Drugs, Alcohol and Literature

Selected Works

"...When you put this book down, trust me, you will think about it for a long time.” - Robert Olmstead, author of the national bestseller Coal Black Horse
“A grimly exquisite memoir that reads like a noir novel…”
Publishers Weekly (Best Books of the Year)

Quick Links

French Edition of The L.A. Diaries

January 19, 2012

Editor Eric Vieljeux of 13e Note Publishers in France has chosen to include me in his wonderful list of American writers, including Jerry Stahl (who's written a beautiful foreword to the French edition), Tim O'Brien, Dan Fante, Sam Shepard, Charles Bukowski, Barry Gifford and a bunch of other terrific writers. I feel lucky to (more…)

Writers On The Edge: 22 Writers Speak About Addiction and Dependency

January 12, 2012

Writers On The Edge offers a range of essays, memoirs and poetry written by major contemporary authors who bring fresh insight into the dark world of addiction, from drugs and alcohol, to sex, gambling and food. Editors Diana M. Raab and James Brown have assembled an array of talented and courageous writers who share (more…)

YouTube Videos on Addiction (This River and The Los Angeles Diaries)

August 6, 2011

In sponsorship with Partnership for a Drug-Free America, I shot three videos on the topics of addiction, alcoholism and relapse. They can be pulled up at the YouTube links on the left side column of this page. If you have time to watch them, I hope you enjoy them.

Any Questions or Issues Related to Alcohol and Drugs

June 12, 2011

Please feel free to use this space to discuss any and all aspects related to alcohol and drug use and abuse. It's an open forum, and I welcome your feelings, thoughts and ideas.

Screenplay to The Los Angeles Diaries

March 5, 2011

Jude Prest's screenplay to The Los Angeles Diaries is done and circulating.

Romancing the Bottle

January 16, 2011

I used to romanticize my drinking and using. Since most of the writers I admired were drunks (Hemingway, Faulkner, Kerouac, Eugene O'Neil...it's a long list), I came to believe that being a drunk was a prerequisite to being a writer. That it sparked creativity. That it somehow inspired the imagination. That my brother (more…)

Will Alcoholics Anonymous Survive the Changing Times

November 9, 2010

Alcohol is my drug of choice, and when I attend an A.A. meeting, out of respect for the program that helped save my life, I announce myself as an "alcoholic." And likewise, when I attend an N.A. meeting, out of respect for N.A., I announce myself as an "addict." For neither (more…)

Some Can Experiment With Drugs, Others...

November 1, 2010

Some can experiment with drugs and alcohol. Some can even use "recreationally" and not suffer any real consequences. But others, people like me, and there are millions of us, become addicted. And it doesn't take long to get strung out with the narcotics, particularly meth, coke, and heroin, because the "coming-down" is so severe. (more…)

Should Addicts Be Sterilized?

October 18, 2010

One of the contributors to this site, Fiona, has raised an excellent issue, and I'm interested in hearing what others might have to say about it:

Fi wrote:

"I watched a news article this morning (promoting a BBC documentary) about this American woman, Barbara Harris, perhaps you'd care to read the article yourself http:// (more…)

You Can Always Put More In, But You Can't Take it Out

September 13, 2010

I live in a small mountain community in Southern California, about a 100 miles from the Mexican border, and Mexican Tar Heroin, is the "new drug of choice" among users and "experimenters" of narcotics, alcohol and weed. In the not so distant past, heroin users were a relatively small group who flew below the radar. (more…)