Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A. Read online

  Special Praise for Writing the Big Book

  “If you have read my husband’s book, Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous, you may think as I did, that you have a good understanding of that history. And you would be wrong. Writing the Big Book zeroes in on the first five years in a way that no other history of A.A. has captured. And these years were critical. Like a good suspense novel, this book captures the day-to-day struggles these few intrepid men encountered over those years—in the heart of the Great Depression. How does a bunch of homeless alcoholics start a worldwide movement? Schaberg’s book tells us how they did it, tiny step by tiny step.”

  Linda Farris Kurtz, author of Recovery Groups

  Professor Emerita, Eastern Michigan University

  “For many in recovery, Bill Wilson is a Moses freeing them from the bondage of addiction. As a result, a variety of myths have evolved around him, some encouraged by his own efforts to tell the story and to sell the spiritual program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill Schaberg does a great service to the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous with his exhaustive examination of archival documents, separating myth from fact. The result is a clearer picture of the beginnings of A.A. and the development of the Big Book, along with a rich and compelling portrait of Bill W. Less myth produces a much better story. This volume is a must read for anyone interested in the history of A.A.”

  The Very Rev. Ward B. Ewing, D.D. Trustee and past Chair of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, Retired Dean and President of The General Theological Seminary, New York, NY

  “A stunning achievement. William Schaberg’s eloquent storytelling rests upon a foundation of meticulous scholarship. Finally, we have a resource that draws upon decades of recent research to separate fact from myth regarding the origin of Alcoholics Anonymous. Writing the Big Book is the most important work on the history of A.A. since Ernie Kurtz’s Not-God. It raises the bar for future studies on the history of addiction recovery mutual aid organizations.”

  William L. White, author of Slaying the Dragon

  “Schaberg’s study of Alcoholics Anonymous is a true gift to A.A. and its membership, past, present, and future. His monumental research and incredible thoroughness demonstrate that far from being “divinely inspired,” the Big Book resulted from many perfectly flawed human beings working and living under difficulty and duress. The humanizing of the many figures in this story is invaluable. Schaberg gives a real sense of who each person was and what their crucial roles meant to A.A.’s fundamental piece of literature.”

  Kevin Hanlon, co-creator of the documentary Bill W.

  “With tour-de-force exposition, Writing the Big Book details the chapter-by-chapter authoring of Alcoholics Anonymous and provides a revealing anthology of its primary contributors. Schaberg also debunks numerous long-standing beliefs of Big Book history. The revelations about Hank Parkhurst’s role in particular cast a welcome and inclusive light on his critical importance, as he is shown to be a true unsung hero.”

  Arthur S., A.A. historian from Arlington, TX

  “In-depth research and masterful presentation of previously unpublished facts about A.A.’s early history make for an explosive package. Schaberg humanizes the participants and clearly articulates how Alcoholics Anonymous emerged after a painful and arduous birth. It reveals the evolution of the Twelve Steps and the fundamental differences between Akron and New York meetings and cultures of sobriety in 1938. But far from dry historical record, Writing the Big Book is lively, fascinating, compelling, and insightful—more like a thriller than a documentary.”

  Jay Stinnett, independent scholar, A.A. historian from Sedona, AZ

  “This is a book that A.A. historians will want to read and make footnotes to from now on … the product of incredibly detailed research in the archives at the central A.A. office in New York City and at Stepping Stones in Bedford Hills, New York, along with Lois Wilson’s diary, and a host of other primary sources.”

  Glenn F. Chesnut, Author of fourteen books including Father Ed Dowling: Bill Wilson’s Sponsor, Emeritus Professor of History, Indiana University South Bend

  “Writing the Big Book surprises in how well it defines and demonstrates the actual condition of alcoholism, while so clearly rendering the portraits of its interesting cast of characters. I came away with a much better understanding of what some of my dearest friends and family struggle with as alcoholics, along with a deep appreciation for the work that went into the creation of A.A., and how profoundly the program has shaped our culture.”

  David Stickney, contributing editor of The Nietzsche Canon

  WRITING THE BIG BOOK

  WILLIAM H. SCHABERG

  WRITING the BIG BOOK

  THE CREATION OF A.A.

  Central Recovery Press (CRP) is committed to publishing exceptional materials addressing addiction treatment, recovery, and behavioral healthcare topics.

  For more information, visit www.centralrecoverypress.com.

  © 2019 by William H. Schaberg

  All rights reserved. Published 2019. Printed in the United States of America.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  Publisher: Central Recovery Press

  3321 N. Buffalo Drive

  Las Vegas, NV 89129

  24 23 22 21 20 19  1 2 3 4 5

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Schaberg, William H., author.

  Title: Writing “The big book”: the creation of A. A. / by William H. Schaberg.

