Prime Times

It's September 1961. Freshman Joe Murphy is just starting premed studies at Loyola's Lake Shore campus in Chicago. There're a lot on his mind besides biology and chemistry; he has to make friends, fit in and survive a long, daily commute on public transportation.

This humorous memoir tracks the author for three decades-through college, dating, marriage, kids and an eclectic writing career that starts with the Sears catalog. Next, he tries his luck at writing classroom films and junk mail before landing in an advertising agency. The work is stressful, the hours long and the egos colossal, but the ad biz is fun. And luckily, Joe has the staunch support of a wife who believes in him.

The young couple and their two toddlers move to the South, where Joe compiles a reel of TV commercials that gets him a job back in Chicago. Finally, he's writing TV spots for national accounts. A dream come true? Not quite. Five years later, he hits the freelance trail, a route that leads to some bizarre assignments, quirky clients and baffling surprises. Looking back, was all his dreaming, scheming and striving worth it? One spirited episode after another will keep you guessing and laughing.