Alcoholism and the Great American Writer

Many of the iconic novels and poems that English majors are required to read in Literature classes were written by men and women suffering from substance abuse problems. Dorothy Parker, my favorite short story author and poet, severely abused alcohol and survived death by her own hand on multiple occasions. The great Edgar Allen Poe also had a deep alcohol and drug dependency. Even Ernest Hemmingway succumbed to suicide, largely due to his indulgence in drink.


As writers ourselves, we inherit the duty to end the stereotype of the drunk, lonely writer, until it no longer plagues our craft. Imagine if Parker, Poe, and Hemmingway got the help that they needed to overcome their chemical dependency? What other great works could they have penned? How many more masterpieces could we be studying from these prolific authors? Unfortunately, we will never know.


I am sure we can agree that the myth of substance abuse enhancing a writer's creativity is just that--a myth. As Flannery O'Connor wisely stated, "I suppose there have been enough genuinely lonely suffering novelists to make this seem a reasonable myth, but there is every reason to suppose that such cases are the result of less admirable qualities in these writers, qualities which have nothing to do with the vocation of writing itself." We need to discourage this notion that alcoholism and creative writing go hand in hand.


As English Professors, you will be well served to incorporate, into your curriculum, a volunteering activity at the Baldwin Center. Recently, Maplegrove Center began teaching an eight week substance abuse prevention workshop to students involved in the after school program. The Baldwin Center can always use a helping hand and this program would be a great area for English majors to volunteer. Your students will not only gain new experiences that might serve as inspiration for their own personal writing, but they could easily encounter fellow writers and literature fans--ones who need just a little encouragement and empathy. Members of your class will have the opportunity to form mutually beneficial friendships with these kids- friendships that might reduce the tragedies reminiscent of the ones faced by Parker, Poe, and Hemmingway. Your students will have the chance to see, first-hand, that intoxication is detrimental to the writing process, not beneficial. It will also be a great way, as a professor, to pay homage to the suffering, literary icons, both past AND present.