On Meeting Stephen King

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stephen-king-3.jpgGetting the chance to meet Stephen King on Tuesday was truly a once in a life time chance and I will never forget it. I learned a lot from the experience and though I wish I could, I don’t know if I’ll be able to document it completely. I was so entranced most of the time, that unfortunately recording it was an after thought. However I will to the best of my ability share with you all what stuck with me.

Here is what I learned about Stephen King:

First off it was exceedingly clear to me that Stephen was and is an excellent father. For him to be so busy, famous, and successful, and yet maintain a decent, let alone good relationship with his children is beyond amiable. He has written books with both of his sons, and I believe the ability to work with one’s parents on such an intimate level is evidence that the relationship is well formed.

stephen-king.jpgI was able to hear from Owen King, and hearing him talk about his childhood was moving. Sure he grew up with wealth and privilege, but that has never (in and of itself) determined how a child would be raised. Owen however talked of a father that aside from his time working, was present kings1and involved in his children’s lives. A father who participated in the local community and even taught little league. To watch Stephen well up when his son praised the time they spent together on this book project, was again, insight into the heart of the relationship. More than anything else, learning how invested and loving Stephen King was as a father (though, as with anyone, he had his flaws) impressed me the most.

Stephen showed an amazing sense of humor; he was constantly making little jokes and even making fun of himself. He certainly loves life, and yet he sees the value in not taking it too seriously, this is a beautiful balance.Stephen King On Writing

On the flip side, he also showed a vulnerability and deep side, that I had not expected. You can tell that he loves to connect; whether with family, or fans, or with Molly aka the Thing of Evil. He finds curious, strange, and equally remarkable ways of doing this. One of the greatest stories I heard was about how he would have his Children dictate books on tape. Audio books were the big new thing and he loved it, but you couldn’t find very much variety back then. So this was a great way to not only expose his children to literature, but also get to listen to books, what a phenomenal combination and what a gift! It all started because Owen was 8 and wanted to start earning money. He asked his dad if he could mow the lawn to earn some, but Stephen said “No, I’ve got a better idea.”

la-et-jc-fathers-day-20170616.jpgStephen has clearly influenced his children in an extremely valuable way. They produce writing and have an abundant knowledge of literature, and of course a love for books. These characteristics are priceless. He was greatly influenced by his mother as well.  The moment he knew he wanted to be a writer was when his mother was reading aloud The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and when Stevenson was very descriptively describing the crunching of bones, King knew in a flash “that’s what I want to do!” Referring to writing of course…

 

King child.jpgHis mother was clearly someone that the apple did not fall far from. She read to them all matter of mystery etc. she loved a good thrill. King described the first time he was ever really truly scared: His mother would wait until they were asleep to listen to a late night radio station, I believe called Mystery Theater. 99309c6b4f8f8a34ded75db8e3f0a10a

The children were not allowed to listen, because it was too scary. Stephen of course would wait till is brother was asleep, crawl out of bed, and then listen to the station through the crack at the bottom of his door. Such tenacity towards a blooming passion! I wish I could accurately describe for you the way I got to hear his recollection of this particular show, but it was a wonder to hear.

6c0461f0d021c8f043cb062c6cc139e5I believe from the way he talked, that his mother was also someone that contributed to his understanding and respect for women. When Stephen talked about this new books “Sleeping Beauties” you could tell he has an admiration for women, that is an uncommon thing to find in many men. I believe being raised by an intelligent and loving single mother was something that greatly impacted his views. He has also been married to his wife for 45 years now, and he talks of her with love and respect, it was lovely. His son Owen follows in his father’s foot steps with this quality.
The fact that these two men could take on the humbling and daunting task of writing a book about the ramifications and chaos, of a world without women, is brave and insightful.

stephenking130Getting to know the wit, depth, and humor of the Master Stephen King, in such an intimate way, was extraordinary. His dialogue was so untainted and real; no frills, no bs, he was just genuine. And it revealed only that however genius and successful he may be, ultimately he is completely ordinary, human, and sane. Sure he had his daughter dictate The Bundy Murders and she didn’t sleep for a month, and sure the family sat around on holiday watching Christine…
He’s Stephen King for goodness sake, there’s got to be a little weirdness allowed! Simply put, he is a man who has lived with passion and character, is refreshingly down to earth and funny, who just happens to write brilliantly, and loves the hell out of books.

Fun Facts: Fun little tidbits I learned
 #1: He also mentioned Bambi being the very first time he was ever afraid. “Man is in the forest” he said, “scared the hell out of me.” I live in the N.W. and this summer I sadly witnessed the horror that really is, man in the forest, so I heard him say that line with new awareness and deeper meaning.
#2 is Stephen Kings favorite book: The Lord of The Flies, The Catcher in The Rye being a close second.
#3 When asked what his favorite work was, of his own, he struggled to answer for awhile. He said it was like picking a favorite child. However he eventually did mentioned On Writing and one other that my brain misplaced, but then he finally settled quite resolutely on The Dead Zone.

Know any fun tidbits about Stephen King? Feel free to share 🙂


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35 thoughts on “On Meeting Stephen King”

  1. This is such an awesome post. I saw Stephen King was recently in my neighborhood promoting Sleeping Beauties with Owen but I was unable to make it. The event ended up being sold out by the time I found out about it. So glad that you were able to go. It sounds like such a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to get my hands on Sleeping Beauties soon.

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  8. Wow, thank you for sharing! You have written about your experience so wonderfully.

    I have read just a few of Stephen King’s books, including On Writing, and as I enjoy his writing I also enjoy how genuine he is – like you said above. And, as a Mainer and English degree holder from King’s alma mater, I look at him with a little more admiration and pride than I do other authors I love. 😉

    Have you read The New York Times’ interview with the entire King family? I highly recommend reading that if you haven’t – link here.

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  15. Abbie Lu, thank you for your sharing of your time with Stephen King! Yes, “On Writing”! That’s the book I so enjoy!! And, not seeing many thrillers at all in my life, The Dead Zone” was one of the few and yes, written by our favorite, Stephen King!! It was so nice to learn he is in person who we believe him to be in “On Writing”. Thank you!!

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  16. Pingback: On Meeting Stephen King – worldtraveller70

  18. The more I reflect on my young life, and Stephen King’s involvement (indirectly, of course) in my childhood, I realize that I owe him a lot. I’d been told stories all my life by my grandfather and father, about my Dad’s uncle Dugald, who lives in Maine and is one of Stephen King’s direct neighbors. So, my grandfather passed away when I was still very young, and left me his entire collection of books–including every Stephen King book up until that point, all of them first editions and most of them autographed. I tore through those books between the ages of 12 and 15. I decided, sometime before Salem’s Lot but after The Shinning that I wanted to be a writer. I also developed a passion for short stories, which I still harbor to this day.

    Well, I might be rambling at this point. Thank you for the fantastic article!

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  19. What a wonderful write-up of your experience of meeting Stephen King. It read like an autobiography. Wonderful!
    On another note, just a reminder that my latest book is being offered for free this weekend and maybe you’d be interested in reviewing it!

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  25. So Awesome that you had an opportunity such as this. I live in Nova Scotia Canada, and even though he lives a quick trip across the water, I fear I will never get to meet my favorite author. I first read It when I was about 13 and it has remained with me all my life as my favorite horror book. His writing style is his alone and I love it. Looking forward to getting my hands on Sleeping Beauties.
    Love you blog!
    Chill Mom Julia

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