Author Talk with Dave Albee: The Last One Out Of Town Turn Out The Lights

Description

“The Last One Out Of Town Turn Out The Lights” is a nostalgic, inspiring, and untold story of how a soul-crushing school district consolidation changes the fate and fortunes of two rural Maine high schools. The school merger connects a tall, humble, whimsically-talented player to a young, driven, witty coach 20 miles away to ultimately build an unlikely undefeated state championship basketball team in 1975 that “is like this meteor in Dover-Foxcroft that comes through this one season.” The extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime team captivates a hopeful community, whose spirit is symbolized in one amusing, unforgettable plywood sign on the outskirts of town. Through a turbulent time in America, this book examines the impact of a high school basketball team on the two rival schools — Monson Academy and Foxcroft Academy — and their townspeople by following the lives of Kevin Nelson and Skip Hanson after Monson Academy closes its doors. That one, controversial decision allows Foxcroft Academy to finally establish a winning basketball tradition and claim its first and only Gold Ball, emblematic of the Maine High School Basketball Championship. Bitter feelings and personal struggles are revealed as are stories of admiration and light-hearted moments such as a player slipping and sliding under a fire truck, a band director being hired from a strip tease club, and a title team showering in lounge chairs. In a period void of cellphones, laptop computers, social media, and Jake from State Farm, the book weaves unpopular decisions to cut popular players from the team, fights with hated rivals, and a phantom foul that for God’s sake should never have been called that lead to the kind of championship season that all small towns, coaches, players, and fans across the country covet, embrace, and treasure for a lifetime. For Monson, it’s about what if. For Dover-Foxcroft, it’s about time. For Kevin Nelson and Skip Hanson, it’s about life and legacy.