'That Masterful Season' is the first novel on masters track
 Cornell Stephenson captures masters track in new novel.
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Cornell Stephenson, who five years ago won four M40 sprint medals at Puerto Rico worlds, made masters history this spring. He didn't run a relay leg or set a record. (In fact, he had two knee surgeries in 2007 and hopes to make a comeback this summer.) He wrote a novel. Called "That Masterful Season," it is the first work of fiction to revolve around masters track. Like the 2005 documentary "Racing Against the Clock," which I reviewed here, Cornell's book does justice to the masters track experience. But my freshly posted review nitpicks the novel from a literary perspective. Don't sweat it, Cornell. You're a hell of a better author than I am a quarter-miler.
When I inquired of Cornell why he hasn't shown up in the sprint results lately, he replied: "I suffered a horrible pull to my hamstring during my first competition in 2005 that ended my season. I was able to stay healthy enough to run with Sal (Allah), Kettrell (Berry), and McDuffrie (Allen) at the Penn Relays in 2006 (victorious 4x400) before my knee failed me. Two knee surgeries in 2007 wiped out that season, but I plan to return this summer to run some 100s and 200s."
I also asked how much time he spent writing his novel. He replied: "The book took awhile because I let it sit whenever I didn't feel like I had the creative flow to make it work. Maybe a concentrated effort of several months if I added it all up and before any rewrites."
And I (shamelessly) asked why the book had a boring cover.
"I didn't want a cover to make readers believe that it was simply about track, so it is implied through the gold (base), silver (letters) and bronze (borders)," he wrote. "The shades were not great, but at some point I decided just go with it and get it out to the public."
There's no question he crafted some interesting characters. But what many masters will find most intriguing is he puts many of his masters sprint friends and heroes into "That Masterful Season." I easily picked out a half-dozen characters based on real people. Some are barely disguised. He uses the same initials for Sandy Pashkin and Darnell Gatling's fictional doubles.
When you read it, you'll probably recognize other M40 sprinters. (The novel doesn't mention any other events, though. And even though the season in question is 2003, Cornell doesn't cite the Eugene masters nationals. Just Penn and Puerto Rico.)
"That Masterful Season" mashed up real experiences and events (as well as people), but it created situations as well. One that daunted me: several references to drug-testing of masters record-setters at the Penn Relays.
USATF doesn't drug-test masters. Period, But I wasn't sure if that applied to Penn. So I wrote several people, and nobody could tell me for sure whether masters were drug-tested in 2003. I seriously doubt it. I think the doping test scenes in the book were inserted to make it look more lifelike to readers unfamiliar with our circuit. No biggie.
Cornell didn't take a conventional route to publication, however. He appears not to have hired an agent and tried to land a book deal. Instead, he went the self-publishing route.
Some folks would say he went to a "vanity press" -- a publisher that charges an author a set sum for a given number of books. But Xlibris, the publisher of "That Masterful Season," rejects the "vanity" label, saying on its Web site:
Xlibris is not a publisher. We are a publishing services provider. Traditional publishing houses select books based on the sales potential of a manuscript. If they choose your book, large houses will also take the rights to your book. Xlibris takes no rights. Xlibris is an on-demand publishing services provider that enables authors to become their own publishers. When you publish with Xlibris, you are essentially self-publishing in the most efficient way possible.I asked Cornell how many copies had been printed, and how much he paid for the service. He wouldn't say, citing "personal financial information."
But I found a Web site that reported:
According to Xlibris's own figures, the average book printed by Xlibris sells only 150 copies, out of which 100 are sold to the authors themselves (meaning they have to pay twice for publication), while the remaining 50 copies are the only ones sold directly to the book-buying public.Well, I hope Cornell sells a lot more books than that. Certainly it's a masters track collector's item.
Even if I have reservations on its literary value, "That Masterful Season" is historic as the first novel to fully explore the nuances of the masters track experience, especially from the elite perspective. Check it out.
