I once blogged about the author on whose stone I first learned to sharpen my muse’s sword. Actually, it was more like a rusted dagger then.
Stephen King.
It wasn’t a kindly blog. I believe the title was “20 Authors You Should Read Instead of Stephen King”. The idea for the blog grew from an incident back in 1999 or 2000. King came to Denver as part of the bluesy band The Rock Bottom Remainders. Other bandmates included Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, Amy Tan, Scott Turow, and a few other famous authors.
Yeah, pretty cool, eh?
Best part: a $300 ticket got you into the pre-concert “meet and greet” (buffet dinner, drinks, and mingling with the celebrity writers).
Are you kidding me?
King was my childhood idol and I was also a huge Barry and Albom fan. I bought two tickets, so my (now ex) wife could go along for the experience!
Well, King could not have been more ungracious. Admittedly, I think this was maybe only a year or so after the accident on a Maine back road that nearly killed him. I am sure it was not his first choice in “places to be tonight”, but he came, he charged the exorbitant fee, and then he acted like he’d just arrived at a pederast convention.
I tried to get a picture of him, with me, while the buffet was going on and we were standing around. He said “I’m trying to eat here.” Later he stood to the side of the room, allowing fans to get a book autographed. Most people in front and behind me had multiple books—all the classics: Carrie, It, The Stand—no kidding, some had stacks. Not me. I brought one book. Only one. Oh, I loved them all, but there was only one book I wanted Stephen King to sign.
On Writing.
When I handed it to him, he accepted it as if he’d received yet another turnip in a sea of vegetables. He scribbled his name and looked to the next person in line.
It probably seems like I am still wallowing in sour grape juice. I’m not. I actually had an epiphany recently. Yes, I paid the $600 for the privilege of us being there, but that was not what had always chapped my underside. I still got to meet Dave Barry and Mitch Albom, who were beyond gracious (Barry even answered the letter I sent him in thanks).
No. What had bothered me all those years was the way King was treating his fans. Lifeblood to his bank account. How, exactly, could he be so callused and agnostic to those who so worshiped him that they paid for the privilege to meet him?
Then, a few years ago it hit me. He didn’t owe us that. Every book of his I read as a child took me away to another place—a distant land of killer clowns and vengeful prom queens and post-apocalyptic grandeur. For every fistful of dollars I plunked down, King gave me something priceless in return.
My imagination.
Thanks, Stephen. I am now able to admit that I got the far better bargain.
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The blank page is dead…long live the blank page.
You are a better man than I am. That is abhorrent behavior.
You must still admit that the “VAN REALLY F’ed HIM UP, tho!!”
Keep writing them and I will keep reading them. Just don”t ask me to pay $600.00 to share dinner with you.
Take Care Bud
Mike
I met Stephen King at The Flatirons Athletic Club in Boulder where he was a member while they filmed The Shining. I remember him as pretty friendly and acted like anyone just going in to work out – very approachable. Maybe he was having a bad day….
Yes, I would like to think it was just a bad day! I got the impression he really doesn’t care for the fan attention (particularly so “staged”)…but that’s kind of what making tens of millions of dollars from your readers is all about! I don’t, I just can’t imagine acting that way myself…it was a pretty small gathering of people (a hundred, maybe, if that). Thanks for the comment (and for reading)! Take care, Susie.
King was also a childhood favorite of mine. Read everything he ever wrote. Definitely wanted to become a writer slightly because of him. The Stand is my absolute favorite. Many of his books the past few years have gone the wayside like it seems his attitude has. Although “under the dome” was pretty cool.
Good lesson learned. He rewarded us by transporting us to all those places. He doesn’t owe us anything else. Although polite is still polite.
Nice post.
Thanks for the comment, Wayne. Yeah, I held that sh*t in for a lot of years. But then I realized 80% of my imagination came from reading his books. He was still a douche, though. 😉
He sounds like a real dick. There are a lot of celebs who are dicks and people still place them on pedestals. Great author or not, he still sounds like a dick. yes he doesn’t owe people anything but people paid good money to get to see him, he should be aware he wouldn’t be where he is today if people didnt buy his books. A lesson to be learned in all of this is, most people dont become dicks when they become famous, they were already dicks, fame just highlighted it.
[…] on my blog I would have issue with a (pure) reader/consumer reading. If you’ve read my blog about meeting Stephen King, you know I paid $600 to have him treat me like he’d rather piss […]
True enough perhaps, that he owes us nothing but doesn’t he at least owe some particle of gratitude to the hordes of readers who put him where he is today? Common (?) human decency has its place in any interpersonal exchange, no matter how rich or famous you are. Just my 2 piasters…
From my perspective? If I were to become as famous as King, I would be nice to every person I met (if even for a fleeting moment, because I appreciate how much free time such success would subtract from a person’s life). If someone paid $300 apiece for his wife and himself to meet me? I’d be beyond gracious (as were many of the other authors).