  Other titles: Creation of Alcoholics Anonymous

  Description: Las Vegas, NV : Central Recovery Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019009154 (print) | LCCN 2019011861 (ebook) | ISBN 9781949481297 (ebook) | ISBN 9781949481280 (hardcover : alk. paper)

  Subjects: LCSH: W., Bill. Alcoholics Anonymous | Alcoholics Anonymous--History. | Alcoholics--Rehabilitation.

  Classification: LCC HV5278 (ebook) | LCC HV5278 .S33 2019 (print) | DDC 362.292/86--dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019009154

  Photo of William Schaberg by Katie Settel Photography.

  Front cover photo used with permission of Page 124 Productions, LLC.

  Every attempt has been made to contact copyright holders. If copyright holders have not been properly acknowledged please contact us. Central Recovery Press will be happy to rectify the omission in future printings of this book.

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS) to reprint brief excerpts from Alcoholics Anonymous, fourth edition. Permission to reprint does not mean that AAWS has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that AAWS necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein.

  All documents, images, and excerpts in this work that are from the Stepping Stones Foundation Archives are used with permission of Stepping Stones, the historic home of Bill and Lois Wilson, 62 Oak Road, Katonah, NY 10536, www.steppingstones.org, (914) 232-4822. No permission is granted whatsoever for any further use, distribution (online or otherwise), or reproduction.

  Access to the Stepping Stones Foundation Archives and use of excerpts from its materials does not imply that the author’s views or conclusions in this publication have been reviewed or are endorsed by Stepping Stones. The conclusions expressed herein, and the research on which they are based, are the sole responsibility of the author.

  Publisher’s Note: This book contains general informat
ion about addiction, addiction recovery, and related matters. The information is not medical advice. This book is not an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

  Our books represent the experiences and opinions of their authors only. Every effort has been made to ensure that events, institutions, and statistics presented in our books as facts are accurate and up-to-date. To protect their privacy, the names of some of the people, places, and institutions in this book may have been changed.

  Cover design and interior by Sara Streifel, Think Creative Design.

  To my Lady Sara

  again, now, always

  and

  In loving memory of

  King Dykeman

  1934 – 2017

  (“continuously sober” 1956 – 2017)

  “I’d just like to spin some yarns and they will be a series of yarns which cluster around the preparation of the good old book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Some people reading the book now, they say, well, that this is the A.A. Bible, and when I hear that, it always makes me shudder because the guys who put it together weren’t a damn bit biblical. I think sometimes some of the drunks have an idea that these old timers went around with almost visible halos and long gowns and they were full of sweetness and light. Oh boy, how inspired they were, oh yes. But wait till I tell you …”

  Bill Wilson

  Speaking in Fort Worth, TX June 12, 1954

  “Well, this is switching back, but one of the things I feel vitally important is to get the story of how the book was actually written. We get so many distorted stories on the [West] Coast. People talk about the one hundred men that wrote the book. Actually, there weren’t a hundred, as Bill will bear me out, but he said one hundred to make it sound good as though it really was going to work. The people talk as though there were one hundred men, that all went saintly and were taken straight up to heaven and God just guided Bill’s hand—that Bill just sat there and let the words come through. Actually, it wasn’t anything like that at all.”

  Dorothy Snyder

  Interviewed by Bill Wilson August 30, 1954

  No … it wasn’t anything like that at all …

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  CHAPTER ONE Challenging the Creation Myths November 1934 to October 1937

  CHAPTER TWO The Akron Vote October 13, 1937

  CHAPTER THREE Meeting Mr. Richardson Late October to November 1937

  CHAPTER FOUR The Rockefeller Dinner December 1937

  CHAPTER FIVE Dr. Bob’s Hospital January to February 1938

  CHAPTER SIX The Alcoholic Fund March to April 1938

  CHAPTER SEVEN Bill’s Stories Late May 1938

  CHAPTER EIGHT “There Is a Solution” Early June 1938

  CHAPTER NINE Hank’s Ideas Early June 1938

  CHAPTER TEN The Outline Late June 1938

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Chasing Testimonials July 1938

  CHAPTER TWELVE The Alcoholic Foundation August 1938

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN This Week Magazine September to October 1938

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN “More About Alcoholism” and “We Agnostics” September 1938

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN The One Hundred Men Corporation October 1938

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN Meanwhile, Out in Akron … October to December 1938

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN “Working with Others” October to November 1938

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN “To Wives” October to November 1938

  CHAPTER NINETEEN “The Family Afterward” and the Authorship Question October to November 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY Hank Parkhurst: Managing Editor and “To Employers” November 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE “The Q&A Chapter” November 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO “A Vision for You” November 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Writing the Twelve Steps December 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Editing Bill’s Steps December 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE “How It Works” and “Into Action” December 1938

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX The Book Goes to the Editor and Is Approved by the Board January 1939

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Editing the Manuscript January to March 1939

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT The Multilith Printing February 1939

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Promoting and Editing the Multilith Copy March 1939

