Pleasant Drugs: Stories

by Kathryn Kulpa

Book by Kathryn Kulpa

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2005

About the author

Visit kathrynkulpa.com for biography, fiction links, readings, writing workshops, and updates.

Reviews

[Marie]

Old-fashioned great writing, laugh out loud funny

[Emily]

Contrary to my belief upon buying this collection of short stories, they are not about drugs. Pleasant Drugs is actually a reference to a pharmacy/soda fountain in one of the pieces. The actual thread that ties the stories together seems to be the theme of lost love. The (mostly female) protagonists ruminate poetically about the one that got away, the one(s) that died, the one that is probably going to leave soon, etc. If the prose wasn't so beautiful and vivid, the effect would be completely depressing.
Another thing all the stories had in common was that I didn't want them to be over. Kulpa draws such sympathetic, interesting characters, I wished they each had a book's worth of story. I would especially like to read more about Mr. Lillicorp, an erudite ex-professor/current drunk who takes an abused little person home from the circus. "...One tries to stay within the law as much as possible; outside the law one is apt to encounter gentlemen with colorful nicknames and irregular grammar," he states on page 163.
He also makes a comment about the earth swallowing him up, finally something not his fault. I laughed out loud at that. What a lovely pun!
Generally, I like for short stories to have more resolution than these do; as I said, they all left me wanting more; but if that's more up your alley, I would certainly recommend you pick up a copy of this book.

[Lisa]

The short stories in this impressive debut collection are populated with characters who will stay with you long after you've finished reading. From the comic book artist obsessed with a lost love in "Have You Seen Her" to the title character in "Mr. Lillicrop's Shining Moment" -- the most dignified drunk you'll ever meet -- the people of Kulpa's fiction find hope while dancing on the edge of hopelessness. My favorite story in the collection, "The Night Copernicus Died," is a surreal, lyrical meditation on redemption.

[Susan]

Kulpa makes the work of writing seem effortless, even as she makes us care deeply about her characters and their stories. Lovely to read from cover to cover. The cumulative effect is one of a world we come to know from a new angle. Funny, hopeful, moving. Solid and evocative. I lent the book to my mom, who generally thinks short stories are broken novels, and (as I knew she would) she loved them too!

[Kathryn]

Writing a book is damned hard work, but sometimes fun. Getting it published is even harder, and much less fun. But it is possible.

[Mary]

Every story is a road less traveled. I enjoyed the twists and unexpected threads the stories take.