Writers for Recovery Rock Studio A

(Click on image to advance through slide show.) Last Friday night, Writers for Recovery shared their work as part of The Turning Point Center of Chittenden County's Authors on Addiction Series. The main event of the night was a presentation by novelist and former CNN editor John DeDakis, who shared stories about his days at CNN, his interview with Alfred Hitchcock, his Lark Chadwick mystery series, and how writing played a role in grieving the loss of his sister, who died by suicide, and his son, who died of a heroin overdose. 

Writers for Recovery opened the evening with a half-hour reading, which ranged from stark meditations on the nature of addiction to stories of recovery and works of fiction. I can't tell you how proud I am of these folks, who are setting the bar for recovery writing in Vermont and showing the community an example of how writing can help people overcome addiction and the family trauma that goes with it. Most important, we had fun together. Thanks to John DeDakis for visiting Burlington, to Gary DeCarolis of the Turning Point, and to those who came to listen.