In fact, one would be hard pressed to name more than five writers of first account who were not drinkers. For whatever reason, this does not appear to be the case with women.
Exceptions abound, up to a point.
But whenever Nels got her onto Boiler Makers she would soon be totally wrecked, and start singing Piaf. This was not bad in itself but she would apply her creative gifts towards 'improving' on these grand old La Vie En Rose- type favorites, and would end up rendering some kind of grotesque distortion. Dot Parker was no stranger to the grape,.nor indeed to the doublebelt by all accounts. This is not to suggest that any of these writers were alcoholics. It may be that addiction to alcohol exists among writers only as a psychological pain-killer for the 'manques' , who had set great store by the potential I.D. value of it.