January 14, 2026
Ghosts, gossip, and a glitter pen
Virginia Faulkner: Writer, Editor and Ghostwriter?
Did she save a scandalous memoir—or steal the spotlight
TLDR: Brad Bigelow’s piece shows Virginia Faulkner was brought in to inject wit into Polly Adler’s “A House Is Not a Home” after editors found it dull. Readers praise the storytelling and raise questions about ghostwriting credit and mental health resilience, vowing to seek Faulkner’s work—because behind-the-scenes shaping matters.
Virginia Faulkner’s comeback arc just got messier—and juicier. Brad Bigelow’s deep dive shows how the razor-witted writer, fresh off a brutal bout of electroshock therapy and Hollywood flops, was tapped to put snap into notorious madam Polly Adler’s memoir after editors called a 150,000-word tell-all… boring. The early comment vibe is disbelief and admiration—“boring brothel?” is poised to become a running joke, and one reader called it a really well written piece and vowed to raid the library.
But the conversation doesn’t stop at gasps. The big question: ghostwriter or guardian angel? Fans argue Faulkner’s wit likely saved the book; purists worry she polished the voice right out of Polly. Editors feared obscenity and libel, but the core complaint was dullness—Faulkner, praised by Time for her wit, was the fix. Meanwhile, Faulkner’s mental health journey and resilience spark a “give her flowers” chorus, with quips like “A House Is Not a Home… without an editor.” Others side-eye the industry for needing a woman’s pain to fuel a bestseller. From Grand Central reunions to drag-club lunches with lawyers and agents, the origin story reads like a movie—cue the debate over who’s the real author of the drama. One thing everyone agrees on? Faulkner’s snap deserves an encore—and the hunt for her books is officially on.
Key Points
- •In 1951, Dana Suesse reconnected with Virginia Faulkner and proposed Faulkner help revise Polly Adler’s memoir.
- •Polly Adler produced a 150,000-word manuscript that her agent Ann Watkins could not sell after months of submissions.
- •Editors cited obscenity and libel concerns and, more importantly, found Adler’s manuscript dull despite her notoriety.
- •Faulkner was sought to add wit and energy to Adler’s narrative, supported by Suesse and lawyer Gertrude Gottleib.
- •The article outlines Faulkner’s earlier literary success and subsequent Hollywood and stage setbacks leading up to this collaboration.