As a child, Jim Murphy initially considered reading uninteresting until a teacher forbid him to read a book. Born on September 25, 1947, in Newark, New Jersey, James Murphy grew up in nearby Kearny. His parents, accountant James K. Murphy and, artist and bookkeeper Helen Irene (Grosso) Murphy, ensured that their son had a happy childhood. He enjoyed athletics, playing football and baseball. Murphy also explored along the Passaic River and created dramatic scenarios based on his vivid imagination. Curious about places that contrasted with his sedate suburb, Murphy accompanied friends on adventures to the New York City metropolitan area and Jersey Meadowlands. They daringly went into empty factories. Because he daydreamed, Murphy did not do well in elementary school.

In high school, a teacher told Murphy's class that they could not read Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. As a result of this teacher's censorship...