Oscar-nominated screenplay writer and “Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan has written about crime and violence so often that he decided to work on a book about an ordeal he has never endured: life behind bars.
Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that Sheridan's “How to Not Die in Prison,” a “darkly funny survival guide” to a maximum-security facility, will come out June 23. Sheridan is a best screenplay nominee for the 2016 crime drama “Hell or High Water,” and has overseen such TV series as “Yellowstone,” “Tulsa King” and “Mayor of Kingstown.”
“You might wonder what in the world gives me the knowledge or wisdom to write a survival guide to prison,” Sheridan writes in the book’s introduction, according to Simon & Schuster. “Well, I’ll tell you — absolutely nothing. I’ve never been to prison. But, like every man, I’ve certainly wondered how I would survive if circumstances ever put me there. That morbid curiosity sent me on a journey to understand the politics and dangers of prison.”
Sheridan did receive some firsthand input. His co-author is Tom Nelson, who spent more than a decade in prison.
“Hey, one of us has written hit TV shows and Academy Award-nominated movies, and the other has spent much of his adult life behind bars in medium and maximum-security prisons,” Nelson said in a statement. “If that’s what makes for good wisdom and entertainment, I’ll take it.”
Sheridan's other film credits include writing and directing the Angelina Jolie thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” and the Western-thriller “Wind River,” starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. Last fall, Paramount and Activision announced that Sheridan and “Hell or High Water” collaborator Peter Berg are working on an adaptation of the blockbuster video game franchise “Call of Duty.”
