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First appeared Oct. 4, 2002
Addressing everything from terrorism to Metallica, famous novelist Stephen King captivated a large crowd last night at the Maine Center for the Arts. Wednesday, Oct. 3, was designated “Stephen King Day” in the state of Maine by Governor Angus King. As part of the University of Maine’s participation, King, an alumnus of the class of 1970, offered the audience a taste of his newest work while discussing issues of national concern and fielding questions from the audience.
“I’m bowled over just to be here,” King said Wednesday, “I never expected to have a day. It’s a day! It’s like someone saying you get your own day, now we’re going to kill you!”
The world’s best-selling author, sporting a T-shirt presented to him by New York City’s Fire Department, went on to detail his reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks and the inspiration it provided.
“We were sucker punched,” King said, “you don’t give Uncle Sam a wedgie and walk away.”
The day of the attacks King went to the room in the back of his house and began writing. He continued working on the fifth installment of “The Dark Tower” series, which brings back a character, Father Callahan, from his novel “Salem’s Lot.” The former priest is now living in New York and King said while the book is set in the 1970s, his mind was on the destruction that was unfolding behind him on the TV.
“When an icon falls, a nightmare is born, [but] courage is born out of disorder, anger and out of horror. Art is able to change horror into terror…which can be dispelled and analyzed.”
After reading from the manuscript of “The Dark Tower,” King offered some insight into the art of writing.
“Writing is self-hypnosis,” he said. “It is a very agreeable state to be in. I get there by a process of decompression.
“Writing is magic, as you start to work, the details open up and you remember more.”
Responding to the audience questions, King talked about his tastes in music, fan mail and the creation of the novel ‘IT.’
“My wife said you can’t call it ‘IT’, they’ll call it shit,” King said. “I told her the critics are going to call it shit anyway.”
He also addressed a question about the mystery object he’s holding in posters promoting the event across campus.
“That was 31 years ago, I have no fu***** clue,” King said. “My wife says it’s a paperback [book] so that’s what it is.”
Bangor Daily News