My Wild 1970 Ride: Easy Writer V2

"This book is Russell Beck saying yes to every crazy idea that came his way in 1970." — Malaika

I was twenty-one, broke, and itching to escape the gray slush of an Indiana winter. The Vietnam draft had been breathing down my neck for years when a lucky twist of fate set me free. What I wanted next was simple: adventure.

What followed was a year I still can't quite believe happened.

Hitchhiking to Mardi Gras with nothing but a knapsack led to my first — and only — alcoholic blackout. Fifty cents to my name after the party ended, I stumbled into a mystery job that turned into two weeks on a tugboat during an oil rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico. No toothbrush. No change of clothes. No idea what I'd signed up for.

That was just the beginning.

From a truck-bed camper in the Indiana woods to the highways of California, from a great-aunt's front porch in Banning to the rain-soaked streets of Portland — I was making it up as I went. Later that fall, my friend Steve and I hit the road promoting singer Glenn Yarbrough to radio stations and universities across the country, 14,000 miles fueled by canned sardines, bad maps, and a stubborn belief that things would work out somehow.

They usually did. Barely.

What readers are saying:

"Hitchhiking to Mardi Gras, blacking out on cheap wine, and working a tugboat during an oil fire — how did he survive all that?" — Malaika

"A cross-country road trip fueled by canned sardines and optimism." — Hoor

"You get the funny, the messy, and the 'what was I thinking?' all rolled together. If you like stories that feel like a road trip with a slightly reckless friend, this book is such a fun ride." — Malaika

"I finished this book in just 2 sittings. Absolutely recommended!!!" — Bonnie

"This book was an absolute thrill — captivating, adventurous, and full of heart." — Ayesha

This is Book 3 in the How My Life Worked series — but it stands completely on its own. If you've ever said yes when you probably should have said no, you'll feel right at home.