Alcohol and the writing process

Abstract

The relationship between alcohol and creativity has been the focus of research and publication since the mid-twentieth century. Experimental research has been undertaken in only a handful of medical and psychological studies; more numerous biographical accounts of alcoholic creative artists have been popular; and creative artists themselves have produced confessional autobiographical works. This paper surveys particularly the research on writers, and a range of biographies about writers who use alcohol. Then it looks at what writers themselves say about the involvement of alcohol in the creative process.