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.
Lookout For Shorts is a departure from hardcore prison fare; it is gonzo and humorous in tone. Picture the worst cruise ship imaginable, full of guests from The Jerry Springer Show, 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 Orange Is the New Black, the fish-out-of-water story that provided a glimpse into a fascinating micro-society. Lookout 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 other 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!’
Tentang Penulis
Phillips is a humanist humorist or vice versa, born and raised in Canton, Ohio. He lived nearly thirty years in Atlanta and recently resided in Los Angeles pursuing writing and podcasting projects before COVID-19 ran him out of town. Currently in Richmond, Va., near family.
The author created The Tree Fort Report podcast, which he has hosted and produced since March of 2020. Phillips formerly occupied himself as an on-air morning radio talent, stand-up comic, courier, golf instructor, waiter, video blog host, and chauffeur, among other follies. He attended Georgia State University and always wants to hit a golf ball.
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