The Living Clean Podcast

The Paradise Strong Book Study presents a special historical meeting commemorating the 40th anniversary of Narcotics Anonymous’ Sixth World Literature Conference, held in Miami, Florida, in September 1981.
The World Literature Conferences were an extraordinary period in NA history. Members from across the Fellowship came together to write, review, organize, and shape the material that would eventually become the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text. By the time members gathered for the Sixth World Literature Conference, years of work at conferences, regional literature committees, workshops, and through correspondence had brought the Fellowship closer than ever to having its own book.
Chris and Boyd from Preserving the Message join the Paradise Strong Book Study and take us back into that history through a PowerPoint presentation, archival material, and the voices of members who participated in the literature movement.
During the presentation, we hear historical audio from Charles K., Sally Evans, Doug W., and Mary Banner, offering firsthand memories of the conference and the remarkable grassroots effort that surrounded the writing of the Basic Text.
The meeting then opens for discussion and sharing. Bo S., Charles K., Al R., Mark B., Bryant S., Henry S., and Pete B. add their own experience, memories, and reflections on the literature movement and the history being preserved.
The Sixth World Literature Conference represents an important chapter in the story of NA literature—a time when recovering addicts took responsibility for putting their collective experience into words. That work helped carry the Basic Text toward the 1982 World Service Conference, where the book was approved by the Fellowship’s service structure, followed by publication of the First Edition in 1983.
Five years ago, members gathered to remember what had happened forty years earlier. Today, Francis’s Archive brings that meeting back so another generation can hear the history in the voices of those who helped live it.

This week on The Living Clean Podcast, Francis and Mason mark the 45th anniversary of the 6th World Literature Conference, held in Miami, Florida, September 14–20, 1981.
In Part One of this special episode, we go day by day through the conference, using the original minutes and historical records to look at what was actually happening in the room as members worked to complete the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text. We talk about the unfinished chapters, the debates over How It Works, the all-night group conscience meetings, the heat, the typewriters and photocopiers, the disagreements, the laughter, and the incredible amount of work that eventually led to one simple sentence being recorded in the minutes on September 20:
“The book is finished.”
This episode sets the stage for Part Two, where you’ll hear firsthand memories from people who were actually there in Miami and participated in this historic conference.
For an even deeper look at the 6th World Literature Conference, visit PreservingTheMessage.org and check out the accompanying presentation on the Preserving the Message YouTube channel.
Links to the blog and YouTube presentation are included below.

What does it really mean when we say, "The therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel"?
In this episode of The Living Clean Podcast, Francis sits down with Chris C. from Yreka, California, an active member of Recovery at Work (RAW), to explore one of the most recognizable sentences in Narcotics Anonymous literature.
Using the unique RAW format, Chris thoughtfully breaks down the statement one phrase at a time, revealing the depth, practical application, and spiritual principles contained within these few powerful words. Together, they discuss how addicts carrying a message of hope to other addicts creates a connection that no professional treatment, education, or outside resource can fully duplicate.
Along the way, Francis does his best to navigate the RAW format—with a few stumbles, laughs, and plenty of humility—making for an engaging conversation that's both insightful and entertaining.
Whether you're new to recovery, active in service, or simply curious about why peer-to-peer recovery has transformed millions of lives, this episode offers a fresh perspective on a timeless principle.
Join us for a thoughtful conversation about the simple yet profound power of addicts helping addicts.

This week on The Living Clean Podcast, we continue our journey through the Twelve Steps with Step Nine—the step where the preparation of Step Eight becomes action.
Our returning panel of Archer, Pete, and Douglas is back, and this week we’re joined by Brandon B. and Lucy for an honest conversation about making direct amends.
We talk about what an amends actually is, the fear that can come before making one, the difference between an apology and an amends, and why repairing the damage from our past is about much more than simply saying “I’m sorry.” We also explore the important qualification built into the step—“except when to do so would injure them or others”—and why willingness, guidance, timing, and our motives matter.
Step Nine gives us an opportunity to stop hiding from the past without becoming trapped in it. We take responsibility for the harm we caused, do what we can to make things right, and begin experiencing a different kind of freedom—the freedom that comes from cleaning up our side of the street.
Join us for Step Nine as Brandon B., Lucy, Archer, Pete, and Douglas share their experience, strength, and hope about making amends and what happens when we finally become willing to face the people and situations we once wanted to avoid.

September 5 is World Unity Day, and Francis and I decided there was no better reason to jump behind the microphones for a spontaneous special episode of The Living Clean Podcast.
Unity has always been at the heart of Narcotics Anonymous. We come from different places, different backgrounds, and different experiences, but we share a common purpose: to carry the NA message to the addict who still suffers.
In this special episode, Francis and I talk about what unity actually means in NA, why Tradition One — “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on NA unity” — matters far beyond the words on the page, and what it means to belong to a worldwide Fellowship.
We’ll also talk about World Unity Day 2026, when NA members around the world will pause together, share the Serenity Prayer, and reflect on the Fellowship and our primary purpose.
No big production. No guest. Just Francis and me having a conversation about something we both love: Narcotics Anonymous, our worldwide Fellowship, and the unity that makes all of this possible.
Happy Unity Day from The Living Clean Podcast.