Jagged Little Pills

Tom Purcell

Age: 39

Resides: Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Occupation: Supplier

Do you get depressed? More than most lately. My place burned down. I was on the streets for about a year. I just moved into a new place recently. I feel better now, but I have a hard time sleeping. I’ve been out on the streets too long.

What do you do? I just snap out of it. I was on Zoloft and Kalopin, I think it’s called. It worked for me. They won’t prescribe it for me anymore, though. So now, I just deal.

Would you consider taking medication? It helped me definitely. It was great.

What else would you like a pill for? Just something for depression-it’s the main issue. It’s half of people’s problems.

Tykia Moore

Age: 20

Resides: Jamaica, Queens

Occupation: Student

Do you get depressed? Yeah. Once in a while everybody does. It’s part of life.

What do you do? Write poetry. It allows me to get out feelings that I can’t get out to other people. I also listen to sad love songs.

Would you consider taking medication? No.
But I choose not to anymore.

What else would you like a pill for? To stop procrastinating and to do my homework.

Joni Miller

Age: 53

Resides: West Village

Occupation: Writer-book editor

Do you get depressed? I’m relentlessly cheery. Big world events, Kosovo, depress me. Boredom depresses me.

What do you do? I’ll bake. Shop. Read. The flea market. There’s a very close relationship between the flea market and happiness if you’re a junk junkie.

Would you consider taking medication? I’m practically a closet Christian Scientist.
I was younger. It didn’t hinder me in any way.

What else would you like a pill for? If they could come up with a really good pill to stop smoking, I’d take that pill. That would be the dream pill.

Kenneth Green

Age: 35

Resides: Lower East Side

Occupation: Stocking inventory

Do you get depressed No. I’ve always been happy.

What do you do? If I ever am, I’d probably play basketball. I play on the West 4th Street courts. It’s intense over there.

Would you consider taking medication? No. I’d probably see a psychiatrist. But even if they prescribed pills, I wouldn’t take it.

What else would you like a pill for? A pill to produce, like, twins and triplets. I’ve always wanted that.

Robert Pecoraro

Age: 19

Resides: Ridgewood, Queens

Occupation: Student

Do you get depressed? Yeah. Really often. Like every other day.

What do you do? Usually, just sit around thinking about things in the dark. Sometimes I get really violent, not towards other people, just break things. Just the other day I carved a scar into my arm. It relieved a lot of stress.

Would you consider taking medication? Oh, yeah. It wasn’t prescribed, but Prozac. It works. Whenever I can get it.

What else would you like a pill for? Eternal youth.

Eron Osbourne

Age: 19

Resides: Harlem

Occupation: Plumbing

Do you get depressed? I got depressed when my father and my aunt died a few years ago.

What do you do? I ate. I cried. I thought about the times we had. I looked at pictures. I stayed at home most of the time. It didn’t help, but I had to get over it.

Would you consider taking medication? No. No pills.

What else would you like a pill for? Just something to give me good health, to stay healthy all the time.

Ryan Roberts

Age: 24

Resides: East Flatbush, Brooklyn

Occupation: Account executive

Do you get depressed? Not really. You know why? I’m a spiritual person. My belief in my savior, Jesus Christ, makes me feel good.

What do you do? When I do get depressed, I take a step back, reassess the situation, and I call upon the Lord.

Would you consider taking medication? No.

What else would you like a pill for? This pill would eradicate the AIDS virus and all other diseases. Being in pain is no fun at all.