CHRISSY VS. KYLE KOURI

Canadian Correspondent Chrissy had some questions for the author of the Problem Drinker, Kyle Kouri, who took a couple sips of his cocktail and answered!

I read The Problem Drinker a couple of months ago when it first hit NetGalley, and it ended up being a really memorable read. See my review here. Written in non-linear, essay-style chapters, The Problem Drinker is kind of memoir without pretense that makes the reader feel like they, at least on some level, know the author. I reached out to Kyle recently and he graciously took the time to answer a few of my questions.  So, pour yourself a cocktail, or a coffee, or whatever you are so inclined to drink, and find out more about up and coming author Kyle Kouri.

CHRISSY WINTERS: How comfortable were you with the honesty you poured into this project? Did you hold back anything that you thought you’d share, or did you share more than you thought you would?

KYLE KOURI: I’m a shoot first kinda guy and in this case I just went for it. I don’t think I held anything back, but there are certainly aspects of my life I just didn’t write about, and those things will probably go into the next book. Anything I said that I shouldn’t have will probably be addressed in the next one too. It all makes me extremely uncomfortable, but what can you do? I’ve sort of slipped into this confessional rabbit hole and unfortunately the most interesting way out is through.

CW: In the book, you make note of family members who expressed trepidation about appearing in the book. I loved the stories about your family. The interactions, particularly with siblings, felt relatable. Have they read the book now that it’s in its final form? Are those conversations ongoing?

KK: First of all, thank you so much. Glad it was relatable. Conversations with my family are very much ongoing and the ones I’ve had already have been surprising in the sense that nobody has responded to me writing The Problem Drinker in the way I thought they would. The book I’m working on now, actually, examines both the uncomfortable pitfalls and strange rewards of writing non-fiction about your family.

CW: The book is titled The Problem Drinker, which, combined with the themes of drinking alcohol throughout the book, could lead readers to the deduction that your drinking is an actual problem beyond what you’ve included in the book. I myself wasn’t sure what to make of it. Do you feel that is a misconception? Have you been surprised by reactions like that? Or have you felt that people have understood what it was you were trying to convey? Do you enjoy that ambiguity?

KK: I love drinking. I think people who love drinking too understand this book.

CW: I really felt the love that you share with your partner and your gang of dogs within the pages of the book. You and C.J. are couple goals! You write with honesty about dealing with the perceived “overnight” success of your partner, Horror Writer C.J. Leede. I loved the way you could express your frustration about your own writing journey, while existing in the shadow of her success. You did it with honest grace. I never felt that you sounded bitter or resentful. Your support of her comes through the pages. Were you worried about how those parts of the book would be perceived by CJ’s fans or in the very chatty horror community?

KK: Not really.

CW: Another thing you wrote about with great vividity is your experience getting your MFA in writing. How do you feel your experiences in grad school prepared you for this time in your life?

KK: Grad school made me a better writer, reader, gave me a great community, and some of the most fun and wild years of my life. Other than that, it didn’t prepare me for anything. But that’s OK, because I wouldn’t change my reverence for literature for anything in the world. I’m very lucky. It’s special to have spent hours in these shabby classrooms in old brick buildings where everybody’s hungover and whether or not we agree on anything else, we agree that fiction is serious stuff.

CW: Do you have any other non-fiction ideas or plans on the horizon?

KK: The Problem Drinker is the first book in what I’m envisioning as my “drinking trilogy,” which consists of three stand-alone books that address similar themes. It’s sort of like the filmmaker Lars Von Trier’s “depression trilogy,” which includes the films Anti-Christ, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac. I’m deep in the second book right now. I kinda want to tell you the title, but should probably not jinx it and wait.

CW: Graveyard is the title of your debut fiction novel, which is set for release by Rejection Letters in October 2026. It’s described as a love letter to Los Angeles service workers, misfits, and weirdos. I love this concept! What made you want to write about this often neglected and specific group of blue-collar workers? Is it something that you relate to in your life experience?

KK: Like most people, throughout my life I’ve had horrible and meaningless jobs that have dominated my time and made me miserable. I’ve had pathetic and disgusting bosses who are like the dumb and poor versions of the monsters we see committing atrocities on our feeds every day. At the same time, in a few of these jobs there have been beautiful, romantic interludes that couldn’t have happened if not for the endless drudgery and abuse in between.

CW: What genre would you say Graveyard falls under?

KK: Gritty literary fiction with romantic and magical whims.

CW: What excites you most about the upcoming year? Do you have any other projects you want to promote before we end this interview?

KK: I just want to spend my time drinking in industrial cities with anarchist bookstores by big rivers and in small towns with haunted bars and weird local history published in books you can’t buy online with old friends and the new friends I meet along the way.

If you like film, look out for my short film The Problem Drinker, which I made as a sort of supplemental artwork to the book. It’s an eleven minute long ONER. We shot it twenty-seven times over two days in downtown Los Angeles, and the final time just clicked and is the take we used.

Thanks for thinking of me and the kind words about my book. This was really fun.

Chrissy Winters is a writer who lives surrounded by golden wheat fields and swaying soybeans in rural Ontario, Canada.  A graduate of Simon Fraser University’s The Writers Studio, Chrissy is a wife and mother of three and dog mom of two.  She loves creating characters, reviewing books, film and television and is fueled by exercise and coffee. Connect with her on Instagram @chrissyreadsandwrites.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.