Tawny Lara has reported on the sober curious and non-alcoholic beverage industry since 2015. She is the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze and co-author of The Sobriety Deck. She co-founded the non-alc botanical spirit (parentheses) and co-hosts the Recovery Rocks podcast. She teaches virtual courses about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR.

tawnylara.com

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

A. Road Recovery.

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

A.  Jim Morrison.

Q. From what school of thought or teacher did you learn the most from?

A. Yoga teaches me about the mind/body connection. So important!

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

A. California born, Texas raised, 10 year New Yorker.

Q. If you were giving a dinner party for your 3 favorite authors, living or dead, who would they be?

A.  Jim Morrison, RuPaul, Jane Fonda.

Q. What is your Astrological sign?

A. Capricorn.

Q. What surprised you most about living sober?

A. That’s sobriety is so much more than not using substances. Sobriety is about addressing why you used(d) those substances in the first place.

Q. What books are you reading now?

A. Jane Fonda’s memoir. I love her blend of art and activism.

Q. What is your favorite play or musical?

A. People, Places, and Things (play).

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

A.  Jim Morrison of course!

Q. What is your favorite musician and or band?

A.  Jack White.

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

A.  Tenacious.

Q. What is your favorite city?

A. NYC.

Q. What is your favorite cuisine?

A.  Mexican food. And anything my hubby cooks for me.

Q. What is the best piece of advice someone has given you?

A. Poet Ruth Danon told me to “Let yourself write bad.” That advice helped me push past perfectionism and get words on the page.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve given someone else?

A. I share Ruth’s advice in my writing classes and with my 1:1 clients. The thesis for my book is “replace liquid courage with intrinsic courage.”

Q. What is one thing that always makes you smile?

A.  My dog, Stevie Nicks.

Q. What was the proudest moment in your life?

A. Holding my book in my hands. Writing and publishing a book were the hardest things I’ve ever done—and I’ve been through some shit!

Q. What is a style trend you wish would come back?

A.  Kindness.

Q. What do you love most about yourself?

A. Feeling comfortable saying “I don’t know.”

Q. Where do you go when you want to be alone?

A. The meditation closet in my office.

Q. What is the greatest risk you’ve ever taken?

A. Buying a one-way ticket to NYC with no plans or place to stay lined up.

Q. What is something you are currently curious about?

A. Transfer addictions, especially with tech.