Schaberg presents an exciting, researchdriven narrative of the history of the book, alcoholic anonymous, and the formative years of a. Biographies of the authors of the stories in the big book. Writing the big book details the chapterbychapter authoring of alcoholics anonymous and provides a revealing anthology of its primary contributors. A brief history of alcoholics anonymous in northern new jersey. He was bills first success in new york, the first alcoholic in new york to ever stay sober even for a little. Cofounder bill wilson began writing it in april 1938 at the business office of new york member hank p. Also, instead of the authoritarian word you to use the word we. He was a business man who had held positions in some large corporations. He also had a significant role in the development of the big book. Hank had much experience in the world of big business. Big book name and date references alcoholics anonymous.
Hank parkhurst was a salesman, an agnostic, a former standard oil of new jersey executive, who had lost his job because of drinking and wound up at towns hospital, where bill found him in the fall of 1935. Hank was the first man bill wilson was successful in sobering up in new york. He was among the first few to get sober in new york, probably the second after hank parkhurst. Original manuscript which went out to the fellowship a few months prior to the publication of the big book 1938. A little ditty on the big book, alcoholics anonymous to. Big book history why we call it the big book harbor. The first printing is bigger and thicker than the current one.
The big book has become one of the bestselling books of all time p. Schaberg questions who, why and how this book was written, providing unexpected answers to those questions, not least of which are the emergence of bills righthand man, hank parkhurst as the. The wouldbe publishing magnates were william griffith wilson and henry giffen parkhurst. The revelations about hank parkhursts role in particular cast a welcome and inclusive light on his critical importance, as he is shown to be a true unsung.
The holy grail of aa big book collections heads to. He wound up at towns hospital, where bill found him in the fall of 1935. Had he stayed sober, he would surely be hailed today as one of the movements cofounders. In addition, it shows that bill wilson tried very hard not to aggrandize himself, which is one reason we think he had help writing the big book even though only hank really participated. Which at the time was almost unheard of for a book. First paid aa secretary ruth hock resigns february 2, 1942. Hank parkhurst was a salesman, an agnostic, a former standard oil of new. Bill wilson has a spiritual experience here i stood on the edge of the abyss into which thousands were falling that very day. Picture of frank parkhurst, hank parkhurst was a business dynamo who was. Why we call it the big book a printer in cornwall, ny, named edward blackwell, had been highly recommended to bill wilson. Instead, his name and place in the official story have been all but eliminated.
It was the writing of this book more than anything else that made the rest of aa possible. Sobriety statistics, 12 step recovery rates big book. I thought you might like to see a memorial for henry g hank parkhurst i found on. Silkworth described who seemed to be a case of pathological mental deterioration. Hank p was the first alcoholic, after bill, to sober up at towns hospital in new york and became the second aa member in the new york area. Henry parkhurst bio the big book study group of south. There they were told that the book would probably be only about four hundred pages when printed. Hank was one of the early new york members and a business partner of bills they were in the business of forming a service station buying cooperative and selling auto parts through the honest dealers association. If it wasnt for hank parkhurst it never would have been published. Hank was a salesman, an agnostic, and a former standard oil of new jersey executive, who had lost his job because of drinking. Consequently, the printer began using thick paper with large margins to increase the size of the book, hence the name the big book. Some have suggested that the author became suspicious of bill wilson and hank parkhurst the unbeliever in the first edition when hank set up works publishing to raise money to publish the book, with himself as the self appointed president, and bill began. Hank parkhurst is the most forgotten man in aa history.
In may 1938, bill began dictating chapters of the big book to her. We attempt to carry the message in the way that was passed on by the founders and pioneers of alcoholics anonymous. A new history about the writing and publication of the big book shines a light on the work of bill w. John henry fitzhugh mayo, commonly called fitz was the big book our southern friend. Scholar william schaberg with new book on aa at fairfield. Writing the big book presents a robust and vivid picture of how early a. Many of these rumor have sprung from recordings of bill w. Howard, a psychiatrist from montclair, new jersey, recommended toning down the use of musts to.
Hank p, whose big book story is the unbeliever, started aa in new jersey. The text book excuse is for book that might sell 370. This is a list of the big book personal story authors, and either where they got sober or where they were from. The story of the creation of the bible of alcoholics anonymous, which is properly named alcoholics anonymous, popularly called the big book, is a sad tale of lies and cheating, theft and dishonesty, all done by bill wilson, and even the death of an early a. Justice is the virtue which inclines us to wellordered and. Why big book manuscript edits were so vital aa history. He has been described as a blue blood from maryland. Parkhurst at honors dealers, 17 william st, newark, new jersey. Consequently the printer began using thick paper with large margins to increase the size of the book, hence the name the big book. Bills first sponsee, the great promoter of the big book and the founder of a. Fullerton street in upper montclair where he was living in 1939 when the big book was first published. Granted extensive access to the groups archives along with several other sources, the author reveals the early fellowships conflicts and personalities, successes and failures, and dispels many of the myths found in such. When stock in the bb was being sold, the book wasnt being pitched as a lowselling textthe producers were hoping for a best seller. The first mention of hank in the big book is on page xxix of the doctors opinion.
Alcoholics anonymous which we in aa affectionately call the big book. Writing the big book details the chapterbychapter authoring of alcoholics anonymous and provides a revealing anthology of its primary contributors the revelations about hank parkhursts role in particular cast a welcome and inclusive light on his critical importance, as. Hank parkhurst, author of the unbeliever in the first edition of the big book, died in pennington, nj. Hank is again mentioned in the chapter a vision for you on page 163 as the a. Ruth hock said the big book would not have been written without bill, and it would not have been published without hank. Big book study and discussion page 3 soberrecovery. Why we call it the big book of alcoholics anonymous aa. Ruth hock, a nonalcoholic, was hired by aa pioneer hank parkhurst as the. The steps in the big book are often brief and run together. And hank wrote, except for the opening paragraph, the chapter to employers. 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 heroarthur s. Their secretary ruth hock, later famously reported that aas big book wouldnt have been written without bill, and it wouldnt have been published without hank. Hank parkhurst was a business dynamo who was the first alcoholic to recover in new york, following bill wilson. Members of aa agnostica should read this book, if for no other reason, than to realize how much hank parkhurst, atheist, contributed to its final form.
The revelations about hank parkhursts role in particular cast a welcome and inclusive light on his critical importance, as he is shown to be a true unsung heroarthur s. The book was their remaining hope of large profits, and social significance. Most surprising is the emergence of bill wilsons righthand man, hank parkhurst as the unsung hero in this story. Parkhurst got drunk around labor day, 1939, and never really got back on track. In early september, hank parkhurst had returned to drinking. The story behind all the stories a printer in cornwall, ny, named edward blackwell, had been highly recommended to bill wilson. The sale of the stock was supposed to help fund the printing of the big book. Hazelden centercity,minnesota55012 2010byhazeldenfoundation allrightsreserved. Ruth hock, aas first national sec retary, wrote if it wasnt for bill wilson the big book would never have been written.
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