Steinberg’s heroes have always been alcoholic writers

Chicago Magazine on Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg, who has a new book out:

The Last Round

The Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg reveled in his role as a hard-drinking writer in the old mold. Then one awful night, his wife had to call the police

At a small Japanese restaurant in River north, Neil Steinberg, 47, settles into a back booth. Shooting his cuffs—his shirt is impeccably starched, his suit a ringer for one from Savile Row—he peers through his glasses and studies the menu. He knows Japanese food, thanks in part to visiting his older brother, Sam, who lived in Tokyo for several years, and he loves it. So he decides: For lunch, he will have the combination box of sushi. And to drink: He orders hot tea.

He understands that everyone will want to know what he is drinking. “I am, after all, the most famous drunk in Chicago now,” he says.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2008/The-Last-Round/

 

Sadly, the best writers are usually the biggest drinkers or drunks.

I had an editor tell me, "A happy writer is a bad writer."

I think there is a lot of truth to that.

 

I'm trying to get my head around the idea of drinking 40 oz. of hard liquor in a single day.

 

I worked with a columnist who probably did that on most days. It was rare to see him when he didn't at least have a buzz going.

 

I can honestly say I'm not sure I've ever been around or known someone who was a true alcoholic. I've been around plenty of bar flies or guys who liked to occasionally tie one on, including myself at periods of my life. But the guy who has a drink at 9 a.m. or hides a flask in his office drawer? I've never known that guy.

 

At my worst, I could easily consume a fifth of whiskey in one sitting (meaning 3-4 hours).

 

Yeah, the guy I worked with belongs in the drunk hall of fame. I picked him up at his house once to take him to the airport (a 20 minute drive) and we were barely out of his driveway and he was drinking out of a flask.

He was such a drunk and would get so pissed if I wasn't drinking that I would order diet cokes and have them put it in the rum and coke glass with the stirrer. I'm amazed he's still alive.

 

I've always thought there is a big difference between big drinkers and a true alcoholic.

The guy who drinks in the morning on a normal day or drinks by himself (I'm not talking about drinking a couple beers while watching a game) are the alcoholics.

 

To me, you're not a "true alcoholic" until you start lying about it.

 

I'm trying to get my head around why I am reading a six-year-old article.

 

Alcoholics come in many forms.