Alchoholism,writers,BWI

October 22, 2005 10:38 PM

BWI -Blogging While Intoxicated... a little less dangerous than DWI, for the most part ... Can you discern a DWI rant from a sober one? What makes many famous writers alcholics? ... and somebody compiled an Amazon list of Top 13 Works of Fiction Dealing with Alcoholism ... .... hick ....
posted by celerystick (19 comments total)

I liked the O'Malley piece. Seems about right. My brain doesn't stop working until I've drugged it with grandpa's cough medicine (Dickel) or taken over the counter sleeping pills. I think it's a situation common among people who save, objectify, judge, and otherwise externally value for reproduction experiance.

I suppose it's hard to sit still and FEEL it first hand without that lil' internal quantifier getting in the way.

Actors seem to get it too. Barrymore comes to mind.
posted by Smedleyman at 10:43 PM on October 22, 2005

Paging Miguel to thread 46077
Miguel Cardoso, please report to thread 46077.
posted by keswick at 10:53 PM on October 22, 2005

William Styron (author of Sophie's Choice) wrote his novels while sober in the morning, but got his ideas in the evening by soaking in a "mood bath" generated by having a few stiff whiskeys. I imagine I would do the same if I had to be creative every day, just not with something as destructive as alcohol.
posted by snoktruix at 10:54 PM on October 22, 2005

I always enjoy blogging intoxicated. It makes me "flow" better. And I usually don't regret anything I've posted...well, no more than the stuff I've posted when sober, anyhew.
posted by deusdiabolus at 11:10 PM on October 22, 2005

You shouf holcjufkcing bastadrads@!1~
posted by tweak at 12:03 AM on October 23, 2005

1l42kjhdsa,m
posted by tweak at 12:03 AM on October 23, 2005

No Under the Volcano?
posted by Wolof at 12:18 AM on October 23, 2005

I sneeze a lot when I'm drunk.

Does anyone else sneeze a lot when they're drunk?
posted by dirigibleman at 2:16 AM on October 23, 2005

No Under the Volcano?

My exact same thought, Wolof.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:25 AM on October 23, 2005

The belief that the things that are in your head at the time are important is much stronger when helped out by chemicals. In the case of someone who is actually talented but perhaps constrained by self-doubt it could definnitely produce interesting results.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:37 AM on October 23, 2005

Wasn't it Hemmingway that said write with coffee, rewrite with whiskey.
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:24 AM on October 23, 2005

Can you discern a DWI rant from a sober one?
posted by 3.2.3 at 6:26 AM on October 23, 2005

Wasn't it Hemmingway that said write with coffee, rewrite with whiskey.

I think it was the other way around (ideas flow when lubed with booze, then reason and mental acuity induced by coffee help put them in order).

Usually I am really good about not publishing anything I write when smashed until I've reviewed it in the light of day. This includes emails. Emailing while intoxicated is a dangerous game....Far worse than drunk dialing b/c there is a record or the foolishness.
posted by Jesse H Christ at 7:03 AM on October 23, 2005

I think it was the other way around

Makes more sense to me with coffee first. Generate a whole bunch of material first, then slowly rub it down tweaking words and placement in a more leisurely mood.

I know some painters who work this way too.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:48 AM on October 23, 2005

I can't google either permutation of that quote, sadly, but to my mind 'rewrite with coffee' makes more sense. But then, the effects of caffeine have been long-dulled for me.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:57 AM on October 23, 2005

Blogging while emotional is worse. http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/46091
posted by Smedleyman at 1:50 PM on October 23, 2005

*sputters*

Fuck you all!! Filthy bastards!!

*throws bottle at wall*

*passes out*
posted by jonmc at 5:42 PM on October 23, 2005

why is it when people have an obviously horribly bad idea, their friend asks if they were drunk/stoned/on crack when they came up with it? How is having lots of stories of misadventures in your past that can all be explained by "it sounded good when I was drunk" line up with this 'better thinking' philosophy? How are you able to create when the thing that is blocking you is that hangover in the morning and that miserable lack of self-esteem that comes from self-abuse of the night before?
posted by N8k99 at 7:10 PM on October 23, 2005

I would've thought The Rum Diaries would deserve to be on that Amazon list.
posted by wumpus at 8:18 PM on October 23, 2005