EDWARDSVILLE – A 1972 cross-country motorcycle trip and a rediscovered manuscript inspired an Edwardsville writer to finish his long-awaited debut novel.
Stephen L. Miller took an 11,000-mile ride across the country, then wrote a novel about the trip on his red Valentine Olivetti typewriter in his freshman dorm room. Over 50 years later, Miller dusted off the manuscript and used modern technology to self-publish it. He is proud of the story’s timeless themes of youth, recovery and first love, and thrilled to see it resonate with audiences in Edwardsville and beyond.
“It’s been an interesting 50-plus years in the making,” Miller said.
“Suzy and the Sidecar” is a coming-of-age story that follows the main character on a 1970s cross-country motorcycle trip as he navigates first love, alcoholism and decisions about his future. It resonates with Miller, who incorporated some of the characters and experiences from his own trip into the story.
After graduating high school, Miller and a friend embarked on that life-changing journey, eating canned beef stew and sleeping in a tent in national parks across the country. He ultimately decided to attend college, but his main character struggles with the decision of whether to pursue higher education or not. Miller believes this question is more relevant than ever to younger readers today.
In the story, the main character notes that college “beats the draft,” as the Vietnam-era setting is a major factor in both Miller and his protagonist’s journeys. Miller added the nostalgia of the book is inviting for readers who remember the 1970s.
“The people who are interested in the story have either been those who recall the 1970s and see this very clearly as they look at it, and then some of the younger people who look at it and go, ‘Yeah, I can identify with this as I kind of embark on my own journey for the first time,’ whether it be physically on the road or just in their own minds,” Miller said.
The trip was a major inspiration for Miller, but so was meeting his wife Lugene. The novel features a storyline about “star-crossed lovers” and the recognition of “what is Given.” Both of these ideas came from Miller’s love for Lugene.
Miller finished the story in 1975. Around that time, he also worked with his high school friend Tom Glover to create “this little silly musical” inspired by “Suzy and the Sidecar.” They recorded songs on reel-to-reel tapes.
In 2025, Glover revamped the musical into a rock opera called “Suzy the Cycle Witch,” taking some inspiration from Miller’s story. This encouraged Miller to find his original manuscript, which had been boxed up in his basement for 50 years. He decided to edit it and, with the help of modern tech, publish it himself.
“It is pretty amazing to dig back through what was just kind of typed out on carbon copy paper and being able to basically encode that into a system and be able to edit it like we never would have thought of when it was first written,” he said. “There’s so much technology now that we didn’t have then. With the availability of self-publishing platforms and editing software like Atticus, which we used for this, and audio technologies, all those things we couldn’t have envisioned — I thought, yeah, we probably can bring the book back to life.”
“Suzy and the Sidecar” is available on Amazon, or you can listen to the audiobook on Spotify. You can also pick up a copy at Afterwords Books in Edwardsville or Left Bank Books in St. Louis. Miller will be present at the Edwardsville Book Festival on Oct. 3, 2026, selling copies of the book and his famous apple butter from Liberty Apple Orchard, which he and Lugene own and operate.
Though the writing, editing and publication process have been “this whole crazy journey” stretched over half a century, Miller wouldn’t change it for the world. He is proud of “Suzy and the Sidecar” and hopes his readers enjoy the story and its relevance 50 years after the roadtrip that inspired it all.
“I think these are kind of universal themes that were relevant 50 years ago, and probably maybe even more relevant today as people explore their own lives,” he added.
