Nancy Birkla and Three Steps Past The Monkeys

Nancy Birkla's essay is the only one not produced through the workshop at York. She is a Connecticut native, recovering addict, was imprioned in the Kentucky State Penitentiary for Women, and Wally Lamb's first cousin. Lamb asked her to write because he kept losing writers from his group whose crimes had been related to drug addiction. Since she had been released from prison almost ten years earlier, she hesitated about revisiting that very difficult time.

In an interview she was asked about the title of her essay. She said she wanted to call it "Three Steps Toward the Monkeys" with the "steps" referring to the first three steps of the twelve-step program. Wally Lamb wanted to call it "Monkeys", thinking that her title was too long. Finally he agreed to include the "Three Steps". Nancy Birkla said she did not think she got "past" any monkeys for many years and that she still may not be "past" them, but she was happy that the "three steps" are in the title. What do you think of the title of this essay and about Nancy's story?