"Oh demon alcohol,
Memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol."
"Alcohol" by the Kinks (1971).
During the period when Ray Davies of the Kinks released this song, a man named Dennis Dempsey was dealing with the fallout of his excessive binge drinking. 'Dennis Dempsey' is a pseudonym employed by the anonymous longtime academic who recently published this memoir, 'Alcohol Was My God.' In the book, he looks back at his high school and college days when he would consume so much alcohol that he experienced blackouts.
More than 50 years ago, he became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. He initially stopped drinking, had a brief summer-long relapse, then quit drinking entirely and has not had any alcohol since. He credits AA with helping him deal with his 'sick-souled' addiction to alcohol. After he quit drinking, he also experienced a revival of his Catholic faith and beliefs. This is a powerful story of redemption and spiritual exuberance.
The Book Nook airs Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO 91.3 FM and streams at WYSO.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Tipp City Public Library.
