Preserving the life-saving message of Narcotics Anonymous by archiving and sharing its history

Come Help Us Write the Big Book: The 45th anniversary of the 2nd World Literature Conference

—

by

Chris Budnick

,

Boyd Pickard

,

Francis C.

and

Tim S.

in ,

Eleven months after the 1st World Literature Conference (WLC), addicts gathered in Lincoln, Nebraska, to work on a book for Narcotics Anonymous.  Many of the attendees first attended the 10th World Convention of NA (WCNA 10) in Wichita, KS, before traveling the 240 miles to Lincoln.  Two of these travelers, attending their first WLC, brought with them the authority and experience of long-time NA members from Southern California.  Bob B. (clean date 8/12/1961) and Greg P. (clean date 10/25/1970) were both members of the Board of Trustees and were actively involved in NA service.  Their participation added important historical knowledge on NA literature and a previous attempt to write a book.  Additionally, their involvement lent credibility to the effort.

2nd World Literature Conference Flyer Lincoln Nebraska Sept 8th - 14th Old Fedral Blvd. 9th & PST Come help us write the big book.

At the 2nd WLC, it was decided to use the “NA white book as an outline.”1  “Just For Today” and “More Will Be Revealed” were added as chapters 9 and 10.2  Greg envisioned the chapter “More Will Be Revealed” as NA’s version of “A Vision for You,” a chapter in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.3 This created a structure for incorporating the 800 pages of input4 that had been submitted since the 1st WLC in Wichita, KS.  By the end of the 2nd WLC, a full outline had been established, and plans for the 3rd WLC were underway for Memphis.

In honor of the 45th anniversary of the 2nd WLC, the service of those who participated in it, and the impact of their service, Boyd, Francis, Tim, and I have recorded a more in-depth presentation examining this special event.  It is a story of selfless service, sacrifice, self-support, hospitality, and dedication.  The presentation can be viewed here, on the Preserving The Message YouTube channel. 

As with previous subjects, The Living Clean Podcast has recorded a very special episode to complement this presentation.  This episode features 7 members who participated in the 2nd WLC.  In addition to being a rich source of historical content, Mason and Francis’s interview can also be viewed as a gift back to them for their service to the NA.

For new members, longtime members, and those in between, we hope that this history will generate greater appreciation for the service that occurred during the writing of the Basic Text, and in turn, inspire acts of service today.

  1. World Service Conference Literature Conference (1980). Minutes from Day 3 of the 2nd World Literature Conference, September 10, 1980. ↩︎
  2. World Service Conference Literature Conference(1980). Lincoln Literature Conference summary written by the WSC Literature Committee. ↩︎
  3. World Service Conference Literature Conference (1980). Minutes from Day 1, September 8, 1980. ↩︎
  4. S., Bo. (1988, 1990).  The Story of the Basic Text. ↩︎