lives.
There's something very Zen in such an admission, and that spiritual
equilibrium
is what many people in recovery are striving for. At the same time, as a
feminist, I just couldn't get comfortable with powerlessness and
"acceptance" as
the paths to happiness for women in the aggregate. When taken out of the
context
of the individual pursuit of sobriety, recovery ideas seemed profoundly
non-liberatory. This puzzled me: how and why did these ideas move from one
context to another, and what was it about that changed context that gave
them
such a different valence? To answer those questions, I decided to write the
book
that became The Language of the Heart. Fortunately, as I wrote I got the
opportunity to revise this fairly simple binary into a much more complex and
multi-faceted picture.
A close-up
I've got two of these. The first is on pages 16-17, where I talk about what
this
book is not. Unlike most of the writings on the topic, The Language of the
Heart
is neither "for" nor "against" recovery, and it's important that people know
that going in. Twelve-step groups like AA may work well for some people but
not
for others. The broader culture of recovery is in some ways insipid, banal,
and
politically reactionary, and in other ways profound, exciting, and
progressive.
Like any complex cultural phenomenon, recovery can't be easily boiled down
to a
"good" or a "bad" thing, and people who come to the book expecting such
blanket
praise or condemnation will be disappointed.
The second thing I hope a browsing reader would come across is the series of
images on pages 89-91. These show the iconic figure that people in AA refer
to
as "the man on the bed," the de-toxing drunkard being visited by sober AAs
and
encouraged to try their program of recovery. The first image is a staged
photograph that accompanied the 1941 Saturday Evening Post article that
first
brought AA national attention; the second is an illustration for an article
in
the AA magazine The Grapevine. That illustration was translated into stained
glass by AA members in Akron, Ohio in 2001, and the final image is of their
work, which hangs in the Akron AA archives.
This triptych of images is important to me for two reasons. The image of
"the
man on the bed" exemplifies both the vulnerability (represented by the man
on
the bed himself) and the mutuality (represented by the AAs who have come to
offer him help) that together form the heart of 12-Step recovery.
Mid-twentieth-century straight white masculinity did not value either of
those
traits particularly highly, and AA's most radical feature may be its
injunction
to its members (about 66% of whom are men) to give up the habits of
"domination
and dependence" that have shaped their lives and their drinking. The man on
the
bed is poised to renounce those habits or to slip back into them, and so his
image appears frequently in AA's material culture. on sobriety medallions,
bookmarks, murals, etc. That AAs continue to re-imagine the man on the bed
in
new media suggests that even as the organization has grown into a global
phenomenon of millions of members, its radical
potential -- the possibility that individual men might transform their lives
by embracing relationships of compassion, rather than competition -- remains
alive.
Second, these images testify to the enormous help I received from recovering
people while I was putting this book together. Few of my primary sources
reside
in standard repositories like libraries, museums, or
professionally-maintained
archives; instead, they came from private collections, offbeat literature
dealers, and the archives maintained by recovering people interested in
their
own history. Their generosity in sharing these materials with me has been
one of
the greatest rewards of my research, and it is emblematized in these photos.
Lastly
One of the things I've become most aware of while working on this book is
the
degree to which cultural critics inside and outside of the academy write
about
phenomena that reflect and reinforce their own tastes and worldviews.
There's a
lot of writing out there about addiction, because addiction, despite its
tragic
dimension, retains a sheen of cool. Drug and alcohol use and abuse are
dis-inhibiting; they de-stabilize social norms. Without too much effort, we
can
see them as heroic challenges to the staid routines of our uptight bourgeois
lives.
Recovery culture, by contrast, is really square, both as aesthetics and as
politics. One of the amateur authors I talk about drew inspiration from
Lawrence
Welk in many of his writings, for crying out loud -- and not in an ironic
way!
It's this squareness, I think, that has led critics to overlook the
complexity
of recovery -- its existence as a cultural formation with a genuine
intellectual
and social history that both reflects and helps to construct the larger
economic, political, and psychic realities around it.
