An evening with Stephen King
On Thursday November 19, author Stephen King did something he rarely does – he gave a public reading in front of thousands of fans.
When he took to the stage at the sold-out Canon Theatre in Toronto (I was in attendance), he got a standing ovation. He was completely taken aback. He later admitted that he was “scared shitless” about speaking in front of so many people. King’s language was quite salty throughout the night, but nobody seemed to mind.
King proceeded to read a short passage from his latest novel, Under the Dome, and then he was interviewed on stage by director David Cronenberg. It was a perfect pairing – an award-winning filmmaker and a best-selling author who have made careers out of exploring the dark side of humanity.
But the conversation was far from dark. King talked about a range of topics: the process of writing big books (“I rarely see more than two days in advance”), his efforts at directing (Maximum Overdrive), other passions (riding motorcycles), global warming, and revisiting his old works.
He even dropped a hint that he is contemplating a follow-up novel to The Shining, entitled Doctor Sleep. The story would feature Danny Torrance, who is now 40 years old and working as an orderly at a hospice for terminally ill patients.
Unlike most authors, Stephen King doesn’t have to make public appearances and go on book tours, but he does so anyways. And I appreciate that he made the effort to spend an evening with his fans in Toronto.
This evening with King was like visiting an old friend. It’s a strange feeling to have read someone’s works for more than three decades, and to finally behold that person in the flesh. King’s style, his self-deprecating humour and his lively anecdotes were a treat.
I’ve read many of King’s novels and short stories and I’ve enjoyed his work immensely. I think King is one of those rare authors whose works will be published and read centuries from now, if we’re still around as a species (King would appreciate the irony).
Here’s a clip of King reading from Under the Dome (courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada).
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You have to admire Stephen King. As this Blog points out, this best-selling author, time and time again, doesn’t have to promote his books or make public appearances, yet he does. I once read that he really wanted to get an article in Playboy. Of course Playboy printed an excerpt from an upcoming book. Later his accountant figured out that that foray into Playboy actually cost Stephen King more than what he was paid in lost revenue! You gotta love the guy!! I’d also love to see a sequel to The Shining!!