What Rock Bottom Looks Like - David Carr

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/06/15/David_Carr_The_Night_of_the_Gun

Warning: This excerpt contains graphic descriptions of drug abuse.

New York Times columnist and recovering addict David Carr reads a haunting excerpt from his memoir. Carr describes hitting rock bottom after bringing his baby daughters with him to buy drugs from a dealer.

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David Carr talks about his memoir The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life. His Own. Carr exposes his years as an addict and chronicles his journey from crack-house to columnist for N.Y. Times. Built on 60 videotaped interviews, legal and medical records, and three years of reporting, this is a ferocious tale. - Book Passage

David Carr writes a column for the Monday Business section of the New York Times that focuses on media issues including print, digital, film, radio and television. He also works as a general assignment reporter in the Culture section of The New York Times covering all aspects of popular culture. For the past 25 years, Carr has been writing about media as it intersects with business, culture and government. Carr began working at the Times in 2002 covering the magazine publishing industry for the Business section. Prior to arriving at the Times, Carr was a contributing writer for The Atlantic Monthly and New York Magazine, writing articles that ranged from homeland security issues to the movie industry. In 2000, he was the media writer for Inside.com, a web news site focusing on the business of entertainment and publishing. Prior to arriving in New York, Carr served as editor of the Washington City Paper, an alternative weekly in Washington D.C. for five years. During that time, he wrote a column, Paper Trail, which focused on media issues in the nations capital. In 1997, Carr was received first place in the media category of the Association of Alternative Weeklies annual awards for "Good News ..." From 1993 to 1995, Carr was editor of the Twin Cities Reader, a Minneapolis-based alternative weekly, and wrote a media column there as well. Before serving as editor of the Reader, Carr worked for a variety of business, entertainment and sports publications in the Twin Cities area. Carr lives in Montclair, New Jersey and is married to Jill Rooney Carr. They have three children.

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• crack
• cocaine
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• hit
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• addicted
• program
• abusing
• dealer
• alcoholics
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[suzhouhe]

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that many addicts never find that personal "rock bottom." They just die. In that respect, Carr is certainly one of the luckier ones.

[suzhouhe]

As someone who's worked with alcoholics, I've heard plenty of dick-waving testimony about "pssssht, you think that's rock bottom? Buddy I was passed out in that fucking gutter, blah blah blah." Everyone has one of these stories, usually exaggerated and always missing the point.

[SethHesio]

@MrBloograss How is that racist?

[danning1]

"What Rock-Bottom Looks Like: David Carr" ought to be about the no-good #1 draft bust football player!

[22carver]

Hmm. I grew up on 42nd and Garfield off Lyndale in Minneapolis. 3/4 way through my vodka. Cheers

[3rdPR]

@MrBloograss he has seen reality

[drepmore]

I kept bellowing 'GUHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!' during this video. I've no idea what he's talking about.

[doktahpepper]

damn this guy really fell off since he was the number 1 overall pick in the NFL draft

[faffaflunkie]

I thought that all reporters who worked at the NY Times were high on crack.

[suzhouhe]

@mjmoto72 Well, by "worked with" I meant worked on a personal level with a very close family member who spent the better part of a decade ruining their life on a dramatic scale before finally falling over dead of complications due to alcohol poisoning. I've sat in on plenty of AA / Al-Anon sessions, read plenty of literature, but yes, you got me -- I've never taken an actual counseling "class." So I guess you win.

Seriously, though, what's with the all caps? Were you drunk when you wrote this?

[mjmoto72]

@suzhouhe WOW I JUST READ THIS.. AND IT SAD THAT YOU WHERE ACTUALLY QUALIFIED TO TALK SENSE TO PEOPLE LIKE THIS... THE POINT IS TO REMEMBER THIS TERRIBLE LIFESTYLE.. BUT I GUESS YOU SLEPT THROUGH THAT PART IN CLASS..

[Starkitar]

@rolpho lololol