Modernity and Fundamentalism in 12 Step Culture Today

We look at history—why? Isn’t this a contemporary, or even future gazing look at recovery and addiction?

Well yes and yes. Yuval Noah Harari, PDH author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind says, “History is not the study of past; history is the study of change; it’s not about remembering the past; it’s about liberating ourselves from it.”

Episode 75 of Rebellion Dogs Radio explores three calls to action by Alcoholics Anonymous that need our attention in 2024:

1.            New stories of AA diversity today are needed to update the 48-year-old Do You Think You’re Different? Let’s get our freak on; if you ever felt you can’t or won’t blend into AA, we want you to help demonstrate what we mean by, “We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful.”

2.          About our primary literate in AA—The Big Book + 12 & 12: rewrite it? Or reify it? Grappling with a need to adapt to changing times, being sensitive to change-resistant tendencies, the trustees’ Literature Committee is polling members, looking for their marching orders: preserve what’s written; or breathe fresh life into last millennium’s AA message and widen our gateway? Directly from AA’s General Service Office, we have these seven questions for you.

3.         The 2022, much anticipated, AA membership survey is posted with current data on AA for all to see; counselors, healthcare and criminal court diversion professional who refer people to AA, the general public and last but not least AA members to show how we are doing, from our home groups to the USA/Canada General Service Conference at reaching all those who want or need AA to be available, equitably, and effectively. Our responsibility declaration nudges us to look at this new info, see who were are serving, who we may be failing and confront how, whenever, wherever, someone reaches out, we want the hand of AA always to be there (for everyone regardless of age, race, gender, creed, cultural touchstones). There’s information for the first time about USA/Canada AA’s use of online meetings and our preferences. It’s like those pioneering driving blind days all over again.

DIVERSITY:  What makes you different?

If you are someone in recovery and you were helped by peer-to-peer, maybe AA specifically, did you immediately feel at home at your first meeting, or did you feel different that the group you were exposed to? If you felt or feel different, we have a humble writing assignment for you as our first topic.

The  AA Literature desk wants your story, 500—800 words. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DIFFERENT? is the 48-year-old pamphlet #13 that tipped the scale in my own should-I-stay or should-I-go sobriety. I found people (stories) spoken in my language for the first time in AA. If you do not know this collection of AA stories, click the link to read. Thirteen essays of people who felt marginalized, a teenager, atheist, clergy, high bottom, low bottom, movie star, person of color, LGBTQIA+, share the barriers and bridges navigated to find a rightful seat in AA. How timely to hear from a 15-year-old when I was a teenage alcoholic. I was happy to read what Ed the AA atheist and Jan the AA agnostic had to say about sobriety without an anthropomorphic personal higher power. 

It's a great recovery tool; and it’s old. Today’s teenager doesn’t have any use for 1970s teenage angst; it could be unrelatable, leaving gender identification, pronouns et al alone for now—yes we need to attend to contemporary, sensitive, inclusive language, but—it all starts with a story, one person in recovery talking to another with alcohol use disorder. This

From our Radio vault, Episode 19 features Richard, a Canadian Slam Poet, Comedian, pianist + Jack from LA, punk rocker, author, and recovering Big Book thumper. This show was recorded in the Fall of 2015. It is eight years later - both of these mavericks are doing their thing, in meetings and on stage. Visit our website for links if you connect with Jack, Richard, or both of these samples of recovery. I suspect that one or both are performing somewhere you could get to, or maybe in a meeting on Zoom or just down the road from you. Jack's book, A Principle of Recovery: An Unconventional Journey Through the Twelve Steps is only a click or two away, also

Most of all, how these people with addiction found recovery in the rooms and adapted what they found to fit their worldview and the life they lead, is a story worth listening to again... or again and again.

