The Problem Drinker

Paperback, 230 pages

Published by CLASH Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-968043-07-0

His girlfriend is horror famous, his own writing and acting is floundering, and he is drinking to make sense of it all.

Kyle Kouri’s debut non-fiction collection is full of ‘whiskey courage’ staring at the abyss of family, writing rejection, relationships, and his own drinking. From hijinks at AWP to hustling in the movie business, Kouri bridges the gap in drama between indie and horror.

At turns hilarious and heartbreaking, The Problem Drinker is the story of an artist living with another artist, yearning to move the needle in his career, amidst a sea of personal tragedies and comedies. If F. Scott Fitzgerald had one foot in the 2020s horror scene, that’s the spirit of Kouri’s caustic and big-hearted, lush and refreshingly candid debut.

1 edition

Amber Herbert reviewed The Problem Drinker by Kyle Kouri

A Romanticization of the Alcoholic Writer Cliche

2 stars

The Problem Drinker, while intoxicating in its opening, loses its shimmer about halfway through. The novelty of a problem drinker dealing with his emotions through literature and alcohol reeled me in but outstayed its welcome in quick measure. The gonzo aesthetic and literary leaning didn't quite land, and the one-page chapters often grazed brilliance, falling just shy of poignance. The romanticization of alcoholism also left a sour taste, and maybe that's on me for not "getting" the appeal or desire to fill the alcoholic writer role.

As a writer, I appreciated Kouri's perspective on endless rejections and self doubt. But it was hard to read those sections separated from the subtext. Kouri is privileged (his mother has ties in film and the stage, he went to Sarah Lawrence, and he can afford to drink to excess in classy bars). He's friends with celebrities from many walks of life (his …

The Problem Drinker, while intoxicating in its opening, loses its shimmer about halfway through. The novelty of a problem drinker dealing with his emotions through literature and alcohol reeled me in but outstayed its welcome in quick measure. The gonzo aesthetic and literary leaning didn't quite land, and the one-page chapters often grazed brilliance, falling just shy of poignance. The romanticization of alcoholism also left a sour taste, and maybe that's on me for not "getting" the appeal or desire to fill the alcoholic writer role.

As a writer, I appreciated Kouri's perspective on endless rejections and self doubt. But it was hard to read those sections separated from the subtext. Kouri is privileged (his mother has ties in film and the stage, he went to Sarah Lawrence, and he can afford to drink to excess in classy bars). He's friends with celebrities from many walks of life (his best friend's dad is Kevin Bacon, he parties with Chuck Tingle, and chills with actors like Kyle Gallner). His constant name dropping felt like virtue signalling, telling the reader (and the universe) that he also belongs in the world of artistic success because everyone around him has "made it". Needless to say the tone didn't win me over.

I give Kouri props for putting this memoir into the world, but this one wasn't for me.