There’s an interesting article in The New York Times today by Geoff Nicholson on the subject of literary drinking. Basically, drink what you know and write the same, even though sometimes either one will give you a hangover. As Mr. Nicholson says better than I just did –
However, the biggest problem with trying to establish rules about things as personal as drinking or writing is that however good the advice, the person on the receiving end is never going to be able to take somebody else’s word for it. You have to find out about these things for yourself, usually the hard way. You write and drink as you see fit, partly out of choice, often out of need, and if you wake up next morning, look back on what you’ve done and feel mortified and shaken — well, maybe you’ve learned something. But this lesson is never transferable. Somebody tells you not to mix Zima with Drambuie, somebody says that rewriting Icelandic myths in the style of Candace Bushnell is a really bad idea, but you may feel compelled to go ahead and do it anyway.
That’s all for me today. It’s my birthday and I’m beginning to get the cocktail-hour itch. I will say, though, on the subject of hangovers – the only cure for them I’ve ever found is to not drink. Which is fine and all. All things in moderation, of course. But then where would you be, really?
Filed under: literary drinking, drinking, literature, new york times
