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All the Dreams We've Dreamed: A Story of Hoops and Handguns on Chicago's West Side
In the Margins Book Award Winner
Shawn Harrington returned to Marshall High School as an assistant coach years after appearing as a player in the iconic basketball documentary film Hoop Dreams . In January of 2014, Marshall’s struggling team was about to improve after the addition of a charismatic but troubled player. Everything changed, however, when two young men opened fire on Harrington’s car as he drove his daughter to school. Using his body to shield her, Harrington was struck and paralyzed.
The mistaken-identity shooting was followed by a series of events that had a devastating impact on Harrington and Marshall’s basketball family. Over the next three years, as a shocking number of players were murdered, it became obvious that the dream of the game providing a better life had nearly dissolved.
All the Dreams We've Dreamed is a true story of courage, endurance, and friendship in one of America's most violent neighborhoods. Author Rus Bradburd, who has an intimate forty-year relationship to Chicago basketball, tells Shawn’s story with empathy and care, exploring the intertwined tragedies of gun violence, health care failure, racial assumptions, struggling educational systems, corruption in athletics—and the hope that can survive them all.
Shawn Harrington returned to Marshall High School as an assistant coach years after appearing as a player in the iconic basketball documentary film Hoop Dreams . In January of 2014, Marshall’s struggling team was about to improve after the addition of a charismatic but troubled player. Everything changed, however, when two young men opened fire on Harrington’s car as he drove his daughter to school. Using his body to shield her, Harrington was struck and paralyzed.
The mistaken-identity shooting was followed by a series of events that had a devastating impact on Harrington and Marshall’s basketball family. Over the next three years, as a shocking number of players were murdered, it became obvious that the dream of the game providing a better life had nearly dissolved.
All the Dreams We've Dreamed is a true story of courage, endurance, and friendship in one of America's most violent neighborhoods. Author Rus Bradburd, who has an intimate forty-year relationship to Chicago basketball, tells Shawn’s story with empathy and care, exploring the intertwined tragedies of gun violence, health care failure, racial assumptions, struggling educational systems, corruption in athletics—and the hope that can survive them all.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 8, 2019
Less than 15 miles from my buried little backdrop nestled between new construction that replaced a tear down and a hulk of a house with an ornate front door worth nearly a year’s sum total of my mortgage, lies a notorious crime hazy section of Chicago. The city’s West Side. While murder rates are low compared to the sky high rates during the Bush, Sr. years, gun violence remains an epidemic in the city; a city unable to crack down on restrictive gun laws partially due to constitutionality issues and partially due to the difficulty of tracking stolen firearms, particularly across state lines (Chicago is within 2 hours of three different states). Often caught in the crossfire are the young urban black men that populate the inner city, sometimes intentionally, other times not. The book revolves primarily around Shawn Harrington, a one time basketball star of Marshall High School on the West Side. Somewhat beating the odds, Shawn made it out of the city, earned a degree and was giving back when tragedy struck. Author, Rus Bradburd happened to be his old coach and was uplifted by his outlook essentially encapsulating his ensuing quest to a) find Shawn continued success and happiness and b) get to the core of the rash of violence surrounding the community. It was a book about how when the hope of escaping the hard life of poverty rests on a court, there seem to be an awful lot of sudden verdicts.
July 17, 2020
Imperative to disconnect the story and real lives from the narrative. The players are important, but the writing lacked cohesion. At times, it read like Kotlowitz and a trained journalist’s eye, but often the author’s opinions intruded. It was further weighted by basketball stats that lacked an editor’s touch. Still, the content is unwaveringly important: Chicago gun violence is intertwined with basketball. Players are murdered. Innocent people like Shawn Harrington lose limbs and dreams. We desperately need stricter gun laws and anti-violence education. And it was intense/ interesting to read details about violence happening in nearby neighborhoods; a whole text about the city’s west side.
June 1, 2018
Whether you care about basketball or not, this is an important book and should be read.
