Suburban Life — November 1967 | Alcoholics Anonymous — an Alternate Approach
Offered here is an original November 1967 issue of Suburban Life magazine featuring the article “Alcoholics Anonymous — an Alternate Approach,” an interesting outside publication documenting one individual’s introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous and the practical workings of the Fellowship.
Published at a time when A.A. had already grown into a well-established recovery movement, the article presents Alcoholics Anonymous to a general suburban readership in straightforward, approachable terms. Rather than focusing on A.A.’s history, the piece concentrates on what actually happens when an alcoholic begins attending meetings, encounters other recovering alcoholics, and starts to understand the program from the inside.
“Alcoholics Anonymous — an Alternate Approach”
The article appears on page 60 and follows an earlier Suburban Life article concerning alcoholism and institutional rehabilitation. The editors explain that this second piece was intended to present another possible approach for the alcoholic seeking help.
The writer recounts initially resisting the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous, contacting the Newark A.A. office for information, and eventually attending meetings.
One of the more revealing aspects of the article is its description of A.A. through the eyes of someone encountering the Fellowship firsthand. The writer discusses:
- open and closed A.A. meetings
- the importance of identification with other alcoholics
- sponsorship
- loss and rebuilding of self-respect
- alcoholism’s effect on family and social relationships
- the return of the alcoholic to ordinary life
- anonymity
- the absence of dues or fees
- A.A.’s policy of not actively seeking or recruiting members
The article also emphasizes one of the characteristics that has long distinguished Alcoholics Anonymous: the alcoholic must ultimately decide for himself or herself whether help is needed.
Under the heading “A.A. Will Not Seek You,” the writer explains that A.A. does not pursue prospective members, but that those who come to meetings will find people who understand the problem from personal experience.
An Outside View of A.A. in the 1960s
For collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history, publications such as this are particularly interesting because they show how A.A. was being described to the wider public.
By 1967, Alcoholics Anonymous was no longer the obscure fellowship described in the earliest newspaper and magazine articles of the 1940s. A.A. had become widely known, yet publications were still attempting to explain what occurred inside meetings and why the program appeared to work for people who had previously been unable to stop drinking.
This article captures that period especially well. It presents A.A. not as an abstract organization, but as a community of recovering alcoholics whose experience, identification, and willingness to help one another provided a different approach to alcoholism.
Issue Details
Publication: Suburban Life
Date: November 1967
Volume: 37
Number: 9
Featured Article: “Alcoholics Anonymous — an Alternate Approach”
Article Page: 60
Publisher: Suburban Life, Inc.
Publication Location: East Orange, New Jersey
Format: Illustrated magazine
The front cover also specifically advertises “Alcoholics Anonymous — an Alternate Approach,” making the A.A. article one of the featured stories of the issue.
Condition
This original magazine is in good vintage condition overall.
The covers show light surface wear, scattered spotting, minor creasing, and edge and corner wear consistent with age and handling. There is some wear along the spine, but the magazine remains intact.
The interior pages remain clean and readable, and the Alcoholics Anonymous article is complete and clearly legible.
Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the condition and appearance.
A nice piece of outside A.A. publicity from the 1960s, offering a contemporary firsthand explanation of Alcoholics Anonymous and the experience of entering the Fellowship.
