Community Library Notes
“Rabbits for Food” by Binnie Kirshenbaum is the story of Bunny and her husband Albie. She is about to go out to dinner on New Year’s Eve 2008. She wants to scream, scream. Author Kirshenbaum writes with a real sense of humor for this story of depression and mental hospitals. Bunny doesn’t want to go to a lovely dinner with lovely people. She’d rather drink Clorox. Bunny’s parents raised “rabbits for food.” Is this what started her downhill?
Bunny has two sisters: Dawn whose husband sells bed pans and two children, and Nicole who is a lesbian and has a wife and one son. Nicole will not let her son eat cookies. Bunny and Albie don’t want children, and Bunny is childlike enough for Albie. But when Bunny begins to look at baby clothes, they get a kitten. Angela is like their baby and they love her. After a few years, Angela gets sick and dies. They re-place her with another cat, Jeffrey. Bunny hurts herself, pulls her hair, slaps her legs. This is not funny. Albie is upset.
Stella is Bunny’s friend, and Muriel is Albie’s friend. They each need a friend. Bunny is Albie’s friend from work but does she know they are sleeping together? She used to write essays in high school for her teacher. One compared Dorothy in Oz with Anne Frank. The teacher asked Bunny what was wrong with her.
On Dec. 31, she decides to take a bath, to smoke a last cigarette, to drink a glass of vodka and to slit her wrists. Bunny hated her Christmas gifts from Albie; he was pleasantly surprised with his. Bunny owns a shredder and on this day, she puts every paper she can find into it: bank statements, interviews, post cards from foreign places, diplomas, etc. As if she wants to be shredded herself.
On New Year’s Eve, they go to “the Red Monkey”
with two other couples. After Bunny and Albie dress, they admire each other’s outfits, almost like normal couples. They walk to the restaurant. Under the table, fish swim under the tile floor. One fish is dead, and floats away. Julian tells the waiter and he gifts them with more champagne. Is this an omen for Bunny? Bunny jams her fork into her thigh. Blood spurts out, Albie takes her to a mental hospital. They check her in with separate piles for her “allowed” and “not allowed” items. Some inmates here are catatonic and one man says “Holy fuck” again and again. Bunny doesn’t want to do Arts and Crafts, but she does glue tiles onto a board as she did in third grade. Author introduces us to all the “loonies” who play Go Fish, do puzzles or sing songs from Broadway musicals.
Albie comes to visit after dinner. Bunny writes a list of things for Albie to bring with him next time. It includes photos of their cat. Bunny tells Albie they want to electrocute her. Dr. Grossman has discussed several options with her including ECT. She writes all the time, takes notes on the yellow pads Albie brings her. She had been a writer; perhaps she’ll do this again. Underpants Man monitors the pay phone all day, and Nina throws up after all meals. Author Kirshenbaum describes everyone perfectly, and with humor. Each patient has his own disorder. Will Bunny get better? Is there anything wrong with her or is she pretending to get attention? Find this humorous but serious book on the new fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.
The Mendocino Community Library is at the corner of William and Little Lake streets, Mendocino. Hours: Monday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.; Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sundays and holidays, 707-937-5773.