Stephen King Chides Governor LePage

In his weekly radio program, Maine governor LePage suggested that Stephen King left Maine because of the states income tax.

Meanwhile, remember who introduced the income tax here in Maine. Well, today former Governor Ken Curtis lives in Florida where there is zero income tax. Stephen King and Roxanne Quimby have moved away, as well.

Stephen King issued this response to Goernor LePage:

 "Governor LePage is full of the stuff that makes the grass grow green. Tabby and I pay every cent of our Maine state income taxes, and are glad to do it. We feel, as Governor LePage apparently does not, that much is owed from those to whom much has been given. We see our taxes as a way of paying back the state that has given us so much. State taxes pay for state services. There's just no way aRound it. Governor LePage needs to remember there ain't no free lunch."

Now it makes me wonder if the Republican Governor knows anything at all about Stephen King and politics.  Did he really think King, who has openly said he should pay more taxes, would leave the state because of taxes?

Amy Fried at Bangor Daily News points out that Stephen King has not left the state.  She writes:

 I live in Bangor and frequently walk past his house on West Broadway. There are often cars in the driveway with Maine plates. I sometimes see Stephen or Tabitha in Bangor. 

The Kings vote in Bangor. I’ve looked up their donations to federal candidates and they’re listed as Maine residents. 

Besides the Bangor home, they also own a home in western Maine. Plus there’s a house in Florida.

Down East Pulls Back The Curtain On Stephen King Circa 1977

10,000 Magazines, #9,998
Down East, The Magazine Of Maine, November 1977
First published: September 13, 2012

Do you remember 1977?  I was four.  The magazine is fun because it reads like a home town paper of sorts.  Very professional and fun, it is full of local ads and happenings throughout Maine.

One reason I love the old magazines is because they capture a particular moment in time.  Prices, fashion and ads are all frozen in a 100 page time capsule.  It is strange to see ads that require you to write in – no websites advertised here!

The November, 1977 issue of Down East had an interesting article by Lois Lowry titled, “King of the Occult.”

With a picture of a young Stephen King sitting on the hood of his Cadillac, the caption reads, “Stephen King has written three best-selling horror novels that have made him a millionaire at thirty.  Now friends and critics wait to see if he can do it again.”

Lowry takes time to discuss King’s mother in some detail, “He called his mother Ma.  She brought him broken cookies from the bakery where she worked at night while he was sleeping; and told him, with a fervor that came from a combination of resolute fundamentalism and the staunch New England belief that grit and stubbornness bear fruit like aple trees in rocky soil, that he would someday be a success.”

She also discusses his reception in Maine:

“Maine natives are not effusive people; nor are they likely to look kindly on a blue-jeaned upstart who has written of their home territory in allegories heavy withe vil and permeated with the violent bizarre, and occult.  Nevertheless, they come clutching their books, to get a glimpse and the signature of the man who has prodded at the perimeters of their lives with his perceptions and  his pen.”

Now that’s interesting, since of the three books King had published up to that point, only two of them were set in Maine.  The Shining was set in Colorado.  Also, Carrie is not heavy on the Maine setting.  But Salem’s lot overshadowed all other works when it came to location.  The novel told what a small Maine town would be like if it was taken over by vampires.  But the novel wasn’t just a blood and guts horror novel, it told the story of a small town, and that is what really drives the story.  It is appropriate that the story bears the towns name.  Lowry writes, “Country life suits Stephen King.”

At the time of the article, King lived in Bridgton, Maine.  Lowry describes it:

“To meet him there, in a spacious, toy-strewn house filled with the high voices of children and the sunshine that reflects brilliantly from Long Lake, it is hard to believe that murderous creatures are brewing in his brain like newts in a cauldron.  It’s a placid, unostentatious kind of country living that reveals nothing of the lurking horrors of the mind that made it possible. 

It’s a hard house to find.  A visitor must know the landmarks, the right turn to make in the narrow, winding road that runs along the lake.”

Later in the article, Lowry says that the house Is for sale. King was headed to England, where the  filming of The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson, would be done.