Also discussed on this podcast, Vancouver will host the International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous the first weekend of July, 2025. This quinquennial event has happened (almost) every five years since 1950. In 2020 we were supposed to be in Detroit but COVID, who remembers COVID and an in-person event of tens of thousands wasn't going to happen in Motown or anywhere. So, some restless folks are going to be eager to get out and share in the spectacle and spend the money already saved up in their Big Book sized piggy bank. That said, crazy as it might sound, it may not be too early to think about booking a hotel room or Air B'n'B because VanCity will be overcapacity, I am pretty sure of that. Also on the planning ahead front, the twice postponed 2020 and 2022 biennial International Conference of Secular AA had to funnel atheists and agnostics onto Zoom because Washington DC wasn't going to happen for the same reasons mentioned above. Orlando Florida, September 20-22 we--or some of "we" are going to to be all Goofy, Mickey and Minnie or Donald Ducky for the weekend. Info for Secular AA ICSAA 2024

For more on this Rebellion Dogs Radio classic, blogs, books, community and other ways to engage with time well wasted, visit Rebellion Dogs Radio for links and show notes or to comment. We are all in this together; Rebellion Dogs would enjoy hearing from you.
https://rebelliondogspublishing.com/ 

It was the Fall of 2019, Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA by William Schaberg was about to be published and Joe C sat down with the author to talk about the soon-to-be-unveiled book born of eleven years of primary documentary research on Rebellion Dogs Radio, Episode 49. Four years later, more has been revealed and new insights gained. So listeners asked, “When are you two going to sit down again for a podcast?” Here it is. 
 
 This time around we look at new insights and speculation into early AA history. Bill and Joe share about their own recovery experience and reflect on changing AA culture through the years and what might inform the future of AA groups, members and culture. 

• We talk about The “God” Word: Agnostics and Atheists in AA
• We talk about the upcoming ZOOM October 7th/8th ICSAA (International Conference of Secular AA).
• We talk about the probable influence of the most popular New Thought books of the day and how this cultural phenomena informed our AA 12-Step suggested program of Recovery. Read “Bill W's secret bookshelf.” 
• We talk about the idea that and documentary evidence that supports the idea that Bill W thought he was done writing the Big Book--without the 12 steps or any step-by-step guide.
• We talk about Episode 49: when we first talked writing Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA (click to read/listen) 

Rebellion Dogs Radio always features rebellious music. Episode 74 feature a Toronto band covering a recently lost British icon who died, too young, but sober: Goodnight Sunrise covers David Bowie's Major Tom. 

Rebellion Dogs thinks this Major Tom cover is amazingly artistic and new sounding - it may send you clamoring back for your original psychedelic era version (and that's okay, too). Visit Goodnight Sunrise, view their campy look at the music industry today in their video WAIT FOR IT. See this band live if you get the chance.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS EPISODE 74 of REBELLION DOGS RADIO

Two Davids, facing two Goliaths of stubborn orthodoxy are the focus of Episode 17 of Rebellion Dogs Radio.

One rebel is Mark Lewis, who challenges the disease model of addiction.

Greta Vosper, atheist minister of the United Church of Canada, who at the time was facing a review of her peers who found her liberalism to be maybe too far to be called even progressive Christianity.

Looking back in 2023, these heretical views of not so long ago are today's contemporary views or worldview and/or substance use disorder and wellness.

Visit original posting for links REBELLION DOGS #17 August 30 2015

Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing for the latest

 Trysh Travis, is Associate Dean at University of Florida. She oversees Women’s Studies, is a cultural and literary historian whose work looks at the gendered history of medicine and popular therapeutic cultures. While working as a high school teacher, she earned an MA from the Bread Loaf School of English, followed by a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. She is the author of The Language of the Heart: Twelve-Step Recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous to Oprah Winfrey (UNC Press, 2009) and co-editor (with Timothy Aubry) of Rethinking Therapeutic Culture (Chicago, 2016). Her work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and appeared in venues such as PMLA, American Quarterly, Contemporary Drug Problems, and Raritan: A Quarterly Review. With UF colleague Joseph Spillane, she is the co-founder of the translational humanities project Points: The Joint Blog of the Alcohol & Drugs History Society and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, where she currently serves as Managing Editor Emerita.

