This short book of short stories, some of only a page or two, is a little
too clever and smacks of writers workshops and conferences. The story that
had the most convincing voice is the last one, “What I Wore.” The narrator,
as in many of the pieces in this book, talks of her ex-boyfriend and her
crazy life. In this case, she is an aspiring actress living in Denver,
doing occasional commercials, and appearing a local play called But
What about Me, playing the character of a “drug addict and a slut.”
This story is entirely convincing, and it is very tempting to think that
it must be autobiographical. She starts taking drugs in order to get into
the part she is playing, and she feels entirely disconnected from most
people around her. During the day, she works as a temp, in offices where
the people don’t recognize her from one week to the next. In fact, she
uses her jobs to try out characters, wearing different kinds of clothes,
using different accents, and telling different stories about herself. Her
old boyfriend calls her occasionally to ask her to come back to him, but
she does not accept his offers, even though he makes her feel nostalgic
about their relationship. Her life is a stylish mess, and it eventually
gets too much for her. She ends up in a mental hospital for a while.

Most of her narrators are unsatisfied unconventional women, wondering
how to make their place in the world, enjoying the way they shock others,
and making light of their difficulties with a smart-assed put-down of someone
else. There are some great lines; my favorite is:
When I asked my shrink if I was a control freak, he finished saying
“Absolutely” before I finished saying “freak.” (No Universe)

The diversity of women in these stories is impressive; while they may
share the quality of being bemused and skeptical about the kinds of roles
available to them, they are in other ways very different from each other;
mothers, daughters, infertile, helping their friends with abortions, single,
divorced, and some even in relationships. None of them feel any real connection
to other people, and the world seems a disappointment to them, even they
know how to get by.

The book is a quick read, and the stories are well crafted. But too
often Krouse uses a turn of phrase that seems so deliberately writerly,
especially when she is trying to convey some special meaning and ends up
making little sense.

When I heard the news I said, “How can I be infertile when I’m the only
member of my family that’s ever gone to therapy?” (No Universe)

I threw my sandwich down on the plate. It made a flat sound. (No Universe)

Instead, it shot away into the sky like a bullet just missing its target,
the heart. (Too Big to Float)

The woman left, and Irene did too. Walked out wet and cold, with those
words thudding inside of her, ruthless as a heart. (Momentum)

These moments in the stories make you pause, thinking it sounds good,
but wondering what she is trying to convey, and realizing that it’s really
just an affectation. Maybe if these stories were read aloud by someone
with enough style and confidence, these phrases might convey more, or at
least, you might not be left thinking that the writer is trying too hard
to impress you.

© 2001 Christian Perring. First Serial Rights.

Christian Perring,
Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College,
Long Island. He is editor of Metapsychology Online Review.
His main research is on philosophical issues in psychiatry.
He is especially interested in exploring how philosophers can
play a greater role in public life. He is available to give talks
on many philosophical or controversial issues in mental health.

Categories: Fiction