(Check out the Down East article, “Stephen King Doesn’t Live In Bridgton Anymore”)

The article traces the story we now know pretty well – but never really get tired of – of King rising from nothing to becoming a best selling author.  The article also, almost off-handedly remarks that Stanley Kubrick has bought the rights for The Shining.  We all know how that came out!

I like these lines:

“Smile.  Wince.  Reach for a cigarette.  An asprin.  Turn on some country music and hum.  Tease Tabby.   Scold little Joe for riding his plastic Batmobile around the living room too noisily.  Stoke the yellow cat named Carrie.  Diaper the new baby who smiles in the sunny bedroom.  Downstairs, the typewriter waits.  The terrors and spooks   and nameless, faceless creatures are all down there in the study, waiting to be written.  And the public waits, the critics wiat, to see if he can do it again.”

See, the fun of this article is that we already know – yes he can do it again!  The people who inhabit the distant world of 1977 don’t even know about The Stand, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dead Zone or. . . the Dark Tower!

*** And wait a minute, did the article just reveal he had a cat named Carrie?  What's wrong with Church?  Church is a good name for a cat.

The article also discusses the issue of genre and typecasting.  “Shelly and Toker wrote successful horror.  So does King.  But what is it that distinguishes good horror from the old Tales From the Crypt” that you read with the kind of gleeful fear when you were a kid?”  For my money, and a lot of people’s I would venture to guess, we like King’s gleeful joy as he leads us through his stories.  Lowry quotes King, “All I am is the phosphorescent ghost at the funhouse.   I’m the guy who jumps out and yells ‘Boo!’”

Lowry rightly accesses King’s strength is his ability to combine the real and imaginary worlds.  Thus he takes issues we know and understand – alcoholism, small towns, little boys and mixes  them with freak-a-zoid things like vampires and haunted hotels.  King also says, “People grow up, and their need for fantasy remains.  You’re made a child again, through fear, and that’s a normal desire.”

About the fans, King had an easier time of it back in 1977 than he would through the 80's and beyond.  But still, even by then, the fans were starting to encroach on King’s personal life.   The article says,

King appreciates his fans, answers the letters they write him, and carries in his wallet a photograph of a young girl from the Southwest because she sent a note that touched him.  But he’s had his phone number changed, and the local operator tells countless people every day, “No, I’m sorry, we are not permitted to disclose that number,” because strangers call from all parts of the country to ask for money, interviews, help in finding a publisher for the 800-page novel they’ve written about werewolves, or advice on how to do away with the demonic neighbor who has caused their vegetables to succumb to root rot. 

Sometimes he opens his eyes wide behind the horn-rimmed glasses and realizes that Tabby is at home on the edge of the lake witht eh kids, listening to music, and he’s on a plane to at own whose name he has temporarily forgotten, to sign his name for people he’s never met, and to be interviewed for a magazine that will make him sound glamorous and oracular and start the stream of phone calls and unwanted guests all over again.”

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Here's a page my beloved mother-in-law scanned. . . and I have no idea why!  but I love that lady.

David Aaron Gray: What does Shawshank Redemption have in common with Lindsay Lohan, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and the Scariest Clown in History?

This is from David Aaron Gray's blog, reposted with permission.  Thanks!  (Check out his map, it's pretty cool)

From: www.davidaarongray.com

When thinking of an American state that will be the location of your film or story, I bet you could name 44-48 of our United States before you would settle on boring old Maine.

Well, the author behind Shawshank Redemption (as well as countless terrifying tales), Stephen King, chose Maine for the location of virtually all of his well-known works. And if you have ever been to the 23rd state admitted to the Union you'd quickly realize that it offers writers and directors a remote venue in which to tell their disturbing story (equipped with dark and disquieting natural scenery).

Besides being a popular attraction for Stephen King fans, Maine's only other appeal exists in its potential to become a swing state in a Presidential Election (but this is somewhat rare).

