By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Westwood Public Library (WPL) invited author Philip Eil to discuss his debut novel “Prescription for Pain”, in collaboration with the library's True Crime Book Club. This discussion allowed Eil to discuss the case of his novel and bring more patrons into the book club.
Eil is from Providence, Rhode Island, and works as a journalist. His debut novel details the case of Paul Volkman and his deadly work in the pill-mill pain clinics in Ohio. Eil heard of Volkman through his father, as they were med-school classmates and Volkman’s indictment was currently unfolding.
Eil spoke about his time spent researching the case, interviewing countless people and traveling to Portsmouth, Ohio where Volkman ran his clinics. This process took over a decade and Eil spoke with over 100 people affected by the case, sorted through thousands of documents and was even able to communicate and interview with Volkaman. The hardest part of the process was suing the DEA under the Freedom of Information Act to gain more access to the case.
“Prescription for Pain” does not shy away from the hard facts of the case, even with Volkman's side. “I go out of my way to fact-check him rigorously,” Eil said about his conversations with Volkman, who still feels he did nothing wrong even while serving four life sentences. The novel details more about the case and the people directly affected by Volkman.
“There was so much to say in one story,” Eil said, on his process and time spent in Ohio. “The people in Portsmouth were really appreciative. I knew I was going to have to earn that trust.” The honesty shown to Eil by the people who lost family and friends to Volkman’s negligence made the story even more important to tell and added another layer to the novel.
This author talk was hosted in collaboration with the True Crime Book Club, who meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30 in the Islington Branch. They are always welcoming new members and help to host events.
Philip Eil’s novel is available at the Westwood Library for those interested in learning about Volkman’s case. Eil can be found on Instagram @philip.eil for those looking to stay up to date on his writing and journalism career.
