"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 their stories with heartbreaking honesty as they share their obsessions as well as the awe-inspiring power of hope and redemption.
"Open to any piece in this collection, and the scalding, unflinching, overwhelming truths within will shine light on places most people never look. Anyone who reads this book, be they users or used, will put it down changed. And when they raise their eyes from the very last page, the world they see may be redeemed, as well." --Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight
CONTRIBUTORS: Frederick & Steven Barthelme, Kera Bolonik, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Maud Casey, Anna David, Denise Duhamel, B.H. Fairchild, Ruth Fowler, David Huddle Perie Longo, Gregory Orr, Victoria Patterson, Molly Peacock, Scott Russell Sanders, Stephen Jay Schwartz, Linda Gray Sexton, Sue William Silverman, Chase Twichell, and Rachel Yoder
About the Editors
Diana M. Raab, an award-winning memoirist and poet, is author of six books including "Healing With Words" and "Regina's Closet." She's an advocate of the healing power of writing and teaches nation-wide workshops and in the UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
James Brown, a recovering alcoholic and addict, is the author of the memoirs, " The Los Angeles Diaries" and "This River." He is Professor of English in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at California State University, San Bernardino.
From the Reflections of America Series
Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com
SEL006000 Self-Help: Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism
SEL003000 Self-Help: Adult Children of Alcoholics
PSY038000 Psychology: Psychopathology - Addiction

Dr. Drew Pinsky is best known as the cohost of the long-running radio advice program Loveline. But his workday is spent at a major Southern California clinic, treating the severest cases of drug dependency and psychiatric breakdown. In this riveting book, Pinsky reveals the intimate and often shocking stories of his patients as they struggle with emotional trauma, sexual abuse, and a host of chemical nemeses: alcohol, marijuana, Ecstasy, heroin, speed, cocaine, and prescription drugs. At the center of these stories is Pinsky himself, who immerses himself passionately, almost obsessively, in his work. From the sexually compulsive model to the BMW-driving soccer mom, Cracked exposes, in fast-moving, powerful vignettes, the true scope and severity of addiction, a nationwide epidemic.

The medicalisation of alcohol use has become a prominent discourse that guides policy makers and impacts public perceptions of alcohol and drinking. This book maps the historical and cultural dimensions of the phenomenon. Emphasising medical attitudes and theories regarding alcohol and the changing perception of alcohol consumption in psychiatry and mental health, it explores the shift from the use of alcohol in clinical treatment and as part of dietary regimens to the emergence of alcoholism as a disease category that requires medical intervention and is considered a threat to public health. -- .

This book makes the distinction between what the world terms a "disease" and what the Bible demonstrates is a life-dominating sin nature problem. You will find biblical tools to help examine your heart's motives at the root of the addiction.

Dr. Stephanie Brown, a pioneering addiction researcher and therapist, offers women a map to find their way through the rocky spots in sobriety. For many women, newfound sobriety--with its hard-won joys and accomplishments--is often a lonely and unsatisfying experience. Here, pioneering therapist Stephanie Brown, Ph.D., helps readers understand that leaving behind the numbing comfort of alcohol or other drugs means you must face yourself, perhaps for the first time. With personal stories and gentle guidance, Brown helps readers unravel painful truths and confusing feelings in the process of creating a new, true sense of self. EXCERPT: "Recovery is not a move from bad to good, but from false to real. This is the transformation. The point of surrender and new abstinence represents a letting go of the old self. . . By accepting her loss of control, the woman in recovery opens the door to finding her real, authentic self, the woman she is underneath the layers of defense that have protected her -- her false self -- perhaps for her entire life."

CORE HEALTH easily and enjoyably reconnects us to our energy system's pure core of health. Based on an energy-focused worldview, Core Health is congruent with ancient Chinese Cosmology, modern Quantum Physics, and all energy modalities. This process clears away clouds of confusion to expand our pure energy into all aspects of life to live forever joyfully, lovingly, and in optimum health. Core Health revolutionizes our whole health and the way we live in the world.

Reader Views Annual Literary Awards 2010

The annual literary awards were established to honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, University press, or independent book publisher geared for the North American reading audience.

"Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting ," written by Robert W. Boich, and published by iUniverse has been named the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Winner; as well as the 2010 Reviewers Choice Award for the Best Regional Book of the Year.