Comments
I remember my friend Cornell speaking of this book several years before the making, knowing full well where the inspiration derived. Now I'm waiting for my copy to arrive knowing I'll love every moment of it.
So happy to see it come to fruition, Cornell.
Talk to you soon.
Posted by: saladin allah | April 28, 2008 9:03 AM
Congrats to my friend Cornell Stephenson for taking a risk that many wanted to but didn't. I've read many of those memoirs and encouraged him to a book. Personally I loved the book even though I'm not a runner or on any masters' circuit. Ken, what was the need to know his personal financial dealings anyway? Why can't a novel be positive since so many books with male characters are negative? It appears that you wanted Cornell to write your story about masters. Keep writing Mr. Stephenson becasuse you have a gift. Peace
Posted by: Frank | April 28, 2008 1:31 PM
While I do appreciate your review of my book, I must correct you on a point that I emailed you before your review. You are off base as it relates to the character who you feel is Kettrell Berry. Kettrell and I are friends but I do not know much about his personal life so once again it is a coincidence. In fact, the divorced character is the one person who is completely fictional. Also, it was not my intention to hide similarities because those people knew about the project before I got started. Thanks again but please try to stick to the facts.
Posted by: Cornell Stephenson | April 28, 2008 5:00 PM
Correction noted, Cornell.
Technically, of course, every character is made up.
Indeed, the book includes the obligatory disclaimer: "This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental."
That said, I also note the parallel between the character Mick Kellogg and real-life quarter-miler James Lofton. Both have sons looking to beat their dads at 400. In the book, Mick cheered son Josh: "50.2, son! 50.2!"
In 2005, James ceded 400 superiority to his son Daniel, who ran 49.7 as a junior at Westview HS in San Diego. Daniel is now a football player at the University of Hawaii.
Also, I love how the book details a WR in the 4x1 at Penn, using the time "42.20" as the M40 record. It's the same WR time, in real life, that Cornell ran with his friends at UC Irvine a year later. Just a coincidence.
Posted by: Ken Stone | April 28, 2008 8:01 PM
Cornell
"That Masterful Season"
I honor your courage for taking on such a task.
In 1994 yourself and Sal extended your hands in friendship and I will always be there for you guys.
Ken you are a friend as well, please put this to rest and enjoy life.
Posted by: Kettrell Berry | April 28, 2008 8:13 PM
GOT MY COPY YESTERDAY !
Support this folks ! Cuz Cornell has always been about track !.....so it's from the heart.
Posted by: saladin allah | April 29, 2008 4:20 AM
I congratulate Cornell for publishing! Good Job! Most people talk about writing a book (myself included), but it never goes beyond Chapter 1.
I wonder if there are "references" to Canadian David Lee Provo - the man who denied Cornell from winning 4 Golds at WMA2003?
Posted by: Jimson Lee | April 29, 2008 10:08 AM
David Lee Provo apparently is represented by a Canadian character in the book named Lee Pulley. Name appears on five pages.
Posted by: Ken Stone | April 30, 2008 4:01 AM
Ken,
You are truly persistent, in a hilarious way :)).
You are truly who you are. No offense, now :))).
Sal
Posted by: saladin allah | April 30, 2008 8:32 AM
Congratulations on a job well done. After so much negativity surrounding the track and field world (doping, etc.), it was indeed refreshing to delve into the clean side of the profession by a dedicated athlete. This book should be heralded for the good things it brings to life regarding the sport and all those dedicated athletes that are still participating in a positive way. As regards Mr. Stone's pious review; first, if you want hot love scenes purchase Playboy and second, if you want a different ending, write your own book! Now that I have read the book, I can freely pass it on to my fourteen year old twins that are definitely headed for "Track Star Heaven".
Let's try and bring more positive lights to the world of track and field, this novel is a very good start.
Congratulations again to the new author, Cornell Mark Stephenson for a job well done!!!!
Posted by: Casey Harvey | May 2, 2008 6:43 AM