An editorial tribute to Joe McQ. in the state-
wide newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette,
November 2, 2007.

EDITORIALS

The word from Joe
'It's gonna be okay'

LIFE IS STRANGE. That's not an original obser-
vation, since life keeps demonstrating just
how strange it is. Consider the life and saving
times of Joseph Daniel McQuany, 1928-2007. Mr.
McQuany, who became much better known as just
Joe around Little Rock, was one of the most
successful people we've ever heard of.

Joe touched, indeed transformed, the lives of
who knows how many tens of thousands in his
city, state, country and beyond. He started an
enterprise on a shoestring or less -- a $330
grant and some charitable donations -- that
grew into a publishing company, traveling
mission, growing institution, and, most
important, a blessing.

The secret of his success? "If I hadn't been
an alcoholic," he confided to one of the many
groups he addressed, "I probably would have
amounted to nothing."

And all because one day back in 1962, Joe
McQuany decided he'd get sober. In those days,
he'd recall, white men trying to get on the
wagon could find a treatment program, black
men were sent to the State Hospital -- aka
the Nut House in the patois of the times --
and as for women alcoholics, the only place
for them was jail.

Once detoxed, Joe McQuany knew he'd have to
find some way to stay sober. His way was
Alcoholics Anonymous, even though, in 1962,
as a black man he would be left out of the
social bonding that's such an important if
informal part of its program. No matter. He
had the Twelve Steps, AA's version of the Ten
Commandments, and the Big Book. A testament
and a faith. What more does a natural leader
need? Build on it and the people will come.

Soon the man was organizing AA groups himself.
He was a whiz at it. Not only because he'd been
there and knew the cravings and excuses, the
real desperation and false exhilaration of it
all, but maybe because to save himself he had
to save others.

JOE McQUANY wound up founding an offshoot of AA
himself. He called his program Serenity House
before it had a house -- an old one on Broadway
in Little Rock. As his program grew, he moved
it to larger and larger quarters.

Serenity House became Serenity Park -- an
extended-care sanctuary for all, black or
white, penniless or professional, who needed
to get that monkey off their back. You might
be surprised at the nice, outwardly successful
people who are chemically dependent slaves.
Then again, if you've had much experience of
the world, you probably wouldn't be.

Mainly people came to Serenity House not
because of the books Joe McQuany would write,
or lectures he would give, or the programs he
devised, but because of Joe himself. To quote
one of his coworkers and admirers -- but we
repeat ourselves -- his soft, unjudging brown
eyes would connect with the souls of others.
Joe seemed to look past all the superfici-
alities that separate us from one another and
see within the whole creature, sinner man.

You may have met people like Joe on rare
occasion -- if you've been fortunate. They've
got something special about them, a kind of
almost palpable aura. And you never forget
them. They're always there for you; they're
always there for everybody. The short word
for them may be saints.

The man never tired, not even during his last,
four-year struggle with Parkinson's, and he
never stopped dreaming. His last great dream
was a treatment center for women. When the
ground was broken for that project two years
ago, and folks asked where the money was coming
from to finish it, Joe told the paper: "I had
$300 [when I started]. People said, 'How are
you gonna do it?' I said, 'I don't know,' and
I stepped out. I've always stepped out into
things, and people have always helped me."

They did again. Construction was completed a
few weeks ago, and Joe was there to admire the
finished work. It was another of his dreams
achieved.

He didn't seem surprised. Sitting on a patio
overlooking the new building just days before
he went into the hospital for the last time,
Joe McQuany kicked back and observed, "It's
gonna be okay."

JOE McQUANY could have been talking about a
lot more than a building; he could have been
summing up the message he'd brought to so many,
whatever their station in life, who were poor
in spirit. Then they would read one of his
books, or leave one of his lectures renewed
and resolved, or check out of Serenity House
rich in hope and determination. That might've
been all they had, but they knew it was going
to be enough, it was gonna be okay. A short
word for that attitude is faith.

Joe taught folks faith, or rather he would let
them come to it. Much as someone might point
out the quality of the light on a beautiful
fall day, or a harvest moon shining above, or
the grace all around us. When it came to knowing
how to live a full life free and unhindered,
Joe McQuany was his own best example.

At his death last week, condolences poured in
from all over, including nearly every state in
the Union and 10 foreign countries at last
count. His obituary noted that Joseph Daniel
McQuany left behind his wife of 48 years,
Loubelle, numerous family (including 12
greatgrandchildren), and "friends around the
world." Many of those friends have the best
of reasons to be grateful for Joe: a life of
their own -- rather than one dictated by the
current addiction.