Personally, I would rather listen to hip-hop than to Lawrence Welk, and
prefer
reading high modernism to the personal stories in the Big Book. But that
doesn't
mean that the culture of people whose tastes don't run to transgressive or
ironic texts is transparent or not worthy of scrutiny. Neither belletristic
nor
academic critics of the popular expend much energy on square cultures,
however,
except to occasionally talk about how awful they are. I wonder what other
cultural formations besides recovery scholars of popular culture have
simplified
or overlooked in recent years simply because they don't give us aesthetic or
intellectual pleasure.
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++++Message 6335. . . . . . . . . . . . The two alcoholic employees in To
Employers
From: Harriet Dodd . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/13/2010 11:37:00 AM
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Hello
We are studying the chapter in the Big Book called
To Employers at the moment.
Page 149 says "Today I own a little company.
There are two alcoholic employees, who produce
as much as five normal salesmen."
Do we know who these alcoholics were?
Many thanks,
Harriet
______________________________
From the moderator: it will be useful here to
go to the Message Board at
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/messages
and do a search for all the messages using the
phrase "To Employers" (e.g. Message 5468) and
all the messages entitled "authorship of Chapter
10" (e.g. Messages 3280 and 3284).
The chapter To Employers begins on p. 136 with the statement that this
chapter
was written by "one member who has spent much of his life in big business."
It
is believed by most AA historians (although not one hundred percent of them)
that this was Hank Parkhurst. See Hank's story "The Unbeliever" in the first
edition of the Big Book.
If this was indeed Hank, then on p. 141 the company which the author of this
chapter said he was employed by was Standard Oil of New Jersey.
Then on p. 149, the passage you are asking about says: "Today I own a little
company," which would have to be a reference to the Honor Dealers Co., an
automobile polish distributorship.
The company started out as just Hank Parkhurst and Bill Wilson. They hired
Ruth
Hock, a nonalcoholic, as their secretary. She typed up the various versions
of
the Big Book manuscript, and became AA's first secretary. Later on they
hired
Jim Burwell, another alcoholic, making four of them in all -- three
alcoholics
and one nonalcoholic.
See Jim Burwell's Big Book story "The Vicious Cycle," 3rd edit. page 246,
"Bill
and Hank had just taken over a small automobile polish company," and 3rd
edit.
page 248, "peddling off my polish samples."
In the passage you are asking about, on pp. 149-150, Hank was probably
thinking
of himself as "the boss," so the "two alcoholic employees" he was referring
to
would have been Bill Wilson and Jim Burwell.
Glenn Chesnut (South Bend, Indiana)
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++++Message 6336. . . . . . . . . . . . Earliest prison/behind the walls
groups in Canada
From: Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/15/2010 3:33:00 PM
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This is a question for those familiar with
Canadian AA History.
I believe the first prison group in Canada was
the Intramural Group at Dorchester Penitentiary
in New Brunswick, registered with GSO June 22,
1949. The Group is still active.
Does anyone know of an older group of this type
in Canada?
Thanks.
Michael
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++++Message 6337. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: archival resources
From: Charlie C . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/15/2010 7:34:00 AM
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For some years I had, among other duties, that of being college archivist
where
I am a librarian, and I found Light Impressions an excellent source of
archival
quality supplies and information: http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/
Charlie C.
IM = route20guy
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++++Message 6338. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Speaker tapes of Joe H., Santa
Monica CA
From: Roy Levin . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/15/2010 2:51:00 AM
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It's Joe Hawk, not Joe Hutch. The BigBookAwakening
website is run by my AA buddy Dan S. of Santa
Monica a former Joe H. sponsee, and indeed, he
does sell a set of CDs of Joe's salvation army
workshop back in 93. I have these CDs myself.
Joe is an excellent presenter of the BigBook
based step process.
________________________________
From: James Bliss
To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, January 29, 2010 7:32:00 PM
Subject: Re: Speaker tapes of Joe H., Santa Monica CA
There is a set for sale at:
http://bigbookawakening.com/
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++++Message 6339. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Banners -- and photos of Bill
and Bob
From: DudleyDobinson@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/11/2010 7:26:00 AM
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Some countries should include the U.S.A.
I got sober in San Jose, Ca and the local
Alano Clubs had pictures of our founders on
the walls of meeting rooms. No further
comment needed!