Dr Travis presented to AA History Symposium about the history or women in AA and gender politics. Originally, Episode 34, this recording inspires new listeners every month. See original show notes from Episode 34

This talk discusses the democratization of "We are all the same, we are all equal" in AA with "It's more complicated than that; there is gender politics and other marginalizing factors for some of us in and out of the meetings which needs to be addressed in a discussion of addiction and recovery."

Our musical guest is English art-rock band Moulettes 

William G. Borchert: September 9, 1933 - October 1, 2022 memorial will be on Zoom coming from Stepping Stones April 2 (first 1000 only) 
ZOOM 867 0807 3394 Passcode 1962 7—8:15 PM New York time (UTC –4)

 Who was Bill B? A New York newspaperman who got sober in the 1960s and would write some AA history including early AA + When Love is Not Enough, the story of Lois Wilson. Bill died in October 1922 and he is being honored by friends in recovery, so we are replaying this 2016 recording. 

My Name is Bill W. (1989), staring James Woods as Bill W. and James Garner as Dr. Bob and When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (2010) staring Winona Ryder - this is some of William's work.  Having written 1000 Years of Sobriety (Hazelden), the stories of twenty members with fifty or more years of sobriety each, William Borchert's was our Rebellion Dogs guest as he had recently put out his autobiography that I had just read:  How I Became My Father: A Drunk is not only a look at AA history by someone in the room, but a time-capsule of mid-20th century American life. I mention in the show that I talked much longer with William and I would post our discussion about the craft of writing and more about his autobiography. I went on to other demanding things and it did not happen. Maybe soon, I will post it.

Also on the show, a regular: Jackie B, playwright and AA historian. Jackie is part of a History: Steps, Traditions, Concepts presentation @ The Wilson House in Vermont, April 15/16 and on Zoom along with William Schaberg (Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA) and others.
More Rebellion Dogs Radio 

Bob K's new book is out - The Secret Diaries of Bill W 

 In 1972  AA was learning to live sans-founder as  Bill Wilson had been dead for a year. In Episode 72 of Rebellion Dogs Radio, The Secret Diaries of Bill W by bob k bring him back for another lap around the track. We spend, well pretty much the whole episode talking about all kinds of things but mostly Bob K and Joe C talk about writing, this, Bob's  new historical fiction, mostly but it's a fun chat that we welcome you to join.

We touch briefly on other goings on at Rebellion Dogs Publishing, a new blog about service in recovery and a two-part series with Emotional Sobriety Podcast all about the Traditions and Emotional Sobriety. Details and links: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com/rebellious-radio 

Michael is a professor, musician, journalist and author. Having just written a Living Sober-size booklet, Michael is our guest to make a case for AA for people, even if they are skeptical about the higher power stuff. He shares how in he neither looks for a war of worldviews nor bites his tongue. This first contemporary recovery print offering of 2023 is a great for secular AA Zoomers in search of new meeting starters. It's a good read for anyone new to AA, from one who has been there.

If his "AA can work" argument, or your personal AA experience aren't convincing, We Sober Agnostics shows us how to find SMART, Women For Sobriety or other peer 2 peer groups that might be a better fit.

Our musical guest Your EX and I (YXNI) from Montreal drop a 2023 teaser to their upcoming recording. This synth-pop tune  is "For all the Loves" so, if that's what you're into, get into YXNI HERE 


Links:
Amazon, We Sober Agnostics: The Survival Guide for Agnostics, Atheists and Non-Believers in 12-Step Programs

eMail WeSoberAgnostics@yahoo.com

Check out our liner notes and more RebElliOn dOgs RaDiO 

Meet Clinical Psychologist at Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, Mani Mehdikhani, one of AA Great Britain’s non-alcoholic trustees on their General Service Board. 

