Film follows Tom Wolfe in Miami

Oscar Corral thought someone was yanking his chain the day the phone rang at The Miami Herald newsroom and a soft-spoken voice with a hint of southern drawl said: "Oscar Corral, this is Tom Wolfe."

That would be journalist-turned-novelist Tom Wolfe.

For decades Wolfe had traversed the country, sending up the idiosyncrasies of rich and poor in novels like the New York City-based "The Bonfire of the Vanities," and "A Man in Full," set in Atlanta. Now the satirist had his sights on Miami, and he wanted then-reporter Corral's help.

Beginning in 2008, Corral became a tour guide and translator for Wolfe, taking the author from Miami's raucous Columbus Day Regatta to Little Haiti's Santeria shops. With Wolfe's approval, Corral began filming their escapades. The result is the documentary "Bloodlines," which follows Wolfe as he researches his novel.

Wolfe told The Associated Press he came to Miami to write a book about immigration: "Not how people get in, but how they get along with one another, and sometimes how they don't."

Corral plans to release the film, now in post-production, in time with for the book's expected October release.