Enjoy the Ride! by William Shawn Tillman
Enjoy the Ride! is the life story of William Shawn Tillman, written from inside prison.
In direct, unadorned language, Tillman recounts a life shaped by neglect, addiction, homelessness, and constant movement—train hopping, hitchhiking, stolen cars, temporary jobs, and long stretches of instability.
The book traces his childhood in Southern California, years spent traveling up and down the West Coast, and the experiences that eventually led to incarceration. Along the way he writes about work, friendships, relationships, faith, and the daily realities of surviving on the road and on the streets.
Written while serving his sentence, the book reflects on the choices, environments, and circumstances that shaped Tillman’s life.
The book includes a foreword by Karleigh Frisbie Brogan and illustrations by Virgil Shaw. Enjoy the Ride! is part of the Same Time series published by Some People Press.
Read the foreword on the Some People Press Substack.
About the author
William Shawn Tillman is a writer from California. He began writing his life story while incarcerated and developed the manuscript for Enjoy the Ride! through the autobiographical writing and publishing project at Columbia River Correctional Institution in Northeast Portland, Oregon. This is his first book.