As a side note, Maine must have been unpopular with the founding fathers. If you look at a map of the East coast of the U.S., it would be logical to make Maine the 14th state admitted to the Union (post the Revolutionary War which created the original 13 states). But no, as I mentioned earlier, Maine doesn't get into club America until 1820 as state #23 (after Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi). There were even serious rumors circulating in March of 1820 of making California a state before Maine. Now, you don't need to look at a map to conclude how insulting this would be to residents of Maine. For all we know, the only people in 1820 who could actually attest to the existence of this so-called "California" were Lewis and Clark.

Maine only got in as part of the famous Missouri Compromise whereby Missouri would be a slave state and Maine a free one. I think the South got the better end of that deal.

Well, maybe not deemed important to Congress, Stephen King, lobsters and a bunch of summer camps still call Maine home and below is an annotated map of some famous films set in lucky #23:

Stephen King at THE OFFICE

I've been watching the office a lot lately.  Why?  Because I have netflix. So I watch a billion episodes of something until the well is dry -- then move on to something else.  So Raymond led to Coach led to The Munsters led to Family Ties led to Commander and Chief led to The Office.

Stephen King is mentioned several times in The Office.

For instance, from "The Seminar."  Erin is  upset that all her date wants to watch are scary movies.  "So far I've seen 'The Shining,' 'Rosemary's Baby,' 'The Ring". . . not really my thing.  Although I do like the early parts of the movie where  they have a perfect family and everything."

Here's another from an episode titled "Lotto."  The crew is talking about what they would do if they won the lotto.  Jim says he would move to Maine if he won the Lotto.

Jim: "Stop.  I'm barista in your fantasy?"
Pam: "Well, in your fantasy, we're Stephen King characters."

My favorite characters are Dwight and Kevin.

And this is a really good idea. . .

Special Edition Of The Regulators Auctioned To Help Needy

picture credit HERE

This is pretty neat  from wabi.tvnews.  A special slip case limited edition of the Regulators is being auctioned off to help Emmaus Homeless Shelter in Ellsworth with their "fuel fund."  The fund helps those who cannot afford to heat their homes during those cold Maine winter.

And, even more cool -- it's signed.  How did it get signed?  The article reads in part:

"There's only 550 of these that were boxed this way," explained Scotties Bookhouse Owner Michael Riggs. 

The book was donated by a regular bookstore customer who'd like to remain anonymous. The donor had a plan for what to do with the book's sale, but first he wanted to know what it was worth. 

"I told him the book would be worth more if he could get Mr. King to sign it," said Riggs. 

We don't know the details of that transaction, but we do know that if you open the cover now you'll find that Stephen King signed and dated it.

The article quotes the director of the Shelter, Lucille MacDonald, "I just think it's an ingenius way of being able to get a little bit extra to help people out."  Is this the first time a nun has gotten excited about selling Stephen King books?  I wonder.

I like this quote from MacDonald, "People come in and their tanks are empty and they have children and babies and the elderly. The other day an 85-year-old woman came in to the shelter and I was able to give fuel for her."  That's great.

The article states:

The book is on display at Scotties Bookstore at 209 Route 1 in Hancock. 

You can place bids in person, by phone at 667-6834, or by e-mail at scottybooks@yahoo.com. 

MAINE: Girl Rewarded For Returning Lost Money

Hey, check out Susan B. Weir's article on YAHOO (Shine) titled, Maine Girls Returns Lost Money, Gains Awesome Reward" (HERE)  The girls  name is Abbie Jacobson.

How cool is it. . . it comes from SHINE.

Tabitha and Stephen King Foundation Award Grants to Maine Libraries

In the clutter of several Stephen King news articles – I found this one in particular interesting. This short piece of news was posted at www.maine.gov by Valerie Osborne, August 8,2012.

During the month of July several Maine libraries received news that they had been awarded grants from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. Once again, Maine libraries are so fortunate to benefit from the generosity of this Foundation. Libraries have shared with us their delight in learning that their library was a recipient of a grant from the Kings in this latest round of awards. Keep in mind that the list includes only those libraries that shared this information with the Maine State Library.

