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I became a pharmacist

Page history last edited by M. O'Neill 13 years, 5 months ago

The Wyrd Game

 

 

 

PLANNING

 

Purpose of story: 

comparison of pharmacist to standard drug dealer

comparison of prescription (legal) drugs to street (illegal) drugs - particularly comparing morphine (and derivatives) to heroin.

 

Summary:

Told from point of view of pharmacist. 

 

Scene 1: He fills a prescription of Hydromorphone for what looks like an addict. 

Scene 2: He witnesses a drug deal on the street (a junkie buying what he presumes is heroin).

THESE CAN HAPPEN IN WHICHEVER ORDER! TRY BOTH!

 

Use repetition between scenes to strengthen similarities between legal and illegal drugs. 

 

A conversation that assisted in the planning process:

 

 

I'm looking forward to reading more of this, Adam. One thing though, the streets are filled with legal drugs obtained from illegal means. The heroin addicts are a rarity these days. I really like this idea! I have a friend who is a pharmacist and she hates it when I call her a drug dealer, a well-paid drug dealer.

 

Yes, I understand that prescription drugs have become the way to go for most addicts. We discuss that a bit on this page:http://fall2010compositions.pbworks.com/international-narcotics-business

I felt that I could go one of two ways, both offering a different effect.

1. Contrast between a pharmacist selling prescriptions and a drug dealer selling heroin (this strengthens the legal v.s illegal aspect of the argument - it shows that legal drugs, like hydromorphone, are the same as illegal drugs, like heroin.)
2. Contrast pharmacist selling prescriptions legally with drug dealer selling prescriptions illegally. (this would strengthen the comparison between prescription drugs being sold legally and illegally)

maybe I could try both? actually, now that I think about it, #2 would still work for the legal vs. illegal aspect, since the "drug dealer" wold be selling the legal drugs illegally. that actually strengthens it even more than using heroin. 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have the street dealer selling roxys or something!

 

 

It would also add a new aspect: the duality of a single substance. It fills both legal and illegal needs. Both medical and recreational. I think it will help to stick with one substance throughout. Dilaudid or roxys? I guess that roxys would be more relevant to our time and place. 

I love it!

 

Here's another idea coming from #2: Could you tie in the doctor's role in both these settings? If you have Dr. Corbian's script in the pharmacy, as well as on the street, you may be able to subtly tie in the role of the professional class of doctors in maintaining the current corruption of the healthcare system. Is the pharmacist going to experience a crisis of conscience?

 

 


 

 

SCENE 1: FIRST DRAFT
(in progress)

 

 

A shrunken form of a man approached my silence, moving slowly. He seemed to be creeping into adulthood, aging as he walked. He was dying before my eyes. A filthy plaid shirt hung loose from his shoulders and furled to his belt, where his pants clung to his waist. Every few steps he paused to hoist the ragged jeans back onto his hips. His feet finally stopped in front of the counter and he stood desperate and selfish, crying for himself. 

 

"What can I do for you?" I asked, feeling heavy from the electric anticipation that trembled before me. He cowered with his hands in his pockets, mumbling to the ground and aimlessly dragging his shoes across the tile floor. His thoughts echoed through the room.

 

Before I could speak again he fumbled a small piece of crumpled paper from his pocket and placed it in front of me. I poked at it without picking it up and ironed out the wrinkles against the countertop with my finger. Hydromorphone Hydrochloride (8mg tablets) was scribbled in black ink, followed by an unintelligible signature. 

 

"Dr. David Corbian, huh? Where does he practice?" The man shuffled awkwardly and coughed into his hand. I still held the piece of paper between my fingers.

 

"I uh…I think that it's, you know, on the script." I looked up and he shoved his hands back into his pockets. I smiled.

 

"Ah!" The doctor's name and address were printed in letterhead at the top of the prescription paper. His phone number was there, too. "You're right!" I ran my finger across the address, tapped a short rhythm on the counter, and looked back up. We locked eyes for a moment and I stared into darkness, bottomless and empty. 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

some of the ideas for this story emerged from the discussion on this page

some emerged from a cut-up of the same page with Alan Watt's Joyous Cosmology

the cut-up can be found here

 

 

 

THE REWORKING OF A CUT-UP THAT INSPIRED THE STORY

 

I became a pharmacist. I stood controlled by a continuous and endless ambivalence. A true circle with no specific parent, like a nun held at gunpoint, neither bored nor interested. I spoke clear into the crude shadows of static emotion. I was able to listen and shed light on the meaning of manipulation, the cunning way of weakness. Does the meaning conceptualize the cause?

 

And was I the cause? Could I be the cause? Am I really trapped in this circle? I began to realize, naively, that the nuns should not be fired upon. 

 

A shrunken form of a man approached my silence, moving slowly. He seemed to be creeping into adulthood, aging as he walked. He was dying before my eyes. His feet finally stopped in front of the counter and he stood desperate and selfish, crying for himself. 

 

"What can I do for you?" I asked, feeling heavy from the electric anticipation that trembled before me. He cowered with his hands in his pockets, mumbling to the ground and aimlessly dragging his shoes across the tile floor. 

 

 

 

HERE IS THE CUT UP TEXT THAT I REWORKED ABOVE

 


 

 

REFLECTION FOR WYRD GAME

 

My remix of the text evolved into a few different things. I began reading through the mess of words, and used phrases and words to form the reworking of words that is found directly above. I began to see an idea for a story emerging. I then expanded on what had come out of the text, creating a story in my own words, inspired by the reworking. The idea that formed from the cut-up can be found above under PLANNING.

 

Comments (5)

jn said

at 1:16 am on Sep 24, 2010

"A shrunken form of a man approached my silence, moving slowly. He seemed to be creeping into adulthood, aging as he walked. He was dying before my eyes. His feet finally stopped in front of the counter and he stood desperate and selfish, crying for himself.
"What can I do for you?" I asked, feeling heavy from the electric anticipation that trembled before me. He cowered with his hands in his pockets, mumbling to the ground and aimlessly dragging his shoes across the tile floor.
"

You painted this image beautifully, my friend. I look forward to reading more of this.

H.I.M. said

at 7:10 pm on Sep 26, 2010

Excellent imagery such as in Jesse's quoted excerpts.

M. O'Neill said

at 11:41 pm on Oct 4, 2010

I'm looking forward to reading more of this, Adam. One thing though, the streets are filled with legal drugs obtained from illegal means. The heroin addicts are a rarity these days. I really like this idea! I have a friend who is a pharmacist and she hates it when I call her a drug dealer, a well-paid drug dealer.

Aardvark Marker said

at 4:38 pm on Oct 7, 2010

Yes, I understand that prescription drugs have become the way to go for most addicts. We discuss that a bit on this page: http://fall2010compositions.pbworks.com/international-narcotics-business

I felt that I could go one of two ways, both offering a different effect.

1. Contrast between a pharmacist selling prescriptions and a drug dealer selling heroin (this strengthens the legal v.s illegal aspect of the argument)
2. Contrast pharmacist selling prescriptions legally with drug dealer selling prescriptions illegally. (this would strengthen the comparison between the two)

maybe I could try both? actually, now that I think about it, #2 would still work for the legal vs. illegal aspect, since the "drug dealer" wold be seilling the legal drugs illegally. that actually strengthens it even more than using heroin.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have the street dealer selling roxys or something!

Aardvark Marker said

at 4:40 pm on Oct 7, 2010

it would also add a new aspect: the duality of a single substance. It fills both legal and illegal needs. Both medical and recreational. I think it will help to stick with one substance throughout. Dilaudid or roxys? I guess that roxys would be more relevant to our time and place.

I love it!

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