The Problem Drinker

Actor and filmmaker Kouri debuts with a shallow collection of vignettes on drinking, family trauma, and self-actualization. He recounts his efforts to find artistic success, first in fiction, then acting, and finally achieving his literary ambitions through the publication of this book. Along the way, he reflects on his complicated family, including a sister who was hospitalized multiple times due to alcohol consumption, the death of his mentor at 17 and his father at 19, and a diving accident in Manhattan Beach that paralyzed his brother and divided his family. To cope with “this bombardment of tragedy,” he turned to drinking alcohol and writing fiction. While Kouri struggled to find professional success, his partner hit it big as a horror writer, complicating his relationships with her and his art. Kouri’s tone is intentionally antagonistic (“I want my books to be as exclusive as possible, totally esoteric and elitist, only relatable to a privileged few, pissing on the rest of the world and then setting fire to it, laughing while everybody burns and whines about it”), but this blunt approach frequently eschews meaningful insight. He will likely succeed in attracting a narrow audience. (June)