Legendary short story writer Lucia Berlin (1936-2004) captured moments of grace in the cafeterias and laundromats of the | dG1fYVRkWkZzQ2d3emc
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I was really a bad chronic alcoholic.
00:08It was about 10 years before I even dreamt that I had a drinking problem.
00:15I've gone to situations and either tried to figure it out or tried to change it or make
00:21it better or make it funny or just get the truth of it.
00:27I looked back and I just sort of forced myself to take a look at where I was.
00:38In the deep dark night of the soul, the liquor stores and bars are closed.
00:43She reached under the mattress, the pint of vodka was empty.
00:47She got out of bed, stood up.
00:51She was shaking so badly that she sat down on the floor.
00:54If she didn't get a drink, she would go into DTs or have a seizure.
00:57The trick is to slow down your breathing and your pulse.
01:01Stay as calm as you can until you can get a bottle.
01:04She was shaking too hard to stand.
01:07She lay on the floor breathing deep yoga breaths.
01:09Don't think, God, don't think about the state you're in or you'll die of shame, a stroke.
01:14Her breath slowed down.
01:16She started to read the titles of books in the bookcase, concentrate, read them out loud.
01:21Edward Ivey, Chinua Achebe, Sherwood Anderson, Jane Austen, Paul Austen.
01:26Don't skip, slow down, slow down.
01:29By the time she had read the whole wall, she was better.