Dudley - Birr, Ireland
- - - -
From: Jon Markle
(serenitylodge at mac.com)
Personally, I detested the change on chips/tokens when they went from the
triangle to a likeness of Bill & Bob (those metal/bronze tokens). I refuse
to
carry them. It smacks of idolatry worship that I can't abide.
I refuse to attend meetings where there are such depictions on the wall;
even
large framed pictures are disturbing to me.
I believe that any such representation on our literature, tokens, posters,
etc,
is simply wrong spirited. The fellowship is not Bill and/or Bob. Holding up
one person as "god" simply defeats the whole purpose of our principles.
Although I may refer to something one or the other has written, (such as the
Steps), that does not mean I worship or idolize them as being infallible or
god-like.
- - - -
Original message from
(nuevenueve at ymail.com)
In some Countries (mainly in those very
anthropologically linked to ancestral religious
and political leadership imagery), one finds
pictures of both Bill W. and Dr. Bob on the AA
meeting rooms' walls, or even their figurines
in carved wood.
Don't know what Bill & Bob would have thought
about this, but it just happens.
- - - -
From the moderator: compare Message 4497
"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/4497
"I confess all my errors to the priest since it's
the most mortal sin to receive the Lord without
confessing all. Here too I have to confess all my
errors. Here they talk to us of good things.
When I came here and saw the pictures of the
founders, I thought, 'I've never seen a saint with
glasses before!'"
"His comments drew laughter from the audience.
Displaying the portraits of the founders above
the lectern echoed the placement of saints'
images in a Catholic church. For this man, his
A.A. colleagues were confessors and Bill W.
and Dr. Bob his saints."
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++++Message 6340. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Banners with the steps,
traditions, and concepts
From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/11/2010 1:47:00 PM
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Jim,
Wall banners or placards were not distributed to groups by the NY Office
prior to the mid-1970s after Bill W had passed away. Individual groups may
have elected to do what they did on an individual basis.
A question posited at the 1974 conference was: "Could we have the Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions made up in a 2' x 4' or other size suitable for
hanging in meeting places?" The answer was "The matter will be discussed at
a meeting of AAWS." I believe they began production of them in 1975.
A question posited at the 1976 conference that: "There has been much
controversy over the alleged misuse of the word "suggested" in reference to
the Twelve Steps. Please give all examples of literature changes in wording
since the 1975 Conference-changes allegedly made only to insure uniformity
in reference to the Twelve Steps, "which are suggested as a program of
recovery." The answer was: "In the listing of the Twelve Steps, the word
"suggested" was removed from 14 pamphlets. In three pamphlets, it has not
been removed. For further information, contact the Conference secretary."
The 1976 Conference Committee on literature recommended that "Present
terminology used regarding the word "suggested" when referring to the Twelve
Steps is consistent with that employed in the Big Book, the "Twelve and
Twelve," and other A.A. literature and should remain as is."
Bill may have been opposed to injecting the word "suggested" into the title
of the Steps but he was not opposed to the notion of the Steps being viewed
as suggestions. In the 1953 final Conference report, Bill is quoted as
saying:: "Where variations of the Traditions are concerned, we've gone up
and down like a window shade. We even have a Tradition that guarantees the
right of any group to vary all of them, if they want to. Let's remember, we
are talking about suggested (underlined in the report for emphasis) steps
and traditions. And when we say each group is autonomous, that means that it
also has a right to be wrong."
Cheers
Arthur
- - - -
From: Baileygc23@aol.com (Baileygc23 at aol.com)
Bill W said and repeated:
There is no dogma.
The one theological proposition is a Power greater than oneself.
Even this concept is forced on no one.
Banners and slogans, plus people instructing others, are dogma.
- - - -
Original message no. 6330 from James Blair
(jblair at videotron.ca)
The first banners on roll up window shades were produced in the New York
area and they were titled "Twelve Suggested Steps." Also, cards and other
local literature was printed in this manner. This was probably in the
1945-46 period.
Bill was opposed to the title "Twelve Suggested Steps" and twice delegates
to the General Service Conference put forward conference actions to change
the title from Twelve Steps to Twelve Suggested Steps and their proposed
actions were rejected.
I had read a couple of letters in the early GV's on this subject and I
brought it up with Frank M.(archivist) on a trip to GSO and he explained it
to
me.
I have not been able to find any letters by Bill on the matter.
