"Verdi Woodward knows every sound of the three basic time warps of our era—heroin, prison and jazz. His book gets them down cold with prose flights springing from the throat of a saxophone." —Charles Bowden, author, Down by the River and A Shadow in the City The harrowing life of a heroin junkie, and the life changes that accompanied addiction, are succinctly captured in this gripping memoir of Verdi "Woody" Woodward. A professional saxophonist in the 1950s and a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene, Woody lost his way, became a "hope to die" drug addict and armed robber on the run, and spent a decade of running from the law before being captured. During incarceration Woody found the strength to renounce not only drugs, but also the violence and brutality fostered by the prison system.

Hope to Die: A Memoir of Jazz and Justice

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Woodward, Verdi Woody

Addiction & Recovery

Schaffner Press, Inc.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodward, Verdi Woody. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Woodward, Verdi Woody

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodward, Verdi Woody. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Hope to Die: A Memoir of Jazz and Justice