The author, a college basketball coach-turned-writer named Rus Bradburd, has a personal stake in the senseless tragedy which has afflicted his friend and former player, Shawn Harrington. As the history of this complex and emotionally-fraught relationship unfolds, what happened to Shawn is juxtaposed against a number of shootings involving other basketball players connected with Chicago's Marshall High School -- the same school featured in the documentary Hoop Dreams. The result is a book which challenges America's commonly-held notions of inner-city violence, while simultaneously exposing a social system which ignores the sound of gunfire in its streets and turns a blind eye upon the victims.
Shawn Harrington's story is that of a young man who did all the conventionally right things, defied stereotypes, persevered bravely in the face of the worst imaginable luck, and yet has received shamefully little support from a country which rightly ought to honor his example. Herein lies a reflection of how America views her troubled neighborhoods and the people who live there, and Bradburd's portrayal is both unflinching and necessary.
The author, a college basketball coach-turned-writer named Rus Bradburd, has a personal stake in the senseless tragedy which has afflicted his friend and former player, Shawn Harrington. As the history of this complex and emotionally-fraught relationship unfolds, what happened to Shawn is juxtaposed against a number of shootings involving other basketball players connected with Chicago's Marshall High School -- the same school featured in the documentary Hoop Dreams. The result is a book which challenges America's commonly-held notions of inner-city violence, while simultaneously exposing a social system which ignores the sound of gunfire in its streets and turns a blind eye upon the victims.
Shawn Harrington's story is that of a young man who did all the conventionally right things, defied stereotypes, persevered bravely in the face of the worst imaginable luck, and yet has received shamefully little support from a country which rightly ought to honor his example. Herein lies a reflection of how America views her troubled neighborhoods and the people who live there, and Bradburd's portrayal is both unflinching and necessary.
September 26, 2018
An important book, and though I think all Chicago area people (at least) should read it, I didn't think it was that well written. The subtitle tells what the book is about, and it centers on the life and the paralyzing shooting of Shawn Harrington, among others. The author had been a coach, a scout, a recruiter, a college assistant coach, and he knew the world of Chicago high school basketball very well at one time. So he knew of Harrington, a standout at Marshall H.S. on the west side. The book has a lot of details about basketball, but even more about the increasing violence, especially in certain Chicago neighborhoods. The author has some opinions about the causes of that violence, most notably decisions by the Chicago Public School District that destroyed the sense of community around local schools, and the subsequent loss of attendance and the rise of gangs in those neighborhoods most deserted. He describes how coaches used to nurture, guide, and help basketball players escape the fate of the streets, but now that anyone can coach (not just certified teachers), that loyalty and connection has been lost.
A sobering, educational read.
A sobering, educational read.
August 22, 2018
Most will think the shooting of Shawn Harrington and his wheelchair bound existence after that fateful moment saving his daughter’s life is an unthinkable tragedy and of course it is.
But it is the ensuing resilience of Coach Harrington himself that carries me through this powerful book.
Author and almost social scientist Bradburd, courageously discusses the tough questions and inspires us to step up and confront: healthcare, drugs and gun violence, and even parenting.
I found the answers all in the same place - in the hope that Harrington carries in that unrelenting pounding heart and soul.
Put on your “must do list” two things.
1) Go hear Shawn speak publicly on his quest to change the world for inner city youth. It will change your world!
It did mine.
2) Don’t walk, sprint and listen to an audio copy of “All the Dreams We’ve
Dreamed”.
Steve Yellen
August 1, 2018
Finally was able to dive into "All the Dreams We've Dreamed" and finish it this weekend. Rus Bradburd's unassuming reporting and storytelling chronicles the plight of Shawn Harrington from growing up on Chicago's West Side with basketball being his escape. It chronicles Harrington's ups and downs in his career that would peak playing Division I basketball but would ultimately bring him back to Chicago where his life would be forever changed by the violence that plagues Chicago and his road to recovery. Bradburd does an excellent job of chronicling the under reported basketball and gun culture of Chicago's westside which focuses in on the many tragedies of Harrington's alma mater Marshal High School. Not the most uplifting story, but highly recommended and eyeopening.
