Inside Out

What causes Native Canadians to be disproportionately represented in the prisons, unemployment lines and welfare lists, in the drunk tanks and the morgues?

Inside Out is one story behind the stereotypes - the autobiography of a young Native man, James Tyman, who grew up with racism, turned to crime and self-destruction, and ended up in jail. Repeatedly. At age 24, in prison for a two-year stretch, James Tyman realized he was going nowhere and began to wonder why. In six weeks he wrote Inside Out, a powerful record of his own voyages of self-discovery, and an open letter to the people of Canada telling how his life has been shaped - and almost ended - by troubling aspects of our society.

James Tyman's story raises important questions - about adoption of Native children into white families, about the legal and penal systems, about drugs, prostitution, and life on the street in Canada's urban centres. First published in 1989, Inside Out became a national bestseller and earned critical acclaim across Canada.

James Tyman is a Fifth House Books author.