The Curse of Carl Mays - The Howard Camerik Interview

Today at Red Sox Nation Daily I am happy to report that I was fortunate enough to interview Howard Camerik, he is the writer of the new novel The Curse of Carl Mays, a novel about the Boston Red Sox.  Howard was kind enough to give me some answers about himself, and his new novel for Red Sox Nation, and all other baseball fans as well.

Red Sox Nation Daily- First, one question about you and the Red Sox, how long have you been a Sox fan, and when did you become a Sox Fan?

Howard Camerik- Jonathan, since I started touring Red Sox Nation (online), I have feared this question, but I have never recieved it, so lets get it out of the way.  The honest answer is....so who says I'm a Sox fan? I'm a fan of another team (my local team), but lets say this, I  so immersed myself in Red Sox culture to write the book, I have genuinely come out of the experience as a Red Sox supporter.  To call myself a "fan" would be an insult to your readers as I know way too much about what being a member of The Nation is all about- but my experience in promoting the book, interacting with folks like you, is getting me closer to fandom every day.  I watch NESN on my Direct TV.  I yell at Tito.  I know very well what the Yankees do (rhymes with truck). So please consider "The Curse of Carl Mays" as my formal naturalized citizenship in The Nation.

Red Sox Nation Daily- What made you decide to write this book?

Howard Camerik- The inspiration for this book was an event that happened in a softball game.  A teammate of mine {Eric Lee-he asked me just today to mention him by name in my interviews} tripped over the first baseman's foot while beating out an infield hit, and when he landed (on his head), he was out cold. The ambulance could be heard from miles away, and just as it seemed it was on top of us, the siren noise stopped. I made some unfunny joke about the ambulance slipping through the time-space continuum to save Ray Chapman instead of our friend Eric and nobody laughed, but it got me thinking about how the idea could be transformed into a novel.  When I set out to choose a modern moment from baseball history to tie it into, the 1986 World Series was an easy choice, in no small part because I knew what it meant to Sox Fans.

Red Sox Nation Daily-Was it difficult researching this book, how did you come across your information?

Howard Camerik- Wow, good question.  Truth is, researching it was pretty easy, even fun.  The internet has been a real boon to authors.  I obtained a font of detailed information from the web and through e-mailing [although, for certain historical minor league information, would you believe I had to resort to the back of baseball cards?].  Mike Sowell, the author of the definitive account of the Mays-Chapman incident, was helpful, too.  Of course, I read several Sox- related books cover-to-cover.  My baseball fantasy camp experience, where I hung out with Bill Lee, Fergie Jenkins, Butch Hobson, **** Drago and others, was part of my foundation. I rewarded The Spacemen by making him a major character.

Red Sox Nation Daily- If you could, what book out there does yours compare to?

Howard Camerik- Besides the obvious- War & Peace, The Grapes of Wrath, Moby ****, David Coppefield-I have to cite as literary influences Darryl Brock's "If I Never Get Back', and Harry Turledove's "Guns of the South". The more recognizable comparisons, though, are to movies.  An Amazon reviewer called it a cross between Field of Dreams and back to the Future.  I've heard references to the Dennis Quaid film Frequency.  Really though, it's incomparable-whether it's incomparably good or incomparably bad, I will have to leave it to readers.

By the way, speaking of movies, this puppy is just made for Ben Affleck. Talk to me Ben. I know you read the Sox blogs. I option cheap, pal.

Red Sox Nation Daily-I know I loved this book, but in your own words tell us why this is a must read for Red Sox Nation?

Howard Camerik- First of all, for Red Sox Nation, there can be no better use of fiction than to correct historical injustices. I'll leave it at that.  In the books climactic chapter, a true Red Sox fan should probably keep at least a hyperventilation bag, if not a defibrillator, handy.  It will be cathartic.

Second, the story drops fictional characters and events into a historically accurate landscape.  So the characters aren't make-believe[like in Mike Lupica's "Wild Pitch"].  The real players are there, live playing fictional roles. I already mentioned Bill Lee[is there a better "character" than the Spaceman? That reminds me of the Seinfeld scene when they write the pilot-"Kramer can be a character", "Now he's a character!"]. The platform for the third part is inside the Sox bullpen during Game Six, so the reader gets to hang out with Joe Sambito, Steve Crawford, Sammy Stewart. even Bruce Hurst [during Game Six, the bullpen was all hands on deck, so Hurst gets no pass]. My only regret is that I couldn't put Oil Can Boyd out there( now he is a character!), he was scheduled to go Game Seven-only a couple of nights of rain threw it back over to Hurst(bet you forgot that didn't you?)-- so during Game Six the can was sitting comfortably in the dugout.  Buckner, Gedman, McNamara all get screen time, too. Pat also has a stint with the Sox in the 70's, so besides Lee, you also get a little Pudge, Sparky Lyle, Don Zimmer, Reggie Smith, Rick Miller, Joe Lahoud, Roger Moret, Lynn McGlothen, just to name a few. It's like a Sox fan's own trip to fantasy camp( and a helluva lot cheaper, trust me).

Third, I have really strived for historical accuracy(except of course, where history takes a detour). The reader will really re-live Sox moments, including Pudge's shot of the screen in '75, and particularly, the ebbs and flows to the legendary Game Six.  There's very little literary license taken.  It all fit together quite nice- it was almost as if I discovered the story rather than invented it.

Red Sox Nation Daily-Where can Red Sox Nation buy the book?

Howard Camerik- The book is not available in bookstores(though Barnes and Noble will order it at the desk), but it is available on every one of the internet booksellers, including amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  It's available in trade paperback(the big kind, not the pocket kind), and hardcover(for the Sox paraphernalia collecter eh?) I would love for any of my readers to contact me (howard.camerik@yahoo.com), and I will be pleased to make arrangements to sign the copy, as well.

Jonathan, best of luck with the blog! You'll be seeing my occasional comments.

I would like to thank Howard Camerik for taking time out to talk about his book "The Curse of Carl Mays" on Red Sox Nation Daily.