What is gray area drinking?

Gray area drinking is the space between occasional social drinking and a diagnosable alcohol use disorder. Sober & Lit hosts Ruby Williams and Susan Larkin discuss it on The Sober Curator Podcast, including why the medical community has no clear framework for it.

What is "mommy wine culture"?

Mommy wine culture is the social norm that frames wine as a coping tool for parenting, sold through memes, merchandise and oversized pours. The Sober & Lit hosts describe it from the inside, including the 13-ounce pour that passes for one glass.

Is Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot a recovery memoir?

Yes. John Callahan's memoir covers his drinking, the car accident that left him quadriplegic, and his sobriety, without a tidy redemption arc. Senior Contributor Tony Harte reviews it for The Sober Curator.

What is a creative recovery journal prompt?

A creative recovery journal prompt is a writing exercise that uses curiosity and small creative sparks, rather than big life goals, to help people in recovery reconnect with who they are. Krysty Krywko writes this series for The Sober Curator.

Where can I find sober events in October 2026?

The Sober Curator events calendar lists sober events weekly, including Mocktoberfest Chicago AF on Oct. 10, Dopeycon in New York City on Oct. 3, and a sober Halloween drag show in Columbus on Oct. 3.

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FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER

Hi friends,

Quick question: how big is a glass of wine?

If you said five ounces, congratulations, you read the label once. If you said "however much fits," you are the reason Ruby Williams and Susan Larkin of Sober & Lit came on the podcast to talk about the 13-ounce pour. That is the real-world serving size of mommy wine culture, and nobody at the PTA fundraiser is measuring.

The two of them lived in that gray zone, the space between "totally fine" and "clearly a problem," and they are very funny about how the medical community has no chart for it. Ruby also gave us the line "sober is the new trench coat," which I have decided is my whole fall aesthetic. Tune in. Go get a trench coat.

Then Tony Harte reviews Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, John Callahan's memoir, and he does something I love: he refuses to sand the edges off. Callahan got sober, and he stayed a complicated, rude, brilliant person. Recovery did not turn him into a Hallmark card. Tony's review is the argument for why that matters, and it is the best thing we published this week.

And for the quieter corner of your brain, Krysty Krywko has a journal prompt about following the small sparks instead of waiting for the big revelation. Sobriety rarely arrives with a soundtrack. Sometimes it is just noticing you want to learn ceramics.

October kicks off Friday. Rappel off a building in Seattle with Recovery Beyond (where yours truly will be the event emcee), watch a drag show in Columbus, or stay home in your trench coat and get ready for BACKSTAGE Book Club. All three are valid.

Now let’s get to it…

—Alysse Bryson, *AB That’s ME 💋/ Founder / Seattle, WA 🌃05.01.2006

#QUITLIT

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot Book Review: Recovery Without the Redemption Arc

Senior Contributor Tony Harte reviews John Callahan's fiercely irreverent memoir, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. Callahan's story dismantles the idea that one devastating consequence automatically produces sobriety, or that recovery turns every complicated person into an inspirational hero.

SOBER CURATOR PODCAST

Sober Is the New Trench Coat: Gray Area Drinking and Wine Mom Culture

🎧 NEW EPISODE: Gray Area Drinking with the Hosts of Sober & Lit

Ruby Williams and Susan Larkin on RAIN meditation, reclaiming the word sober, mommy wine culture from the inside, the 13-ounce pour, the NA wines they bring to parties, and why the medical community has no grid for the space between fine and full-blown.

UNPOLISHED ART JOURNAL PROMPTS

Follow the Spark: A Creative Recovery Journal Prompt

Sobriety doesn't always arrive with a grand revelation about who we're supposed to become. Sometimes we rediscover ourselves by following the smallest sparks of curiosity. Sober Curator Contributor Krysty Krywko offers a creative recovery journal prompt for noticing what draws you in, then taking one small step toward it.

🥳 FEATURED EVENTS OF THE WEEK

10/02 Seattle (WA): Harness New Heights: Go Over The Edge for Recovery Beyond Learn more here→
10/03 New York City (NY): Dopeycon: The Game Show Experience! Learn more here→
10/03 Columbus (OH): HAUNTING THE HOUSE DOWN II: Columbus’s Premier Sober (Halloween) Drag Show Learn more here→
10/06 VIRTUAL: The Story Session with Amy Liz Harrison | Virtual Writers Group Learn more here→
10/10 Chicago (IL): Mocktoberfest Chicago AF Learn more here→
10/11 VIRTUAL: The BACKSTAGE Book Club | Read Receipts Learn more here→

See you Friday!

🎧The Sober Sip 09/30: Gray Area Drinking and Wine Mom Culture, John Callahan Book Review, and 6 Sober Events This Week