January 16, 2021
This is a very powerful story, occasionally told with a little too much detail.
It felt, at times, like it took a while to get to the meat of the story. That being said, the writer gets his point across: that these stories deserve to be told and SHOULD be told.
Violence isn't the answer. Neither is silence on the part of victims, witnesses, or advocates.
I'm glad I know the name Shawn Harrington now. His story is a symbol of a much larger set of issues.
Although I think there are things that could have been trimmed out of this text or ways it could have been rewritten to make the pace a bit faster, this is still a recommended read for those interested in issues like gangs and gun violence, urban decay, underprivileged youth, and so on.
It felt, at times, like it took a while to get to the meat of the story. That being said, the writer gets his point across: that these stories deserve to be told and SHOULD be told.
Violence isn't the answer. Neither is silence on the part of victims, witnesses, or advocates.
I'm glad I know the name Shawn Harrington now. His story is a symbol of a much larger set of issues.
Although I think there are things that could have been trimmed out of this text or ways it could have been rewritten to make the pace a bit faster, this is still a recommended read for those interested in issues like gangs and gun violence, urban decay, underprivileged youth, and so on.
January 28, 2020
This superb and harrowing book chronicles the life of Shawn Harrington, a charismatic college basketball star who becomes a victim – albeit a survivor – of Chicago’s gun violence. Despite the tragic story, the book is a testament to perseverance and compassion. Harrington, a true hero, somehow keeps going in the face of not only his paralysis but also his abandonment by the authorities.
The book is very well-written, with prose as clean as a raindrop and a genuinely compelling story. Bradburd is obviously a central character, but he never takes center stage; instead, he documents his contributions to Harrington’s life with a rare humility and self-knowledge. Excellent.
The book is very well-written, with prose as clean as a raindrop and a genuinely compelling story. Bradburd is obviously a central character, but he never takes center stage; instead, he documents his contributions to Harrington’s life with a rare humility and self-knowledge. Excellent.
November 20, 2018
Does a great job paying the violence and danger the young men face and the difficult choices they have to make or are forced into. Shows how important sports are in these poor neighborhoods. Sports are a literal life saver for some of these kids and their families. More needs to be done to help them and control the violence.
August 17, 2020
This book really calls attention to the gang related violence on the west and south sides of Chicago and how tough it is is for young people growing up in those areas. The focus is mainly on Marshall high school and their basketball program. This is a must read for all and especially for those living in the Chicagoland area.
January 5, 2021
This is an important book, simply written about complex problems. It illustrates the struggles for children in an impoverished neighborhood who are trying to accomplish something, to have a dream. Those dreams are critical, yet so fragile. I greatly admire Shawn Harrington for what he is giving back to his community and for writing this book.
August 1, 2018
Compelling subject matter and fascinating stories, but I wasn’t a fan of how the book was constructed. It seemed scattered and it was hard to get used to the organizational structure (of lack thereof).
July 16, 2021
Personal, narrative-rich and sad story about kids struggling to find their way under near-impossible circumstances on the west side of Chicago. I gravitated to this book in part because of how close the neighborhoods described in its page are to where I go every Thanksgiving.
July 16, 2018
A Review of the Audiobook
Published in 2018 by Blackstone Audio.
Read by Donald Corren.
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes.
Unabridged.
Rus Bradburd's All the Dreams We've Dreamed is both a complicated story and a simple story of two Chicago men whose lives have revolved around the game of basketball. It's a story of a coach and a player. It's a story of connections between people and also a story of bureaucratic neglect. It's a story of remorse and shame and a story of pride of place and love for one's teammates and players. It's a story of love and a story of catastrophic violence. Mostly, because it is set in the free fire gun zone of Chicago's West Side, it is a tragedy.
The book centers on Marshall High School and its basketball program. Perhaps you have heard about the wave of gun violence that has swept through Chicago's South and West sides, earning it the nickname "Chi-raq" because it is reminiscent of Iraq during the bad old days of The Surge at the end of the Bush Administration. Marshall lies in that violent zone.
