AA Book Club

  Real People of the Big Book - looking at the individuals behind aa folklore Henry G. "Hank" Parkhurst (1895-1954)  is the person in these anecdotes: About one year prior to this experience a man was brought in to be treated for chronic alcoholism. He had but partially recovered from a gastric hemorrhage and seemed to be a case of pathological mental deterioration. He had lost everything worthwhile in life and was only living, one might say, to drink. He frankly admitted and believed that for him there was no hope. Following the elimination of alcohol, there was found to be no permanent brain injury. He accepted the plan outlined in this book. One year later he called to see me, and I experienced a very strange sensation. I knew the man by name, and partly recognized his features, but there all resemblance ended. From a trembling, despairing, nervous wreck, had emerged a man brimming over with self-reliance and contentment. I talked with him for some time, but was not able t...

A little background on Father Ed Dowling, spiritual advisor to Bill Wilson, and the talk he gave at the second AA International Convention in 1955 (introduction by Bill): Father Ed Dowling at 1955 AA International Convention

  Throwback Thursday AA history post - The six articles published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in late 1939 led to tremendous growth in Cleveland's AA Group #3, but also got Clarence kicked out: That fall Clarence smuggled freelance reporter Elrick Davis into meetings of that first Greater Cleveland group and Mr. Davis wrote a series of articles on A.A. which were published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This resulted in over 500 calls for help to be tended by the only 13 active members... Many members were upset by this workload and by the surreptitious manner in which it was done. So they voted Clarence out of A.A. (which was something that could be done at the time).   (aa.cle.org) Reprinted from the October 23, 1939, Cleveland Plain Dealer with permission. [4th of 6 articles] Alcoholics Anonymous Makes Its Stand Here by ELRICK B. DAVIS October 25, 1939 Cleveland Plain Dealer In three previous articles, Mr. Davis has told of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization of fo...

  AA literature and history together - Read Bill's 1948 Grapevine article on Tradition Nine: Tradition Nine The least possible organization, that's our universal ideal. No fees, or dues, no rules imposed on anybody, one alcoholic bringing recovery to the next; that's the substance of what we most desire, isn't it? But how shall this simple ideal best be realized? Often a question, that.  We have, for example, the kind of AA who is for simplicity. Terrified of anything organized, he tells us that AA is getting too complicated. He thinks money only makes trouble, committees only make dissension, elections only make politics, paid workers only make professionals, and clubs only coddle slippers. Says he, let's get back to coffee and cakes by cozy firesides. If any alcoholics stray our way, let's look after them. But that's enough. Simplicity is our answer. Quite opposed to such halcyon simplicity is the AA promoter. Left to himself, he would "ban...

    Dr. Bob is not known for his writings, but here is an article he wrote in 1944 for the Grapevine:    On Cultivating Tolerance By Dr. Bob S. Copyright © AA Grapevine, Inc, July 1944       During nine years in AA, I have observed that those who follow the Alcoholics Anonymous program with the greatest earnestness and zeal not only maintain sobriety but often acquire finer characteristics and attitudes as well. One of these is tolerance. Tolerance expresses itself in a variety of ways: in kindness and consideration toward the man or woman who is just beginning the march along the spiritual path; in the understanding of those who perhaps have been less fortunate in education advantages; and in sympathy toward those whose religious ideas may seem to be at great variance with our own.       I am reminded in this connection of the picture of a hub with its radiating spokes. We all start at the outer circum...

Real People of the Big Book - looking at the individuals behind aa folklore: Edwin T. "Ebby" Thacher (1896-1966), who passed the message of recovery to Bill: "My musing was interrupted by the telephone. The cheery voice of an old school friend asked if he might come over.  He was sober . It was years since I could re member his coming to New York in that condition. I was amazed. Rumor had it that he had been committed for alcoholic insanity. I wondered how he had escaped... In a matter of fact way he told how two men had appeared in court, persuading the judge to suspend his commitment. They had told of a simple religious idea and a practical program of action. That was two months ago and the result was self-evident. It worked! He had come to pass his experience along to me—if I cared to have it. I was shocked, but interested. Certainly I was interested. I had to be, for I was hopeless. Big Book page 9-10 Ebby relapsed before Bill began writing the Big Book and struggled...

  Throwback Thursday AA history post - The six articles published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in late 1939 led to tremendous growth in Cleveland's AA Group #3, but also got Clarence kicked out: That fall Clarence smuggled freelance reporter Elrick Davis into meetings of that first Greater Cleveland group and Mr. Davis wrote a series of articles on A.A. which were published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This resulted in over 500 calls for help to be tended by the only 13 active members... Many members were upset by this workload and by the surreptitious manner in which it was done. So they voted Clarence out of A.A. (which was something that could be done at the time).   (aa.cle.org) Reprinted from the October 23, 1939, Cleveland Plain Dealer with permission. [3 of 6 articles] Alcoholics Anonymous Makes Its Stand Here by ELRICK B. DAVIS October 24, 1939 Cleveland Plain Dealer In two previous articles, Mr. Davis told of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization of former dri...

  AA history and literature together - read Bill's 1948 Grapevine article on Tradition Eight: Tradition Eight Throughout the world AAs are twelfth-stepping with thousands of new prospects a month. Between one and two thousand of these sick on our first presentation; past experience shows that  most of the remainder will come back to us later on. Almost entirely unorganized and completely non professional, this mighty spiritual current is now flowing from alcoholics who are well to those who are sick. One alcoholic talking to another; that's all. Could this vast and vital face-to-face effort ever be professionalized or even organized? Most emphatically, it could not. The few efforts to professionalized straight twelfth Step work have always failed quickly. Today, no AA will tolerate the idea of paid "AA therapists" or "organizers."  Nor does any AA like to be told just how he must handle that  new prospect of his. No, this great life-giving stream can nev...