Carrozzi Contemplates Conservation, Chief's Curse

Photo: Philip Liborio Gangi

 

by Simone Haas

I have devoted my life to writing until the day I die, states Craig Carrozzi, a Richmond District resident and author of five novels, over a glass of whiskey at Eldos Microbrew and Grill in the Inner Sunset.

The San Francisco native has most recently published The Curse of Chief Tenaya, which he describes as a stealth environmental book hidden in a ghost story.

The book revolves around the story of a Gold Rush survivor who goes hunting for a grizzly bear. It also focuses on the Hetch Hetchy valley and what it might have been like in the year 1891. Carrozzi hopes the book will help with the idea of restoring the valley, which is now dammed.

I figure you make a little noise and someones going to listen, says a smiling, mustached Carrozzi.

Carrozzi spoke in great length about his summers at Camp Mather, a city-run facility located in the lower Sierra, as inspiration for the book.

I was told a lot of ghost stories during those days and this is kind of based on that idea, he said.

Carrozzi also mentioned that the book was originally a short story he had written for a class and his teacher suggested he turn it into a book.

This book fermented in my brain for many years, Carrozzi said. I left it open for a potential sequel and movie ideas.

As an artist, Carrozzi most enjoys doing performance pieces.

I like to go to bars or book readings and have music in the background while I read, Carrozzi said. I recently did a reading at Zazen and it was very successful.

Carrozzi says he chose to live in the Richmond District because of its closeness to the water.

I moved close to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area because I like to get into nature and think, says Carrozzi. I like to get away from people and then go home and write.

Carrozzi has a complaint about the lack of places to read in the Richmond.

There are no organized places to read, says Carrozzi. I wish Green Apple or somebody would host author readings.

Carrozzis other books are a trilogy travelogue, Wedding of the Waters, The Road to El Dorado and Festival of Conception, where he discusses various adventures in Columbia and Brazil from his Peace Corps days. He also has written a book called City Scapes, based on baseball and his experiences at SF Giants games as a kid.

Im a huge Giants fan, Carrozzi said, I just wish they would stop breaking my heart.

Carrozzis other careers include being a Spanish translator, contractor and publicist.

I did a lot of translating for the FBI in the early 80s, Carrozzi said. It was a great way to practice writing.

He obtained his degree from the California State University at Hayward but insists most of his writing skills were acquired from his high school days at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

I had this old priest who just let me write, smiles Carrozzi. He never tried to make me write his way and that helped me acquire my own voice.

Carrozzis books can be purchased at Green Apple Books, Keplers and at his website at www.bol.ucla.edu/~carrozzi/Tenaya.htm.