Stories from the Tube

While others visit the refrigerator during television commercials, Sharpe apparently scribbles down story ideas. Sharpe's earnest but disappointing debut collection, based on well-known TV ads, never quite transcends its premise. The strongest of the 10 stories is ""Tide,"" a mother-daughter tale that owes its origin to a spot for laundry detergent. A single mother labors to rear her willful daughter (who, in the manner of TV children, speaks at a level far beyond her years); Mom struggles convincingly to explain menstruation and discourage reckless bicycle riding. After that promising start, however, the stories are populated by a series of hard-to-like characters, placed in situations that read as an uneasy mix of surrealism and satire. In ""Doctor Mom,"" derived from a cough syrup commercial, a mother begins operating haphazardly on her 10-year-old son (for reasons Sharpe doesn't explain, she's lost her medical license). In ""Rose in the House,"" an elderly parent's arrival in the home (another standard TV setup) causes resentment in her family. An original, insightful commercial is a rare find; perhaps equally difficult is a fully formed, thoughtful story based on one. TV addicts will enjoy recognizing their beloved advertisements, but that's the main source of fun in this collection. Author tour. (Nov.)