December 30, 2025 – Anne Lamott is a mother, grandmother, wife and activist. She is also the author of these best-sellers: Traveling Mercies, Bird by Bird, and Somehow: Thoughts on Love.

www.PenguinRandomHouse.com/author

Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date?

A. Alcohol, weed, meth. Sobriety date is July 7, 1986.

Q. Is there anything special in your sobriety toolkit that helps keep you sober?

A. A lot of meetings!

Q. Do you think addiction is an illness, disease, a choice, or a wicked twist of fate?

A. A genetic predisposition and a disease.

Q. Where are you from and where do you reside now?

A. From Marin County and still live there.

Q. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

A. Grateful.

Q. Describe how you came to your “rock bottom” point.

A. I had a three day blackout on the Fourth of July weekend, 1986. That was VERY scary. Usually blackouts were staggered with a few months in between.

Q. If you ever retire, would you prefer to live by the ocean, lake, river, mountaintop, desert, or penthouse?

A. Ocean.

Q. How do you measure success?

A. Peace of mind, love and joy in community, family, friends.

Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?

A. Aggressive drivers.

Q. If you had an extra million dollars, which charity would you donate it to?

A. Doctors Without Borders.

Q. Who has been the biggest influence throughout your life?

A. Jesus.

Q. If you could give advice to your younger self what would it be?

A. To understand that everyone feels weird and all screwed up, and that looking great or having money does not fix this. That it’s an inside job.

Q. Who made you feel seen growing up?

A. Never felt seen.

Q. What major event or realization shaped who you are?

A. The women’s movement.

Q. What do you love most about living sober?

A. The miracle of having gotten a second chance, and the profound rich sweet spiritual path of life.

Q. Which part of your treatment and recovery do you feel was the most interesting or unexpected?

A. How I fell in love with meetings —eventually. It took a couple of months.

Q. What’s your concept of a Higher Power?

A. Jesus. Love. Energy. Gus — the Great Universal Spirit.

Q. What is your Astrological sign?

A. Aries.

Q. Who is your favorite celebrity in recovery?

A. Anthony Hopkins.

Q. What book(s) have you read more than once?

A. Everything by Barbara Kingsolver: Emmet Fox.

Q. What books are you reading now?

A. English thrillers with female detectives.

Q. Which film have you watched the most?

A. Love Actually.

Q. Who is your favorite film director?

A. Coppola

Q. Are you binge watching any TV series?

A. My husband and I binge watch Scandinavian detective shows EVERY NIGHT.

Q. What is your favorite App?

A. Spotify.

Q. Who is your favorite performer, living or dead?

A. Emma Thompson.

Q. What is your favorite city?

A. San Francisco.

Q. What is your favorite cuisine?

A. Indian.

Q. What is the best concert/performance/play you’ve ever attended?

A. Every Grateful Dead concert ever, starting when. I was 13.