{"product_id":"lookout-for-shorts-a-prison-memoir-9781734857504","title":"Lookout For Shorts: A Prison Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn arrest and conviction for trafficking ecstasy can be comical. The character-strewn path of corrections that followed is entertaining and enlightening. This is the story of a \"book-learnin' smart-ass\" who endured a three-year minimum-security tour of the slammer and lived to make fun of it. And who emerged a humbled and better man.\u003cem\u003eLookout For Shorts\u003c\/em\u003e is a departure from hardcore prison fare; it is gonzo and humorous in tone. Picture the worst cruise ship imaginable, full of guests from \u003cem\u003eThe Jerry Springer Show\u003c\/em\u003e, that never reaches a port. Tales abound of inmate absurdities and administrative follies juxtaposed against the coarse subculture of lockup. Along the way, Phillips unflinchingly describes his drug-dealing days, a rehab stint, and his misspent youth.We've all heard of \u003cem\u003eOrange Is the New Black\u003c\/em\u003e, the fish-out-of-water story that provided a glimpse into a fascinating micro-society.\u003cem\u003e Lookout\u003c\/em\u003e is similar but zips several steps further into humor. The main hazard the author faced was his head exploding from being immersed in a sea of weirdos and misfits. The nuttiness nearly made him forget about the ever-present threat of losing teeth and suffering fresh scars.Culled from copious journals, most of this tale is prison-based. The story begins with the arrest of a Generation X slacker, for dealing drugs at a jam band concert. Description of an upscale rehab stint and living in an AA-based halfway house follow, then the incarceration hammer comes down. Recounting lockup, Phillips focuses on how the \u003cem\u003eother\u003c\/em\u003e other half lives and the light-hearted cynicism he found from being there. \"If you ever wanted to be the smartest person in the room, just go to state prison for a while. You'll probably be that guy the whole time,\" quips the author, in Sedaris-like style. Still, he ends up deeply empathizing with his downtrodden fellow felons along the way.Phillips described his odyssey thusly: \"I spent most of my life lying around, killing time. This led me to the slammer, where I lied around, killing time. I ended up in prison because of a lack of dedication, patience, and my failure to postpone gratification. So after my release, I wrote a book, which requires enormous amounts of dedication, patience, and postponing gratification. It's a start \"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Witstream Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/24\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781734857504\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 292\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.82lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.66d","brand":"Garrett Phillips","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38021567676597,"sku":"9781734857504","price":12.74,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_8a539b13-f5bc-41ef-a418-d435fad0f77a.jpg?v=1609179014","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/lookout-for-shorts-a-prison-memoir-9781734857504","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}