Here is a set of emails discussing one of my stories about my times as bear hunting guide at Katahdin Lodge and Camps in Patten Maine. My Uncle Finley owned that lodge back when I worked there. The story is titled An Italian Nice Guy, and is published here on Maine Outdoors Today. I wanted to share these following emails with all of my readers, because this is a fantastic thing that has happened for me.
First Email Received:
From: "VINCENT CAPOZZI" emailwithheld@msn.com
To: ursusdave (at) hotmail (dot) com
Subject: Italian hunter
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:29:24 -0500
I know that story all too well as it was told many times at Holidays at my and my Uncle's house. We all miss Tony as he passed away 15 years ago. My Father was one of those on that trip Arthur(my father), my Uncle Fulvio (Phil) and Tony who was my uncles father-inlaw. Sill makes us laugh hearing how Tony bent his trigger trying to fire his gun. My Cousin and I were only babies when it happened but we heard it growing up when we started shooting. I'm going to pass your webpage on to my uncle so he can read this story and laugh his ass off again hearing someone else tell it.
Vincent Capozzi
My First Email Reply:
From: David Crews ursusdave(at)hotmail(dot)com
To: emailwithheld@msn.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 2:51 PM
Subject: RE: Italian hunter
Holy cow my heart is pounding! I can't wait to forward this email to my editors. But look, ya gotta realize that it is half fictionalized about Tony and his family because I was going on what a nice guy he was and his wife would probly be like. The big worry is about her working in the business--but she had to be a great partner in his life. That part about her not cooking worth a crap might make her be a waitin there in heaven to give me a piece of her mind -- that is in there to say that she wasn't perfect but Tony loved her unconditionally. I can see there ain't no anger from ya but I have always had concerns about not making it clear by somehow categorizing the story as fictionalized. I wouldn't mind it if someone in your family could write a bit about what they were actually like. But then it may not matter -- it's all about telling a good story -- I mean shoot man it's a hunting story and that leaves room for real tall tales. I'm a struggling writer and don't know all that is right to do here. I used the fiction to paint a picture of how Tony and his hunting partners were the finest kinda folks and to show how well hunting guides sometimes get to know their clients and how well we hunters and guides get along when we all have common sense and good attitudes. As you can see by the story, they were great to spend a week with. That part about the chipmunk is 100% true, and as a 19 year old kid turning into a mature young man it was a wonderful thing to witness. The whole crew at the lodge felt the same way. This story is not in its final edit, it will be rewritten when I get some more writing experience and hopefully publish a book on my adventures in Maine.Two important questions:
How did you find the story?
Are there any photos from that 1969 hunting trip that could be copied? Good grief Vince, I'm sorta shakin inside.
You contacted me when I really needed this.
THANK YOU.
Vince’s Second Email To Me:
From: "VINCENT CAPOZZI" emailwithheld@msn.com
To: "David Crews"
ursusdave(at)hotmail(dot)com
Subject: Re: Italian hunter
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:14:42 -0500
My father and I were watching a hunting show on ESPN and got to talking about that trip and how your Uncle drove those roads up there. He remembered one night they were out in his Rover and broke a rear spring in it, Finley pulled over and had them all get out and help him find all the pieces. The broken spring didn't slow him down on the road one bit. My father and uncle thought that was hilarous. So I told him that I'd look online and see if the camp or Finley was mentioned anyplace, as for photos I'll ask my uncle if he has any. Its possible he does he always takes photos where ever he goes. I'll let you know. Vinnie.
My Second Email Reply:
From: David Crews ursusdave(at)hotmail(dot)com
To: emailwithheld@msn.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: Italian hunter
When you get together with any of Tony's closest family members please don't forget that I am open for correction on anything I have written about him and that I was only doing my best to show what kind of a nice guy he was and how his family must had been very loving. I have always felt great trepidation saying that his wife couldn't cook, I grew up in a family of good cookin women and know how well most Italian women cook, so it has to be understood that this was put in there to show that I believed Tony and his wife were great partners in life and shared unconditional love. If there are any of Tony's children, grandkids or cousins or anyone who can write a little about him I'd enjoy hearing from them. And always wear hearing protection when you go shooting, my friggin' ears are ringin' loud today and that's from life long exposure to loud noises like target shooting without earguards. Thanks.
Vince’s Third Email To Me:
From: "VINCENT CAPOZZI" emailwithheld@msn.com
To: "David Crews"
ursusdave(at)hotmail(dot)com
Subject: Re: Italian hunter
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:49:22 -0400
How's it going Dave, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. My Uncle was here this weekend and got a chance to read your story about Tony, he enjoyed it a lot and it was a lot closer to the truth than anyone wants to admit especially about Tony's wife (truth be told she could never cook but he would never say it to her face). I'm going to send it to my Cousin in California, I'm sure he would like reading about his Grandpa. Dave don't worry about offending anyone on this end, the story is mostly true anyway and we think its fitting way to remember him.
My final thoughts to you on this set of emails:
It is easy to see how much these emails mean to me as a writer and a person with some fond memories of living in Maine.
Now and then, over the past three decades, I have had and still get this vague image of me sitting at the long wooden table in Katahdin Lodge’s dining room, and there are several bear hunters sitting there around me talking and laughing with me; Tony is walking out the door after just leaving from laughing it up with our little group of happy guys sitting at the table; Tony and one of his hunting buddies had just had a bit of a comical verbal sparing match about the good and maybe not so good personal traits of Tony’s wife, whom the hunting buddy was maybe related to in some way; the hunting buddy leans sideways in his chair and closer in towards me, kinda clandestine like, grins, and says to me, "Don’t tell Tony I said this, but his wife can’t cook worth a damn." Then laughter re-erupts again. But Tony never heard the remark or knew why he had heard the laughter erupt again back behind him inside of the Lodge’s dining room, so he was never hurt by the remark about his wife’s cooking. I just can’t remember it clearly enough to say that it definitely did happen, but judging by the last email from Vinnie, it probably did.
ursusdave
Patten Maine
Katahdin Lodge
David Robert Crews
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