Book Log 2009 #59: Drunkard by Neil Steinberg

I was introduced to Steinberg's witty prose by his compendium of college pranks, If At All Possible, Involve a Cow and his work about the unsuccessful, Complete and Utter Failure (both highly recommended). His day job as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times saw him often write about home and family.

That domestic life took a sudden turn when he, fairly well soused, hit his wife. It turns out that Steinberg had enjoyed a comfortable, if excessive, relationship with alcohol for years, one which often put strain on his marriage but which hadn't previously turned to violence. After a night in jail and facing charges, Steinberg found himself forced into rehab to avoid more jail time.

The bulk of the book follows his road to sobriety, which encounters more than a couple of pot holes and a variety of stops to get soused. Steinberg is brutally honest about his feelings towards his rehab program and fellow patients, the applicability of Alcoholics Anonymous to someone who doesn't believe in a higher power, and how much he enjoys booze.

That last point seems to be his biggest problem. The way he explains it, drinking was something that helped make Steinberg bigger than himself. Once he joined the Sun-Times, drinking entered the realm of cherished journalistic tradition, putting him in the footsteps of Mike Royko. Kicking booze become more than just overcoming an addiction; it required a complete change of outlook.

People looking for the sort of overwrought confessional that seems common for this sort of book will be disappointed. Steinberg doesn't pull punches but neither does he overly dramatize things. His story is remarkable in its ordinariness, a descent that could easily apply to anyone. Well worth the read.