Why did they change the name from Rocket Boys to October Sky?
It seems to us that Rocket Boys was such a very fitting name. HH: I agree! It was the Marketing Department at Universal Studios who decided Rocket Boys sounded too much like a kid’s movie. October Sky is an anagram of Rocket Boys, believe it or not, and that’s how they chose the title, retrofitting into the script something about Sputnik “flying through the October Sky.” TBR: We have learned that the publication of an article, “The Big Creek Missile Agency” in Air & Space/Smithsonian led to this book. Had you kept a diary of your “Rocket Boys” project, or did you rely upon your memories? HH: I had no diary but a perfect memory of every rocket, down to the last nozzle and bolt. I was able to extrapolate the rest of the story by remembering what happened before and after each launching. My father kept a daily work diary, however, and sometimes he would have personal items in them. His diaries allowed me to check dates and times. TBR: How long did it take you to write the book? HH: Three