Among other duties, Mani and his committee prepared the quinquennial AA membership survey which went out to Alcoholics Anonymous members in Great Britain and English-speaking Central Europe Region groups in 2020. 

A remarkable thing happened as they prepared to put these questions before members: The COVID-19 pandemic. As members transitioned from primarily face-to-face meetings to online gatherings, here was an opportunity to collect data on how members were adjusting. The GSO Board did just that. 

Here is what members told us.

• Less than one-in-five (18%) Great Britain AAs had experience with online meetings, pre-pandemic.   More members in the Central Europe Region were inclined towards online AA. 
• By the time the survey of 2020 was collected, 93% of members/groups were able to transition to online (Zoom, etc.) means of connecting with each other. 
• Early in our adaptation to online AA, members greatest concerns were: (i) helping newcomers, (ii) doing service work, (iii) sponsoring members and (iv) “carrying the message.”

Zoom was not a better way of doing things for everyone. And some members were already attending phone or video meetings anyway. A few months into lock-down the key drawbacks among people who were not in love with ‘the new normal’ were: (i) a lack of technical skills, (ii)online meetings not a suitable replacement for face-to-face (f2f) meetings (33-36%), (iii) concerns about privacy, (iv) no access to bandwidth or IT devices, (iv) group was continuing to meet f2f. 

New questions were asked about higher power (beliefs and spirituality.

Last episode we explored survey results based on the written report. What added benefit came from speaking with the survey’s architect directly? 

Well, personally, I had   extrapolating some of this data from what it says to what it means; Mani’s scientific observations helped me reel-in some of the hypothetical conclusions I was already starting to draw. “That’s human nature,” he kindly suggested to me. But it was also reassuring to hear that the Board also did not have their full appetite satisfied and they would love to ask follow-up questions to try to direct their efforts most effectively. 

The purpose of these membership surveys (in General Service regions such as Great Britain or USA/Canada) is: (i) inform the public and professionals that interact with alcohol use disorder about the demographics and other characteristics of AA members and meetings and (ii)use the data to inform the Board in terms of where their future efforts would best serve the membership of AA. 

Mani and the General Service Board say they view with great interest how online AA will both aid the still suffering alcoholic but how virtual spaces will alter the service structure which has—based on geographical locations of members and their meetings before—divided groups/members by geography and how shall the service structure adapt to our more global makeup of meetings and member-interactions?

Review the entire 2020 Great Britain AA Membership Survey

Also discussed in this show: The 5th Biennial International Conference of Secular AA (UTC time schedule) Other time zones (North America) HERE

More of what goes on when "Rebellion Dogs our every step::
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With or Without God: the latest Alcoholics Anonymous Membership Survey from Great Britain identifies how many members are religious vs. secular.

Episode 69 of Rebellion Dogs Radio  looks at our more enlightened understanding of AA members, at least a significant sample size: the findings from the Great Britain 2020 AA Membership Survey + English Speaking Central Europe meetings. We look, not only at this modernism movement that includes measurable assessment of AA members and AA life today, but we look at how progress is happening in AA, within the context of fundamentalism in AA. It is worth viewing both sides, what are the payoffs for those who embrace a strict orthodoxy and why is AA’s progress, too slow for some. 

Rebellion Dogs Radio is a contemporary look at life in recovery, addiction, mental health and sober culture. Now with less dogma and more bite. A lot of podcasts I like the most, I listen to twice, to help absorb what I might have missed in a once-over.  RebellionDogsPublishing.com is a hub too: stuff that we have written, stuff we love reading, links, resources, time wasters. Visiting Rebellion Dogs online, we post notices ahead of time or at least, links to listen/watch after the fact.

Help yourself to a PDF transcript of Episode 69 along with links from our show.

Our musical act is the Toronto/NYC trio ON with their 2022 new song "Underdog."
https://onmusic.ca/