AS NEEDED FOR PAIN
By Dan Peres
Harper, February 11, 2020
In the vein of Mary Karr’s Lit, Augusten Burroughs’ Dry and Sarah Hepola’s Blackout, As Needed for Pain is a raw and riveting—and often wryly funny—addiction memoir from one of New York media’s most accomplished editors which explores his never-before-told story of opioid addiction and the drastic impact it had on his life and career.
Selected Praise
"Exactly the right book at exactly the right time... As Needed for Pain must have been difficult to write; it's difficult to read. But it's an important book. While it's just one man's testimony of his journey into and through his addiction to pain killers, it's a universal story that anyone from any background who knows the evil of opiate addiction will deeply relate to." — Augusten Burroughs, author of Running with Scissors and Dry
“This memoir exists in the realm of grace―what causes Dan Peres to take his first pill, what causes him to take his last, remains a mystery. In between there are magic and lies, mistakes and glamour, pretense and escape." — Nick Flynn, author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City
"With humility, humor and courage, Dan Peres’ story of pretending to be on top of the world when in fact he was hitting rock bottom is a memoir for our times. An eye-opening, enthralling read, As Needed for Pain is an unforgettable memoir." — Ayelet Waldman, author of A Really Good Day
About the Author
Dan Peres was editor in chief of Details for fifteen years, starting in 2000, when the title relaunched under his leadership. During his tenure, the magazine won many awards, including two National Magazine Awards. Before taking the editorship of Details, Dan spent nine years at W magazine, overseeing bureaus in Paris, London, and Milan. While in college, he worked as a copy boy at the New York Times and later as a research assistant at Esquire. He is the author of Details Men’s Style Manual. He lives in New York and has three sons.