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. ( )