That reminds me, what about Martha Grimes' crime series? Each one is named after a pub in England, and the story, in part, revolves around interactions in the pubs. Gretchen On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 2:51 PM, Dubiel, Rich <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > All: > > Detective heroes who are recovering alcoholics (and members of AA): > Lawrence Block has the main character Matt Scudder and James Lee Burke has > Dave Robicheaux. Both are prolific authors. Block’s *When the Sacred Gin > Mill Closes* sets the stage for Matt Scudder’s joining AA and getting > sober. But before the end of the book he really hammers ‘em back. > > > > (I have a paper on these two characters on my UWSP Web page.) > > Univ. of Wisconsin –Stevens Point > > http://www.uwsp.edu/comm/faculty/rdubiel/index.shtm > > > > Rich Dubiel > > [log in to unmask] > > *From:* Alcohol and Drugs Historhttp:// > www.uwsp.edu/comm/faculty/rdubiel/index.shtmy Society [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Dan Malleck > *Sent:* Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:51 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: Under the Literary Influence > > > > Being terribly neurotic, I try to steer clear of blatantly alcohol and drug > related literature for my personal reading. > > Nevertheless, there is a section of Ann-Marie Macdonald's *Fall on your > knees* (1997) that is particularly memorable for me. The book is an epic > story about a poor family in Nova Scotia, beginning in the early part of the > 20th century. For one section, a young girl in the family becomes an > entertainer at a backwoods blind pig during prohibition. Macdonald's > ability to describe what seemed to me to be a likely much more realistic > impression of the rough backwoods illegal drinking space altered my > perception of illegal drinking during prohibition. Later the story moves to > Harlem during the 20s and 30s, but the blind pig is my favourite bit. > > She's a brilliant writer in any case, but this is especially evocative for > those of us who are preoccupied, one way or another (or in many ways), with > alcohol and drugs. > > Dan Malleck > > > At 05:09 PM 2/21/2009, Bradley Kadel wrote: > > Given our round table last month on writers and alcohol, I thought the > following from Brian McDonald<http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/author/brian-mcdonald/>might be of particular interest. Be sure to look at the comments, for > you'll find many more suggestions of titles wherein alcohol plays a > prominent role, as the author's trusty muse or the subject for exploration > through characters and places. > > http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/under-the-literary-influence/?emc=eta1http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/under-the-literary-influence/?emc=eta1 > > Would it be too much to ask list members for their own favorite authors and > titles? > > For my part, I don't think anyone in the twentieth century described gritty > barroom intoxication better than James Farrell, especially in the last > volume of his Studs Lonnigan trilogy. Of course Farrell's writing is quite > dark, and certainly the tone of most writers describing drunkenness shifts > considerably by the early 1960s. Ideas? > > Brad Kadel > Fayetteville State University > > ************************************************* > > A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world. That means > trying to understand, take in, connect with, what wickedness human beings > are capable of; and not be corrupted - made cynical, superficial - by this > understanding. > > Literature can tell us what the world is like. > > Literature can give us standards and pass on deep knowledge, incarnated in > language, in narrative. > > Literature can train, and exercise, our ability to weep for those who are > not us or ours. > > > From Susan Sontag's acceptance speech on the occasion of being awarded the > Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels, > the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. > > > > > > Dan Malleck, PhD > Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. > Editor-in-chief, *Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An > Interdisciplinary Journal* > http://historyofalcoholanddrugs.typepad.com > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including any attachments, may contain > confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended > recipient, please notify the sender by e-mail and immediately delete this > message and its contents, and then find someone to blame. Thank you. > -- Gretchen Pierce, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor Latin American History Northern Illinois University