Better Be Home When The Streetlights Come On: Remembering the Summer of 1963

Each year when the Christmas holidays arrive, we enjoy watching Jean Sheperd’s “The Christmas Story.” Mr. Shepherd’s brand of humor really resonates with me, which served as the inspiration to write “Better Be Home When The Streetlights Come On: Remembering The Summer of 1963”. While “Better Be Home…” was written as a summertime version of “The Christmas Story,” the book has also been compared to Stephen King’s “Stand By Me.”

The story follows the 1963 summertime adventures of three, inseparable eleven-year-old boys – James Aloysious “Jack” Conley, Don “Brain” Cohen, and Chris “Chief” Johnson. The pals never considered their ethnic and religious differences – they were simply “best friends.” And they enjoyed their shared experiences of growing up in their lower-middle-class neighborhood. The story’s backdrop is the small, steel town of Braddock, PA, which is situated outside of Pittsburgh, PA. A macro view of the region is captured with rich histories of the rise and demise of the local steel industry and its fiercely industrious people. Focus then sharpens to the culture mores of the time and the city of Braddock itself. Readers will walk along 1950’s and 60’s Braddock Avenue to visit shops and meet various neighborhood characters The culture of the time is captured in the boy’s experiences with bullying, nicknames, and shared parental admonishments including imposed curfews which simply stated is that they “better be home when the streetlights come on.”

Chapters include comical situations of attending Catholic school and dealing with the nuns, serving as altar boys, school picnics at Kennywood Park, 4^th of July shenanigans, and the ultimate symphonic crescendo of the summer vacation -a week at boy scout camp. The overall story is told through the memories of the boys as remembered by their now elderly selves. The banter between them continues into their golden years and the general conditions and challenges associated with aging are sensitively brought into view. Although fiction, the locations are real. As the old friends reminisce, they sit atop a hill that overlooks a panoramic view of the Monongehela “Mon” Valley. The expansive vista follows the meandering Monongehela River with Kennywood Amusement Park to the extreme left, Braddock’s Edgar Thompson Steel Mill in the center, and the city of Pittsburgh to the right. The story’s personalities are based on the characterizations of real people with altered names of course. And the story’s anecdotes are based on a mixture of real and fictionalized events.

My hope is that readers of all ages enjoy the book which won Literary Titan’s Gold Book Award for October 2023. “Baby boomers” have been particularly receptive to the book since they can relate closely with the subject matter. A majority of online reader reviews have been “5 Stars” and direct feedback has been extremely positive. Reader comments expressed enjoyment with the brief histories of many of the Kennywood Park rides and the stories of the nuns and Catholic school. Many have replied to thank me for rekindling cherished childhood memories. I am extremely pleased that the book has evoked emotion in readers who have laughed, cried, and remembered a kinder, gentler time in their lives.

Educationally, I earned a B.S. in Business Management at Point Park University, an M.S. in Information Sciences and Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Telecommunications both at the University of Pittsburgh. Although this is my first novel, writing has always been a passion of mine. For over four decades, I served as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for several iconic American organizations including but not limited to the US Naval Nuclear Program, US House of Representatives, The American Red Cross, and most recently retired from Amtrak. In my capacity as CISO, I personally wrote extensive policies, procedures, and other formal documentation which governed the respective security programs. My goal is for “Better Be Home…” gains much more exposure to potential readers and am grateful for the opportunity Readers Magnet and “Author’s Lounge” has provided.

The book is available in both Kindle and paperback versions from Amazon: