Brady Street Pharmacy: Stories and Sketches

Brady Street Pharmacy: Stories and Sketches by Tea Krulos (2021) An in-depth personal history of Milwaukee’s now long-gone Brady Street Pharmacy—an independent pharmacy, drugstore and convenience market—and most important—lunch counter and diner. It’s written by Tea Krulos—who worked there for years and has done an excellent job of writing down his memories and observations—along with some very funny drawings. Sometimes an employee at a place isn’t the best person to document it—you get too embroiled in the politics, love, and hate. But he seemed to keep a level head and a fairness in his memories—though the emotion is there, too. There is no need to embellish any of this stuff—straightforward observations of some bizarre, hilarious, and sometimes sad and tragic events, populated by some true eccentrics—but also everyday people everyone will relate to. Anyone who frequented the place will want to read this—but people who’ve never set foot in Milwaukee will recognize universal tales about jobs, diners, regulars, and local oddballs. I was a semi-regular customer myself—though I had moved out of town by the time of Pharmacy’s unlikely transformation into a performance art space, and eventual demise—so I was happy to get the story. But even more happy to relive my good memories—I would stop for breakfast (cheapest in town) whenever I refilled a prescription, and I always liked Jim, the pharmacist. Or else I’d have breakfast while washing my clothes at a nearby laundromat. I’d sit over a cup of coffee and write in my notebook while observing the regulars and wait staff—always a lot of interesting people—but no one I ever got to know at all. So this book is a real bonus for me—rarely do you get a chance to return to your memories of a place like this from the well-observed and documented point of view that’s both from an observer and an insider. And if I eventually come across any Pharmacy entries in my old notebooks, I’ll probably get out this book and read it again.

10.10.23