 2:48 PM on February 12, 2014

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posted by acb at 3:16 PM on February 12, 2014

I saw her name in this post and immediately remembered Hey Baby, and I was hoping this was going to be a post about her doing something awesome. From pretty much then until now, I hadn't really heard much about her (my own fault for not looking), but hearing she's gone is kind of a shock, and with all of the people who've died recently, I feel as if she's the one whose had the most direct, one on one impact.

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posted by Ghidorah at 3:27 PM on February 12, 2014

I had a mix tape with Hey Baby on it, and I listened to it over and over. Such sad news.
posted by Ruki at 3:31 PM on February 12, 2014 [1 favorite]

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posted by sonascope at 3:48 PM on February 12, 2014

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(Hey baby yo baby don't go baby. Too young baby.)
posted by dabitch at 4:03 PM on February 12, 2014

THANK YOU, NOT NORMAL GIRL!

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posted by morganw at 4:49 PM on February 12, 2014 [4 favorites]

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posted by the sobsister at 5:28 PM on February 12, 2014

Fuck man, she defined cool in the 90's for me.

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posted by lumpenprole at 5:48 PM on February 12, 2014

Sad news.

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posted by pernoctalian at 6:03 PM on February 12, 2014

I don't know how to write this without sounding like a jerk, but I want to try.

I know Maggie to say hello to. She teaches yoga at the studio I attend. I've taken her class a dozen times or so. And until today, when I saw news of her death, I had no idea that she was a poet and writer and performer. I feel so ignorant! And more, so stupid for not taking the time to get to know her better.

Tonight I'm watching her work and reading her words and I am just so angry at myself, so disappointed. I didn't know. I didn't know that this woman with the intimidating upper-body strength and badass haircut was someone whose work I would feel immediately passionate about, would be someone I would love to hang out with, talk to.

She was far too young.

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posted by minervous at 6:33 PM on February 12, 2014 [6 favorites]

I'm so very
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posted by armacy at 6:53 PM on February 12, 2014

Wait, what? NO! Holy crap. I have her No More Mister Nice Girl album (grooveshark link of 6 tracks - The Stupid Jerk I'm Obsessed With is a personal fave) in regular rotation, have had for what seems like forever now! Found her and Steven Jesse Bernstein around the same time, along with a couple of other similar artists. Totally lost track of her, but that one creation is something that has become part of my life in a deep way.

So much sad right now at this news.

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posted by hippybear at 7:24 PM on February 12, 2014

I've had Love Dance of the Mechanical Animals sitting on my shelves for over half a decade, unread. I bought it because I recognized Maggie's name as someone very close to a friend of mine, so I thought I should pick it up. I feel guilty for not opening the cover sooner.

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posted by rewil at 8:34 PM on February 12, 2014

Noooooooooo!

Goddammit.

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posted by susanbeeswax at 12:36 AM on February 13, 2014

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posted by From Bklyn at 1:36 AM on February 13, 2014

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posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:50 AM on February 13, 2014

More sucky news.

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posted by Pudhoho at 12:48 PM on February 13, 2014

I met her once in Buffalo. She signed my Lollapalooza book, nicely. I thought she was a good writer and a kind person. So sorry.

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posted by Riverine at 2:37 PM on February 13, 2014