  CHAPTER THIRTY Publication Day Late March to April 1939

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Aftermath April 1939

  APPENDIX I Frank Amos’s Notes on Akron, Ohio Survey (unedited version)

  APPENDIX II Hank’s May Letter to Bert Taylor on “The Publishing Firm”

  APPENDIX III May to June 1938 Versions of “There Is a Solution” and “Bill’s Story”

  APPENDIX IV Thomas Thacher’s Introduction to “Victors Anonymous”

  APPENDIX V Hank Parkhurst’s Outline for the Book

  APPENDIX VI Frank Amos’s “History of the Alcoholics Movement …”

  APPENDIX VII Bill Wilson’s “Sheep and Goats” Letter

  APPENDIX VIII Hank Parkhurst’s Proposed Q&A Chapter

  APPENDIX IX The Edited Text of “The Car Smasher”

  APPENDIX X Typed Memo to Bill Wilson March 24, 1939

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  ENDNOTES

  INDEX

  Acknowledgments

  When I bought Jim Burwell’s Multilith copy of the Big Book several years ago, I had no idea it would lead me—step by step—to the book you now hold in your hands. In the beginning, I was just trying to answer a simple question: “How many of these Multilith copies were printed?”

  In 2007, that question introduced me to Amy Filiatreau, the A.A. archivist at the General Service Offices in New York City, who helped me secure permission to do research in their huge collection of documents. Fascinated with so much detailed and previously unreported information, my search expanded until it encompassed not just the Multilith copy (I never did discover how many of those were actually printed), but also the whole fascinating project of writing the book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

  Amy left the GSO archives a few months after my search began, but her desk was filled by the amazing Michelle Mirza who has helped me in more ways than I can ever begin to count. She is the most professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating archivist I have encountered in my thirty years of scholarly research. Michelle and her equally accomplished staff (led by April Hegner), have been unfailing in their patience and proficiency while answering my ever-expanding list of questions and requests.

  While the resources of the GSO archive are vast, the archival collection held at Stepping Stones (Bill and Lois Wilson’s home in Katonah, NY) are equally impressive and important—especially for researchers interested in the early years of that couple’s life and of A.A.’s history. I am grateful for the open access granted me to those records by Stepping Stones’ executive director, Sally Corbett-Turco.

  Supplementing those resources were the archives in Akron, OH (compiled by the dedicated and ever resourceful Gail L.), and the helpful people at the Rockefeller Archives in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and the Chester H. Kirk Collection on Alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous at Brown University’s John Hay Library in Providence, RI.

  In addition, A.A. is blessed with a host of amateur historians who do stellar work researching and writing about the history of the Fellowship. Arthur S. of Arlington, TX and Jay S. of Sedona, AZ are two such scholarly men and both of them were early and tremendously helpful critical readers of this text. John K., a sophisticated student of A.A. history, also merits special thanks for his judicious suggestions and comments prior to publication.

  Among professional historians, Ernest Kurtz was an early consultant on this project, but sadly he did not live to see it come to fruition. Ernie’s continued advice and guidance as my work neared its end was sorely missed. On the other hand, the support and scholarship of the prolific author, Glenn Chesnut, has been an ongoing comfort and inspiration to me. But most worthy of special mention
in that regard is my friend, Kevin Hanlon, co-producer and co-director of the recent documentary Bill W., who has regularly acted as a sounding-board and critic, while being a constant source of additional information and insightful direction. Both of these gentlemen read an initial draft of this book and improved it greatly with their perceptive comments and critiques.

  My friend David Stickney deserves particular thanks not only because he read and astutely critiqued the initial draft of this book, but also because this was the second time I have called upon David for his formidable editorial skills (he provided the same services for my first book, The Nietzsche Canon, prior to its publication almost twenty-five years ago).

  And no one has been a more important advisor than Sid Farrar. He was an early champion of the nearly completed work, first introducing my book and me to the good folks at Central Recovery Press, and then taking on the job of editing the text into its final, publishable state.

  I am also tremendously grateful for the energetic efforts of Central Recovery Press’s managing editor, Valerie Killeen, its marketing manager, Patrick Hughes, and my CRP copy editor, Nancy Schenck. They have been amazingly enthusiastic about this project from the very start and have worked tirelessly and efficiently to bring it to press. Thank you all!

  Finally, special thanks must go to the many sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous—several of whom read bits and pieces of this manuscript over the years and who informed and corrected my understanding of the Big Book and the program of Alcoholics Anonymous in private conversations and communications as this work progressed.

  But none of this would have been possible without the constant support, encouragement, and collaboration of my wife, Sara Jaeger—friend, lover, amazing lifepartner. She has been a helpful researcher, a wise counselor, a creative thinker, and an astute critic as she read and then repeatedly reread this text over the seven years it was being written. To her, I owe more than could ever be expressed in this all-too-short paragraph, so I will not try … except to say: “Thank you, my Love. Without you, it would not have happened at all!”