Sober and Sober Curiosity 101
Quick recap on 8+ years covering the sober (curious) movement
I’m Tawny, author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, and co-founder of the vinegar-based botanical beverage, (parentheses)
I’ve reported on the sober and sober curious space for more than 8 years—since my very first blog post on Dec 23, 2015, about giving up booze for one year as a social experiment. (Spoiler alert… it’s been longer than a year!)
My research on the sober (curious) space—especially the role alcohol and liquid courage plays in our interpersonal relationships—includes hundreds of interviews from neurologists to porn performers to high school students, 200+ podcast episodes with my bestie Lisa Smith, analyzing countless studies, freelance writing, publishing a book, attending peer support groups, public speaking, and, ya know, working my own recovery program every damn day.
Below is a list of some of my proudest work as a journalist in the sober (curious) space to help you during Dry January and beyond.
Fav Articles I Wrote
This one about alcohol and skin care for Mic
This one for Self Magazine about liquid courage and sex
This essay about writing for Writer’s Digest
This Playboy essay about pegging a Trump supporter to open his mind (and his butthole)
This collection of helpful quotes from sober porn stars
This (now archived) weekly advice column about sober dating and relationships
Fav Interviews (as the interviewer)
This profile I wrote about Seth Gamble for Men’s Health
This podcast episode where we interviewed Zach Braff
This podcast episode where we interviewed my dad (a sober metal musician in recovery)
Fav Interviews (as the interviewee)
This convo with the iconic Dan Savage
This convo where Ruby Warrington dubs me The Sober Sexpert
This X-Rated interview with the TikTok queen Dr. Tara
Cannabis & Sobriety
This video about the California Sober scene
This video where I answer, “Can I smoke weed during Dry January?!?”
This podcast episode about my experience with cannabis in recovery
Money & Sobriety
This podcast episode with Jill from Frugal Friends
This article about saving the money you used to spend on booze
This article about the financial and opportunity costs of drinking alcohol
Random Cool Stuff
This Webby-winning narrative podcast I helped develop with my dear friend Katie Mack
I’m still mind-blown about contributing an essay to the Sex and the Single Woman anniversary anthology
This documentary we made on our iPhones about growing up in Waco, Texas and getting sober on the East Coast
Should I bring back this reading series?
Oh yeah, I wrote this book!
A Little Help From My Friends
The online sober scene thrives because it embraces nuances and inclusivity. We can’t stay sober or finish a dry month unless we also address the other shit in our lives. Below is a list of people who focus on hyper-specific niches in the sober and sober curious space:
Nutrition: Dr. Brooke Scheller
BIPOC: Sober Black Girls Club
Parenthood: Sober Mom Squad, this newsletter, this book, and this book
Chinese Medicine:
and her ultimate list of sober newslettersQueerness: Dubbs Weinblatt, Gay & Sober, The Sober Gay Podcast
Sex and Dating: My book, this book, this podcast, this TED Talk, and this podcast/course
Corporate life: This book written by my bestie co-host, Lisa Smith
NA Drinks and Events: Laura Silverman, Chris Marshall, Absence of Proof, Third Place Bar, and Sober in Central Park
Nuanced Peer Support:
’s The Luckiest Club, SheRecovers, and Sober Black Girls ClubAdditional Sober (Curious) Newsletters:
, , , ,, andMust Read: Hilary Sheinbaum’s book, The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month
There are many (MANY!!!) more people that I simply don’t have time to add to this list. Please keep the convo going with your favorite sober and sober curious resources in the comments.
Remember to take sobriety, sober curiosity, or a Dry Month one day at a time. Give yourself grace. And most importantly—have fun!
Happy Humping,
Tawny
P.S. Want to level up your Dry Month experience? Journal or meditate on why you’re taking a month off from booze. Keep your why in your back pocket so you can stay focused during those oh-so-tempting moments.
Thank you, Tawny. I'm honored to be part of this esteemed list. Happy New Year to you, my friend!
❤️