Abel J, Morneault Memorial Library (Van Buren) $20,000 bathroom and entry way renovation 

• Edythe Dyer Community Library (Hampden) $10,000 boiler replacement

• Bingham Union Library $6,000 replace furnace

• Lincoln Memorial Library (Lincoln) $1,500 Read it Forward Program 

• Treat Memorial Library (Livermore Falls) $25,000 HVAC project

• Millinocket Memorial Library $30,000 to replace windows

• Brownfield Public Library $800 new conference table

• South Berwick Public Library $50,000 shelving for new facility

Real Places And People in 11.22.63

photo credit: Sun Journal
Frank Anicetti, the third-generation-owner of the Kennebec Fruit Company in Lisbon Falls, is featured in 11.22.63

Michelle Souliere, author of Strange Maine, shared a cool link with me.  The article by Mark LaFlamme (HERE) discusses Maine in relation to King's novels.  A subject I always find interesting!  By the way, the article has one of those titles that goes on for four lines!  It could simply be titled, "Stephen King's Maine."

LaFlamme discusses not only buildings and sites from King's Maine, but people we discover in his novels.  11.22.63 is a mix of fictional, historical and. . . how do I say -- real people.  By real I mean people who are not famous, and thus we would not know they were real unless someone told us. 

LaFlamme discusses a man named Frank Anicetti.  He is in 11.22.63. . . but I didn't know he was anything but another character in King's novel!  LaFlamme reveals that Anicetti appears "as himself" in the novel!

"The proprietor of the Fruit Company," King writes at the start of the book, "an elderly sweet-natured man named Frank Anicetti, had once told me the world's population divided naturally (and probably by genetic inheritance) into two groups: the tiny but blessed elect who prized Moxie above all other potables . . . and everybody else."

I found Frank Anicetti and discovered him to be all of those things. And if he is real, then maybe the time machine is, too. And so I find myself once more prowling the landscape of a Stephen King novel in search of that weird place where fiction and the real world blend so beautifully.

The article is really a lot of fun.  Michelle wrote, "It's a nice slice of life, because LaFlamme actually walks around and traces King's steps via his books in a number of Maine towns -- always cool to see where he gets his ideas, and Mark's a great one for putting these adventures into words."

Souliere is also cited in the article discussing King's blending of places.

Again, the arcle is HERE.

Photo: Lisbon Falls 1960's

Here is a photo of Lisbon Falls Maine, circa 1960.  This, of course, is just a little later than the time portal takes Al and Jack to in King's latest novel,11.22.63.  A picture is worth a thosuand words!  It certainly confirms the flavor of what King describes early in the novel.  I found the photo HERE.

King To Launch THE PULSE Radio Show

At a Press Conference today, Stephen King announced The Pulse Morning Show will now be airing on his WZON 103.1 FM throughout Maine.  The program will start September 12.

"We're going to try to be informative. We're going to be provocative. We're going to be amusing, and we're going to try to be a positive community force."

The show will be hosted by former Green party vice-presidential candidate Pat LaMarche and Don Cookson, a former reporter. 

New Novella: Mile 81

I spotted this first at Lilja's Library.  http://www.liljas-library.com/

King has a new novella coming out as an ebook, titled "Mile 81."  The 80 page ebook will be available on September 1, 2011 and will cost $2.99.

No details are given.  Mile 81 is a rest area that appears in Dreamcatcher (p.525).

Ransom Note For Stolen Maine Highway Sign Delivered To King's Radio Station

Bangor Daily News reports that police are investigating the disappearance of Gov. Paul LePage's "pen For Business" sign on Kittery's Interstate 95.  The sign disappeared "sometime before Memorial day."  Reason no one is sure. . . probably because it took government a while to call each other and ask if they are the ones who took it down! 

A ransom note was taped to the door of WZON-FM (King's station).  The article says "The note was composed using letters cut out of newspapers and magazines and glued to a piece of paper."  The article also notes, "King has raised money for and contributed to Democratic candidates in Maine and Florida." 

And, the story concludes by telling us that "police have several leads on the stolen sign." 