Marshall is an old school, well over 100 years old. It prides itself on being a family and its basketball programs, even with declining enrollments. Shawn Harrington exemplifies that sense of family. He is a graduate of the school, he went away for school and came back with his degree to be an aide in the special education department and to help with the boys basketball team. By all accounts, he was great at both things. He connected with his students and his players and went above and beyond for them because he believed in the power of the "Marshall Family".
Until one fateful day when Shawn Harrington...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...
Published in 2018 by Blackstone Audio.
Read by Donald Corren.
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes.
Unabridged.
Rus Bradburd's All the Dreams We've Dreamed is both a complicated story and a simple story of two Chicago men whose lives have revolved around the game of basketball. It's a story of a coach and a player. It's a story of connections between people and also a story of bureaucratic neglect. It's a story of remorse and shame and a story of pride of place and love for one's teammates and players. It's a story of love and a story of catastrophic violence. Mostly, because it is set in the free fire gun zone of Chicago's West Side, it is a tragedy.
The book centers on Marshall High School and its basketball program. Perhaps you have heard about the wave of gun violence that has swept through Chicago's South and West sides, earning it the nickname "Chi-raq" because it is reminiscent of Iraq during the bad old days of The Surge at the end of the Bush Administration. Marshall lies in that violent zone.
Marshall is an old school, well over 100 years old. It prides itself on being a family and its basketball programs, even with declining enrollments. Shawn Harrington exemplifies that sense of family. He is a graduate of the school, he went away for school and came back with his degree to be an aide in the special education department and to help with the boys basketball team. By all accounts, he was great at both things. He connected with his students and his players and went above and beyond for them because he believed in the power of the "Marshall Family".
Until one fateful day when Shawn Harrington...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...
July 16, 2021
Such a compelling story. And also a true story. Shawn Harrington—after growing up a hoop star on Chicago’s west side (including a role in the documentary “Hoop Dreams”), went off to college as a basketball player and decent student—returned to Marshall High School as an assistant coach and special education teacher. One morning he and his daughter were shot in a case of mistaken identity while he was driving her to school. She was ok, but the shooting and his rescue from the vehicle left him paralyzed. Meanwhile, the fellow who recruited him out of high school to play college ball decades earlier (the author, Rus Bradburd) reconnected with him and tells his story in this book, intertwined with the story that surrounded him in the violence soaked neighborhood. Bradburd, after 14 years as an assistant coach at UTEP and New Mexico State (where he recruited Harrington to play) had left coaching and was a writing and English professor at NMSU. Bradburd doesn’t shy away from his own mistakes nor those of New Mexico State, the Chicago Public Schools, and various individuals who looked the other way when Harrington needed help, but he also tells a heartwarming story of a tough situation. My only complaint is that the story is at times hard to follow. It is not chronological. I’m not sure what it is, actually. Randomly organized, perhaps. Regardless, a great story. If you follow sports it’s a good read. If you are interested in gun control issues, it is a good read. If you are interested in embedded and generational poverty issues, it is an interesting read.
March 17, 2019
All you need to know is in the second part of the title. If you really love Chicago high school basketball and follow its players and coaches, maybe you'd be into this book. Or if you aren't aware of the violence that kills too many Black men. Both narratives intersect in the story of Shawn Harrington, who was a teacher's assistant and assistant basketball coach at Marshall High School who was shot and subsequently paralyzed during his morning commute, in a case of gang-related mistaken identity.
Bradburd isn't afraid to point fingers at people who don't help Shawn (his employer, Chicago Public Schools; the health care system), but he also doesn't tie his narrative together with big points or offer any solutions. Here's a bad thing that happened to a good man. Period.
Bradburd isn't afraid to point fingers at people who don't help Shawn (his employer, Chicago Public Schools; the health care system), but he also doesn't tie his narrative together with big points or offer any solutions. Here's a bad thing that happened to a good man. Period.
June 4, 2021
Meh, fascinating story and book idea, definitely opened my eyes even more to the violence in Chicago. But once he starts writing about why he’s writing a book, the story falls apart. Maybe 100 pages too long.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews