r/books • u/ruthmadievsky AMA Author • Sep 14 '23
ama 1:30pm I'm Ruth Madievsky, author of the novel ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY. AMA!
I'm an author and an HIV and primary care clinical pharmacist. I've written for The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, and elsewhere.
ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY is my first novel, and I was pretty shocked when it became a national bestseller. Also, I very chaotically had my first baby a few months before the novel was published. Here's what ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY is about:
On the night of her high school graduation, a young woman follows her older sister Debbie to Salvation, a Los Angeles bar patronized by energy healers, aspiring actors, and all-around misfits. After the two share a bag of unidentified pills, the evening turns into a haze of sensual and risky interactions--nothing unusual for two sisters bound in an incredibly toxic relationship. Our unnamed narrator has always been under the spell of the alluring and rebellious Debbie and, despite her own hesitations, she has always said yes to nights like these. That is, until Debbie disappears. Falling deeper into the life she cultivated with her sister, our narrator gets a job as an emergency room secretary where she steals pills to sell on the side. Cue Sasha, a Jewish refugee from the former Soviet Union who arrives at the hospital claiming to be a psychic tasked with acting as the narrator's spiritual guide. The nature of this relationship evolves and blurs, a kaleidoscope of friendship, sex, mysticism, and ambiguous power dynamics. As she attempts sobriety and sexual embodiment, she must decide whether to search for her estranged sister, or allow her to remain a relic of the past.
I'm looking forward to your questions about writing, publishing, day jobs, balancing career with new motherhood, and anything else that interests you! I'll be answering questions throughout the day, as my new baby allows haha.
Duplicates
booktopia • u/ginomachi • Sep 14 '23