- - - - Copyright Cincinnati CityBeat, May 2001
- - - - My Drug Buddy Amy Fusselman goes electric with The Pharmacist's Mate By Brad Quinn Amy Fusselman - - - - Amy Fusselman's new book, The Pharmacist's Mate, opens with a bit of dubious advice: "Don't have sex on a boat unless you want to get pregnant." If only it were that easy. The Pharmacist Mate, a brief work of non-fiction, details Fusselman's Herculean efforts to get pregnant. She visits fertility doctors, both "high-end" and "low-end," and she endures no end of shots, probing and prodding. Unfortunately, Fusselman's mind seems to be working against her body. Maybe it's because her desire to get pregnant is also tempered with fear. Maybe it's her mixed motivations: "I want to get pregnant," she writes. "Or maybe more accurately, I don't want to die without having had children." Readers who encounter Fusselman's sad, funny and beautifully written book might be surprised to find that, at its inception, The Pharmacist's Mate was not supposed to be about pregnancy at all: It was supposed to be about electrical engineering on boats. The book's curious beginnings are found in a contest announcement that appeared in McSweeney's, a publication created by Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. "I'd been subscribing to McSweeney's from the first issue, and I loved it immediately," says Fusselman, who was particularly impressed with the hardbound publication's design. "And I saw something on the Web site last spring about how they were running this contest, looking for someone to write a book about electrical engineering on boats. ... I sent them a proposal, and I guess a lot of people did, and finally in August I got an e-mail that said 'go ahead.' " Readers will have to look carefully to find much about electrical engineering in the book. But there is plenty about boats, courtesy of Fusselman's father, Frank, whose World War II diary is interwoven into Fusselman's maternity quest. Frank was the Purser-Pharmacist's Mate on the Liberty Ship George E. Pickett, and his narrative is filled with colorful sea tales: cases of gonorrhea in exotic ports, the transportation of French war brides and drunken brawls. Fusselman's father is also the source of some of the book's most poignant moments. Fusselman recounts his final days in the hospital, and how she attempts to cope with his loss. She hopes that with her father on the other side of the living, perhaps he can help her in her efforts to get pregnant. Even the simple words "My Dad Is Dead," become a mantra for Fusselman, she imagines naming her expected child "My Dad Is Dead," and even does an Internet search of the words, only to discover that there is an Ohio musical act with the same title. Fusselman has a wonderful way of finding absurdity even in the most solemn moments. Her humor and honesty make the Pharma-cist's Mate an unforgettable read. Although The Pharmacist's Mate is a non-fiction account of Fusselman's personal life, the writer says that she hesitates to call the book a memoir. "When I think of a memoir, I think of something that is done in one voice," she says. "One thing I really love about the book is that structurally there are two voices, and it's really important to me that my dad's voice is there. And I think thematically, that's just the way it's built. It's more than just one person singing." As Fusselman suggests, the two narrators move The Pharmacist's Mate out of the genre of memoir; though, just how the book should be categorized is a difficult question. Perhaps the book could be called a non-fiction novel. Perhaps it doesn't make any difference. By any definition, The Pharmacist's Mate is a poetic and compelling book. - - - - Cincinnati CityBeat covers news, public issues, arts and entertainment of interest to readers in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The views expressed in these pages do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. Entire contents are copyright 2001 Lightborne Publishing Inc. and may not be reprinted in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publishers. Unsolicited editorial or graphic material is welcome to be submitted but can only be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Unsolicited material accepted for publication is subject to CityBeat's right to edit and to our copyright provisions. Copyright 2001 Lightborne Publishing Inc. - - - -
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