Jim
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++++Message 6341. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Bridge of Reason
From: J. Lobdell . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/15/2010 9:55:00 AM
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The Bridge of Reason occurs in [Moses] Maimonides, eight hundred (or so)
years
ago, and was picked up by Spengler in his magnum opus, The Decline of the
West,
greatly publicized in the 1930s. I'm not sure if "the Bridge of Reason leads
to
the Shore of Faith" is itself in Maimonides, but that's generally where the
Bridge has been deemed to lead. My guess is any Big Book use comes from
Maimonides through Spengler -- unless it's also in Lewis Browne, the one
Jewish
religious writer we know Bill read.
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++++Message 6342. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Bridge of Reason
From: corafinch . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/15/2010 9:13:00 AM
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It sounds something like what Charles Fillmore wrote in the "Manifestation"
chapter of Christian Healing. Referring to the gulf between spiritual
knowledge
and the material manifestation, he wrote, "The bridge needed is the
structure
which thought builds." Fillmore and his wife Myrtle founded Unity Church, a
Christian denomination within the New Thought movement which was such an
important influence on AA.
However, other writers in the New Thought tradition used similar analogies,
so
Fillmore is certainly not the only potential source. Thomas Troward, in the
Edinburgh lectures, spoke of the subconscious (which he considered to be
amenable to conscious suggestion) as the bridge between individual minds and
the
higher thought or divine mind. Troward capitalized many of these terms,
although
Fillmore tended to leave them in lower case.
- - - -
--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com,
Ben Hammond wrote:
>
> I have been searching for the
> source of the phrase "Bridge of Reason"
> (with caps) from the Big Book, pp. 53 and 56.
>
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++++Message 6343. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Banners with the steps,
traditions, and concepts
From: James Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/17/2010 6:54:00 PM
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Arthur wrote
> Wall banners or placards were not distributed to groups by the NY Office
> prior to the mid-1970s after Bill W had passed away. Individual groups may
> have elected to do what they did on an individual basis.
These were made up by N.Y. Intergroup on blinds as well they printed cards
with Twelve Suggested Steps on them.
Too bad Frank M. is gone b/c he explained the whole kerfuffle to me.
Jim
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++++Message 6344. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Banners with the steps,
traditions, and concepts
From: James Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/17/2010 7:07:00 PM
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SUBTOPIC: the "suggested" twelve steps
Arthur wrote
> A question posited at the 1976 conference that: "There has been much
> controversy over the alleged misuse of the word "suggested" in reference
> to
> the Twelve Steps. Please give all examples of literature changes in
> wording
> since the 1975 Conference-changes allegedly made only to insure uniformity
> in reference to the Twelve Steps, "which are suggested as a program of
> recovery." The answer was: "In the listing of the Twelve Steps, the word
> "suggested" was removed from 14 pamphlets. In three pamphlets, it has not
> been removed. For further information, contact the Conference secretary."
I found a 1983 note under literature which states, ""The word "suggested" in
the title of the Twelve Steps not be reinstated."'
This suggests to me that it once existed in the literature. I have a friend
who attended the 83' conference and I'll see if I can get in touch with him
and ask if he can shine any light on this.
Jim
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++++Message 6345. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Banners -- and photos of Bill
and Bob
From: Cindy Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/17/2010 6:02:00 PM
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From Cindy Miller, tomper, and Robert Stonebraker
- - - -
From: Cindy Miller
(cm53 at earthlink.net)
How about the big Bill & Bob pictures displayed
on an easel at the large Founder's Day meetings?
> `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>
- - - -
From: "tomper87" (tomper99 at yahoo.com)
Very nice portraits of Dr. Silkworth, Dr. Bob, and Bill W. were displayed on
the
wall at the first A.A. club in New York. Bill lived upstairs for awhile so
apparently did not mind this.
Picture of this can be seen on the aa.org website on the timeline:
http://www.aa.org/aatimeline/ Just plug in search word clubhouse.
Portraits of someone can just be a sign of respect and do not necessarily
indicate idol worship of the individuals.
- - - -
From: Glenn Chesnut
(glennccc at sbcglobal.net)
This photo is in the 1935-1944 section of the AA timeline, describing events
which took place in 1940, and headed "The first New York clubhouse," with
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