Joe always lived simply. He was interested in a
richer life: helping others. Reading this today
may be someone out there who is heavy-burdened,
convinced that if it weren't for the particular
chemical cross he has to bear, he'd live fully,
do great things, amount to something. In 1962
Joe McQuany found himself in that spot,
desperate over his weakness, and proceeded
to . . . turn it into a strength.

So can you, Troubled Reader. "If I hadn't
been an alcoholic, I probably would have
amounted to nothing."
______________________________

This newspaper editorial was passed on
to me by John Barleycorn, who writes the
AA column in the Waynedale News
( http://hindsfoot.org/essays.html ).
John was sent this copy by Sherrel J. of
El Dorado, Arkansas, whom he met when he
went to Little Rock for Joe's funeral.

Sherrel told John:

"I stopped by Serenity Park before I left
Little Rock, and got to wander around the
Women's facility. It's a cheerful facility
-- open and full of natural light. Workers
are putting the finishing touches on construc-
tion, and the project manager said Joe got
to see everything but the furniture before
he went into the hospital. She visited him
every day at the hospital, and each morning
while he still could he would ask her, with
that Joe twinkle in his eye 'Have you moved
in yet?' The manager is one of five steering
committee members who made the decision a
couple of years ago to borrow the $2 million
and move forward with the facility. She said
she thinks they still owe $1 million or so,
but are hoping that memorial contributions at
Joe's funeral may take a little off of that."

It is hard to imagine how many people this man
touched with his humor and knowledge. He had a
true gift and a calling that he did not ignore.
God bless the teachers.

Wanted to let you that Joe McQuany died yester-
day at 3:30 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was
the original Joe of the Joe & Charlie Big Book
Studies. Will send details when the plans are
final for services. Please pray for LouBelle
& Family.

In His Spirit,
Nancy Smith

- - - -

History of Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies:

Joe McQ. & Charlie P. met in 1973 when Joe
introduced Charlie as the AA speaker at an
Al-Anon Convention. Joe had wondered if Charlie
might be the country-western singer Charlie
Pride. "He wasn't even the right color," Joe
laments. They instantly discovered their
mutual fascination with AA's basic text "The
Big Book". What interested them most was that
The Big Book was written in a particular
sequence to convey certain ideas. That interest
began a close friendship which has lasted to
this day. They would frequently meet to discuss
the book, often driving 225 miles to meet in
each other's homes.

Soon they were planning meetings in hotel rooms
at AA conventions in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and
within a few years, the meetings grew in
popularity. In 1977, some members met in a
Tulsa, OK hotel room for a discussion of the
Big Book. One asked Joe & Charlie to come to
his home group to present a program on the
book. An AA taper made a four tape set of
their presentation and called it "The Big
Book Study". The tapes were gradually circu-
lated throughout the fellowship and invitations
were received for Joe & Charlie to present the
study at AA conventions, roundups and special
events. By 1980, there had been about eight
studies offered.

At the 1980 International AA Convention in New
Orleans, Westly P. an impassioned Big Booker
from Pompano Beach, Florida, organized a lunch
for 1,500 AAs from all over the world and gave
away 100 Joe & Charlie tape sets as door
prizes. Invitations exploded and within a
couple of years, Joe & Charlie were presenting
about 36 studies a year worldwide. Obviously,
the seminars struck a deep chord within AA
members ... for the reaffirmation of "this
message" as written in April 1939 with the
publication of the first edition of Alcoholics
Anonymous.

Studies have been given in 48 states and most
Canadian provinces. Additionally, Australia,
New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland,
Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the Nether-
lands have all hosted the Big Book Study
seminars with Joe & Charlie.

The original Joe McQ. has had to curtail his
travels in recent years. Oddly enough, another
Joe -- Joe McC., active in the study group
since the beginning -- has been able to pick
up the slack. "Where God guides, God provides,"
as some members say.

All this growth has not come without a measure
of turbulence. What spiritual journey does not
encounter obstacles? Some fellow AAs have termed
the duo, "self-appointed gurus". Others have
accused them of making money on these weekends.
Actually, only travel expenses, meals and
lodging are paid for by the independent AA host
committee sponsoring the study. This is in
accordance with the AA Guidelines for Confer-
ences and Conventions (MG4), published by the
General Service Office. Since 1977, an esti-
mated 200,000 AA Members have experienced the
spiritual benefits of these collective studies.