FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER
There is a 167-page manuscript with Bill Wilson's handwriting in the margins, and it is going up for auction at Christie's on July 1st with an estimated price tag of one to two million dollars.
I need you to sit with that for a second.
The book that has lived in gloveboxes and purses and nightstands and halfway house bathrooms all over the world is going to be sold in one of the most prestigious auction houses on the planet. The Irsay family saved it for last. Intentionally. If you know what the Big Book means to you, you already felt something when you read that sentence. I know I did.
And then, because this is The Sober Curator and we contain multitudes, we're also talking about bedazzling your Big Book. Rhinestones. Glitter. Full glow-up energy. Because recovery is already extra, and your spiritual literature should be allowed to shimmer.
We've also got an NA wine review that made a former wine snob give out three perfect scores, a Jake Haendel podcast that will stop you mid-scroll, The Year of Love Pride event in NYC, plus a Zero-Proof Pride crawl hitting Austin, Dallas, and Houston this weekend, and the reminder that our own podcast Season Two drops July 1st.
Wednesday is fully loaded - good thing we’re not anymore! Let's get into it.
—Alysse Bryson, *AB That’s ME 💋/ Founder / Seattle, WA 🌃05.01.2006
SOBER POP CULTURE
The Big Book Is Going to Auction. And It's Going to Cost You.
If you know what the Big Book is to you, you already felt something when you read that it is going to auction at Christie’s on July 1. The original 167-page working manuscript, with Bill Wilson’s handwriting in the margins, is estimated at $1 to $2 million. The Irsay family is selling it last. Intentionally.
CURATED CRAFTS
Bedazzling My Big Book: Because Recovery Deserves Rhinestones
Let’s be real—my recovery is already extra, so it only made sense that my Big Book got a little extra too. I mean, if I’m going to keep this book by my bedside, in my bag, or on display for late-night spiritual crises (or early-morning step work panic), she might as well shimmer. Enter: the Bedazzled Big Book project—equal parts glitter therapy and higher power glam.
Want to give your big book, or any book really, a glow-up too? Friend, let me walk you through the rhinestone revolution. Maybe someday, Christie’s will want to auction this Big Book off. LOL
HAPPY EVERY HOUR
Nouvie De-Alcoholized Sparkling White Wine is the First NA Pour That Took Me Back
Some non-alcoholic wines taste like compromise. Nouvie does not. Sober Curator Contributor Sarah Alamo reviews the woman-founded, de-alcoholized sparkling white wine that passed the former wine snob test, earned three 10/10 ratings, and finally gave her the ritual of white wine without the wreckage.
BACKSTAGE with the Sober Curator
Claude Anonymous: Meeting of the AI Minds
Every other week, we meet BACKSTAGE to talk all things AI - Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT and the full tech stack we’re addicted to. Free for members.
Not a member yet? Only $19/mo or $199/annually (include two free months) Join here and be part of this exclusive online culture club.
🎧 FEATURED PODCASTS OF THE WEEK
“Blink” — Jake Haendel’s Journey from Addiction and Locked-In Syndrome to Advocacy - Listen Here
Dopey Podcast - Listen Here
Hello Someday - Listen Here
SAVE THE DATE! The Sober Curator Podcast Season Two is launching July 1
🥳 FEATURED EVENTS OF THE WEEK
June 25: GSM+ 2026 The Year of LOVE, NYC, NY - Learn more here
June 26: Night of Recovery, Scranton, PA - Learn more here
June 26: Dopey Short Film Festival, NYC, NY - Learn more here
THE SOBER CURATOR x PODCAST IMPACT STUDIOS COLLAB
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Have a podcast idea living rent-free in your head? We help sober creators, recovery voices, and mission-driven business owners turn that idea into an actual show — one with structure, sstrategy, and enough support to make it past episode three without needing a nap, a meltdown, or a full rebrand.
Learn more.
Are You a Sober Business Owner?
The Sober Curator Rolodex is a curated directory of sober-owned and alcohol-free businesses across wellness, creativity, hospitality, and professional services. Consider it sober main street. If you built something without alcohol at the center, this is your invitation to be seen.
Happy Sober Hump Day from Alf!
