Lookout For Shorts

<p><br></p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;>An 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.</p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;><em>Lookout For Shorts</em> is a departure from hardcore prison fare; it is gonzo and humorous in tone. Picture the worst cruise ship imaginable full of guests from <em>The Jerry Springer Show</em> 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.</p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;>We've all heard of <em>Orange Is the New Black</em> the fish-out-of-water story that provided a glimpse into a fascinating micro-society.<em> Lookout</em> 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.</p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;>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. </p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;>Recounting lockup Phillips focuses on how the <em>other</em> 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.</p><p style=mso-pagination:widow-orphan;>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!</p><p><br></p>