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/06/03/politics/ransom-note-for-%E2%80%98open-for-business%E2%80%99-sign-left-at-king%E2%80%99s-radio-station/

Strange Maine on the air

I really like the Strange Maine blog.  They give some great insights to Stephen King territory.  Tonight (10-11pm) Michelle Souliere will be interviewed on WMPG, 90.9 FM and 104.1 FM.

Michelle writes, "The Who knows what will surface? The show customarily features a mix of soundtracks, novelties, spoken word, experimental, and instrumentals from all genres, especially jazz, surf, and r&b, but the Strange Maine interview show creates a neat hybrid of these elements with extensive interview segments interspersed. Nifty dandy!!!"  Nifty dandy indeed, Michelle!

For those of us not in the Portland area, listen online here: http://wmpg.org/include/listenlive.htm

Check out the Strange Maine blog, http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2011/05/tonight-strange-maine-on-wmpg.html

Maine In Literature

In an article titled "Where in the book", Janet Mendelsohn of boston.com reviews how Maine has been highlighted in literature. She writes, "Maine is the backdrop for countless books beloved by children and adults, and the home or stomping ground of writers from Henry David Thoreau to Stephen King."

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About King, Mendelsohn writes, BANGOR King’s characters inhabit at least 30 places statewide, real and imaginary, including Sanford (“The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’’), and Castle Rock, a fictional town northwest of Lewiston, where King, who owns a house in Bangor, set the series that ran from “Different Seasons’’ (1982) to “Needful Things’’ (1991). Novelist Tabitha King, Stephen’s wife, invented another small town for her Nodd’s Ridge, Maine, series.

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http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/maine/articles/2011/03/06/where_in_the_book/

Stephen King story in Belfast

Strange Main posted a neat opportunity to hear a reading of "The Reach" at Aarhus Gallery on February 13. The post says that the reading will be performed by Maine actors Helen York and Bonnie VersbenCoeur, with musical accompaniment by Doug Ludwig.
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THE INFO: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2011/02/event-stephen-king-story-in-belfast.html

Notable Bangor

picture: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cOElEn9DGguG-06PB-532w?select=WThIExmqHHsGNhKhMpMpgw

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I first spotted this story at Bev Vincents website. Edgar Allen Beem has a neat article in Downeast. He asks notable residents to share their observations about Maine. Yes, one of them was Stephen King.

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King says:

"BangorMy idea of the real Maine is lunch at Rosie’s Diner in Lovell. Especially in the fall, after the summer folks go home. Grab a copy of the local paper (the Bridgton News), sit at the counter, and order the blueberry pancakes (with real maple syrup). Bacon on the side’s optional. The cook wears a Red Sox hat, there’s a picture of Elvis over the specials board,and the locals talk politics and football while the leaves fall outside. If you like, when you finish your lunch, you can stroll across to the public library. Not bad."

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There's a lot of great contributions to this article that you should check out. I enjoyed all of it.

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http://www.downeast.com/magazine/2011/january/characters

Maine Writers Database

Maine Government News has an article titled, "Maine State Library Introduces the Maine Writers Database."
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reads in full as follows:
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December 3, 2010
Maine State Library
Dean Corner
Director, Reader and Information Services207-287-5604
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The Maine State Library is pleased to introduce a searchable database of over 500 Main writers who lived from the 18th century to the present. Most people know that Stephen King and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow are Maine writers. Both were born in Maine and both were educated in Maine. Their works, from Under the Dome to Evangeline take place in Maine.
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What else defines a Maine writer? Who should be counted? “We spread our net as widely as possible” reports Peggy O’Kane, Coordinator of Reference and Research. “The State Library has always collected the books of authors who live in Maine or who have strong connections to the state.”
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Information on writers can be searched by browsing an A to Z list, by keyword, genre, or time period or a combination. “This is still a work in progress and people are invited to submit names of writers we’ve missed or to provide corrections to the information we’ve listed.”
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http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Portal+News&id=159900&v=article-2008

Dangerous Occupations

This is from downeast.com. The only direct "King" connection is the line, "The University of Maine Cooperative Extension's Potato Harvester Safety bulletin was written by Steven Johnson but reads like Stephen King." This is, after all, King country.

