Description:
Once upon a time before the rude reality shocks of the 1960s, Patrick McGilligan grew up in downtown Madison on the shore of haunting Lake Mendota, in the long shadow of St. Raphael's Cathedral and the State Capitol. His busy boyhood intersected with everyone "famous in Wisconsin" and others more famous who were just passing through the small Midwestern city. His tender, humorous, engaging memoir of lost times ponders life's lessons and the self-mythologizing boast that Madison was, as LIFE Magazine proclaimed, "the best place in America to live."
Review Quotes:
"Patrick McGilligan did not grow up very much like Steve Martin in The Jerk. Instead, he channels Robert Frost, Ray Bradbury and Orson Welles into his own unique coming-of-age tale, one that is quintessentially Midwestern, American, funny, rueful, and beautifully written. Hollywood take notice!"
-MICHAEL ELIAS, Co-writer of The Jerk and author of Bender's L.A.
"When I was writing a daily column for Madison's Capital Times newspaper three decades ago, one of my go-to subjects was Patrick McGilligan, a Madison native who after leaving the city had begun turning out well-researched and highly readable biographies of Hollywood legends as varied as Robert Altman, Alfred Hitchcock and Jack Nicholson. What I didn't know was that McGilligan had once been a delivery boy for The Capital Times. I do now, having read his delightfully nostalgic memoir of growing up in Madison. It's a must-read not only for those who love Wisconsin's capital city, but for anyone who enjoys a tale replete with colorful characters, well told."
-DOUG MOE, Author of Saving Hearts and Killing Rats: Karl Paul Link and the Discovery of Warfarin and Moments of Happiness: A Wisconsin Band Story (with Mike Leckrone)
"Patrick McGilligan has captured the essence of what makes Madison a special place in this superbly written remembrance of his days growing up in Wisconsin's capital city, the people who touched his life, the highs and lows along the way. We learn why his hometown is often described as one of America's best places to live, but also why it sometimes isn't. This is a story that will ring many bells for longtime Madisonians and provide a new perspective to newcomers. It's author McGilligan at his best."
-DAVE ZWEIFEL, Editor Emeritus, The Capital Times
"I've known Pat McGilligan for many, many years and I know him to spin an ounce of truth into a fantastical story but with The Good Life, Pat has captured a special place at a special time - Best Place To Live In America. I also knew Madison at the time, and it certainly was the best place for a boy growing up. The Good Life is a beautifully written memory that took me back. "
-BARRY ALEXANDER BROWN, Co-producer-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary The War at Home, Oscar-nominated editor of BlacKkKlansman and author of the epic high fantasy WIND, The Tor'oc Trilogy
"The Good Life is in the eye of the beholder, and McGilligan's portrayal of growing up in Madison is humorous, poignant, and surprisingly candid with a keen sense of history, friendship, and family. His skillfully unfolded memories make for good reading. I loved this book!"
-GEORGE HESSELBERG, columnist and daily journalist in Madison for forty-plus years at The Wisconsin State Journal
"Most Wisconsinites know Madison as defined by the 1960s. Before Richard Nixon and 'sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, ' it was a very different place. Patrick McGilligan looks homeward in this engaging memoir of a busy boyhood, lived irreverently in the shadow of the State Capitol as times they were a'changing. Thoughtful, engaging, humorous, and appealing to anyone who managed to grow up in middle America, even if they are not Irish Catholic."
-PAUL R. SOGLIN, Hizzoner da Mare