Streaksburg

"Our shared experience, the sheer grace and beauty of the sport we loved, immersed in the joy of competition cast a mythical transcendence which is difficult to describe, other than to simply feel it. We gave it our all."

Streaksburg is best-selling author Barry Lee Swanson's intimate memoir of a boyhood transformed by a game-and the small, Midwestern city that lived for it. The author weaves a nostalgic tale of heroes and their formidable opponents providing a wider aperture regarding both the creative and destructive nature of competition. The book is also the saga of growing up in post-WWII-America including the tender rituals of family, faith, and first love.

Set against the golden age of Illinois high school hoops, Streaksburg surges through the 1965-66 Silver Streaks' record-setting season, a compelling behind-the-scenes narrative describing the grit beyond the glory, culminating with their triumphant march to the IHSA State Boys' Basketball championship game.

Literature, music and religion impact Swanson's maturation and lead him to a frank reckoning regarding the issues of race, class, and experiencing the weight of lofty community expectations as both a player and coach in the "arena." Told with candor, humor, and warmth, this heartfelt coming-of-age story celebrates the author's family, community, teams, coaches, and the enduring grace of the game of basketball and those magical moments in one's life that are never forgotten.