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Number of Fatalities per 100,000 employed

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1. Fishers and Related Fishing Workers 118.4

2. Logging Workers 92.

3. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers 66.9

4. Structural Iron and Steel Workers 55.6

5. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors 43.8

6. Farmers and Ranchers 41.1

7. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers 32.7

8. Drivers/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers 29.1

9. Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers 23.2

10. Construction Laborers 22.7

http://www.downeast.com/magazine/2006/november/maines-most-dangerous-jobs

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Most Dangerous Occupations In A King Novel:

This got me to thinking: Most dangerous professions in a Stephen King novel. My list included a mix of people who were harmed directly because of their occupation, and some who had bad stuff happen unrelated to their work. Of course, one of the most dangerous things to be in a Stephen King novel is: A resident of Maine! (Or a simply a resident of a small town).

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Of course, you might notice that only a few of the real dangerous occupations appear. Of course, it wasn't too good to own a farmhouse in Fire starter. And Brian, the pilot in Langoliers certainly encountered some serious trouble.

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1. Writer. (Misery, Desperation, Dark Half, The Shining, IT, The Dark Tower 6-7, Tommyknockers, Secret Window, 1408). Now, not all of these were directly affected by their writing. But several were! For instance, Misery was about a writer who meets the fan from hell. And Secret Window and Dark Half were both about writers pretty much going mad. Of course, in Dark Half, there was a real ghost hunting Thad down! But Bobby in Tommyknockers gets in her mess not because she's a writer -- though writing certainly plays a role in the book.

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2. Writers spouse. (Dark Half, The Shining, IT) It's definitely not good to be married to a writer in a Stephen King novel!

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3. High School Student. (Carrie, Christine, Rage) The death toll in both these books is pretty high!

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4. High School teacher. (Carrie, Sometimes they come back, Dolan's Cadillac)

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5. Prisoner. (Firestarter, The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption)

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6. Police. (Green Mile, Buick 8, Needful Things, Under the Dome) I have the most sympathy here for Allen Pangborn in Needful Things. Hi job put him in a real tight spot.

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7. Child. (IT, The Sun Dog, Cujo, the Talisman, Pet Semetery, The Mist, Storm of the Century, The Body, The Shining, Fire starter) Though not an occupation, it's tough stuff being a Kid in a Stephen King novel. Kids are most likely to get picked on, see monsters and have unusual gifts that various unseemly people want to take advantage of.

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8. House keeper. (Dolores Claiborne)

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9. Artist. (Cell, The Mist) This is just circumstantial here. I don't think either book's misery was directly related to their work.

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10. Preacher. (Under the Dome, Salem's Lot, Silver Bullet, Needful Things.) Sorry to say, preachers don't fair well in a King novel. About as well as they do in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath (remember Casey?) The preachers in Needful Things were truly awful.

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11. Construction Worker / roads. (Roadwork, Dolan's C., Duma Key) Duma Key is the best here, since the injury happened at work.

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12. Human. (The Stand, Cell) That's not a over statement!

S.K. and Bangor

I liked this short article by Ellen Creager titled "Stephen King and Bangor a matched pair." Not a lot of really new information here, but still interesting and warmly written. The Tommyknockers tour is up and running.

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Creager describes the house, "The house is hard to miss. Some might call it burgundy red -- or possibly blood red. The 19th-Century Victorian mansion is surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. The fence is emblazoned with bats and spider webs."

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100801/COL21/8010306/1025/FEATURES02/Stephen-King-and-Bangor-a-matched-pair

Joe Hill In Portland

In a post titled, "Maine's son of horror coming to town!" Strange Maine reports that Joe Hill will visit in Portland on Saturday, August 14.

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Michelle Souliere, author of Strange Maine, states that Hill will be signing copies of his new graphic novel "Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows" and the first issue of his newest comic book series "Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom."

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Strange Maine blog: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2010/08/maines-son-of-horror-coming-to-town.html

More Information: http://www.casablancacomics.com/

Strange Maine Book: https://historypress.net/indexsecure.php