He is most noted for his early theatrical plays Straight Ahead and Blind Dancers[1] and his later novels Going to New Orleans and Hard Hed: The Hoosier Chapman Papers.
Raised in Tipton, Indiana, he studied literature and philosophy at Purdue University, where his mentors included Barriss Mills, William H. Gass and May Swenson.
[13] The plays had 36 productions in all, including a three-week run at Tricycle Theatre in London's West End and a tour in southern England.
[14][15] Tidler summarized, "I learned a lot writing radio plays, because of the range I was allowed by producers and the calibre of actors and musicians involved."
He continued to write stage plays, including The Farewell Heart,[19] The Butcher's Apron,[20] Fabulous Yellow Roman Candle,[21] Red Mango: a blues,[22][23] Tortoise Boy,[24] and 7eventy 7even.
[26][27][28][29] Hard Hed: The Hoosier Chapman Papers, a retelling of the Johnny Appleseed[30] story, appeared in 2011,[31] followed by Useless Things [Redacted] in 2017.