About AA Grapevine
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The Small Print
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Evolution of the Magazine
In 1948, the Grapevine changed its format from a three-column newsletter to its present digest size. As the Grapevine gained readers, it gained contributors. More and more, the pages were dominated by the voices of recovering alcoholics. Gradually, book reviews, reprints, and general-interest articles were abandoned, and only an occasional article by a nonalcoholic appeared.
Along with their stories of personal transformation, stories about how AAs use the principles of AA in their daily lives became central to the Grapevine. These stories began to be highlighted in special departments. Many of today's departments-including "PO Box 1980," "Along Spiritual Lines," and "Ham on Wry" evolved from such
antecedents as "Points of View," "Spiritual Awakenings," and "Barley Corn." A sense of humor, a staple of recovery for many alcoholics, was a mainstay of the magazine early on. The first cartoon appeared in the third issue of the magazine and the humorous feature, "Barley Corn," was launched in its second year. Check a few recent Grapevines for a sampling of current departments.
Over the years, the number of pages in the Grapevine ranged from eight in the first eighteen issues to its current length of sixty-four pages. It also ran to thirty-two and forty-eight pages in length during periods in-between. Color appeared gradually. An outstanding example was the full-color reproduction of "The Man on the Bed" painting, commissioned by the Grapevine for the centerfold of the December 1955 issue. While the pages inside remained black and white, the first full-color cover appeared on the June 1989 issue, and most covers have been full-color ever since.
As the magazine continued to evolve over the years, the Steps, the Traditions, the Preamble, the Serenity Prayer, and later, the Responsibility Declaration, began to appear in the magazine on a regular basis. Add the first-person stories of members, and the Grapevine truly had become "Our Meeting in Print."
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