Making a resolution to address an alcohol or substance abuse issue is only the beginning. The real work begins when the alcoholic or addict acknowledges that something has to be done. In "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting " author Robert Boich details his battle with substance abuse and his decision to lead a sober lifestyle. He realized if he didn t change his life, he would be incarcerated or die all alone.

In this compelling, personal narrative, Boich shares his personal struggles and insights encountered during his first six months of recovery. A counselor once told him, An addict only has to change one thing: everything. "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting " describes the many changes Boich made in his life. More than just eliminating certain people and places from a daily routine, he illustrates how a successful recovery requires a brand-new approach in dealing with life.

Blending personal thoughts with helpful information, "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting " discusses the ideas and tools used in an addict s early recovery. It shows that sobriety is much more than mere abstinence and that alcohol and drug use is a sign of deep personal problems that only true sobriety can address.

As a psychiatrist-in-training fresh from medical school, Carl Erik Fisher came face to face with his own addiction crisis, one that nearly cost him everything. Here, he investigates the history of this age-old condition. Humans have struggled to define, treat, and control addictive behaviour for most of recorded history, including well before the advent of modern science and medicine. The Urge is a rich, sweeping history that probes not only medicine and science but also literature, religion, philosophy, and sociology, illuminating the extent to which the story of addiction has persistently reflected broader questions of what it means to be human and care for one another. Fisher introduces us to the people who have endeavoured to address this complex condition through the ages: physicians and politicians, activists and artists, researchers and writers, and of course the legions of people who have struggled with their own addictions. He also examines the treatments and strategies that have produced hope and relief. The Urge is at once an eye-opening history of ideas, a riveting personal story of addiction and recovery, and a clinician's urgent call for a more expansive, nuanced, and compassionate view of one of society's most intractable challenges.

Millions of us suffer from addiction, including psychiatrist and recovering alcoholic Carl Erik Fisher. But where does this centuries-old behaviour come from and how should we treat it? As a young doctor, Carl Erik Fisher came face to face with his own addiction crisis, one that nearly cost him everything. Now, in The Urge, he investigates the history of this condition; how we have struggled to define, treat, and control it; and how broader understanding and compassion could change people's lives. The Urge is at once an eye-opening history of ideas, a riveting personal story of addiction and recovery, and a clinician's urgent call for a more expansive, nuanced view of one of society's most intractable challenges.

Beloved former ABC 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas reveals her alcohol addiction and anxiety disorder in a shockingly honest and emotional memoir. From the moment she uttered the brave and honest words, "I am an alcoholic," to interviewer George Stephanopoulos, Elizabeth Vargas began writing her story, as her experiences were still raw. Now, in Between Breaths, Vargas discusses her accounts of growing up with anxiety--which began suddenly at the age of six when her father served in Vietnam--and how she dealt with this anxiety as she came of age, eventually turning to alcohol for a release from her painful reality. The now-A&E Network reporter reveals how she found herself living in denial about the extent of her addiction, and how she kept her dependency a secret for so long. She addresses her time in rehab, her first year of sobriety, and the guilt she felt as a working mother who could never find the right balance between a career and parenting. Honest and hopeful, Between Breaths is an inspiring read. Winner of the Books for a Better Life Award in the First Book category Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

A practical guide that picks up where "rehab" leaves off, and where the real work of recovery from substance abuse begins. Many of those who suffer the consequences of substance (along with their loved ones) may find relief when the substance abuser agrees to enter rehab or treatment. Too many, however, have also known the pain and disappointment that comes later, with relapse. This book provides a practical guide for both the newly sober and their loved ones for what they can do collaboratively to ensure that what begins with rehab translates into long-term recovery and a more satisfying life-style for all.

"The sky was painfully big, but our worlds were small, our lives little. So when we found each other in the muddle of it all, that feeling of belonging was addictive." Mal, Ama, Lewis and Oskar have grown up together; hedonistically charging through life - and any house party going - in rural Devon. They're railing against the stories that have been written for them as they stand at the precipice of adulthood. But all the space can be suffocating, and it's tough sometimes - feeling so low in a place so beautiful. The powerful poetics of Malaika Kegode and soaring music of Bristol band Jakabol combine in this autobiographical gig-theatre show directed by Jenny Davies. Genre-defying and emotional, Outlier explores the impact of isolation, addiction and friendship on young people in the often-forgotten places.