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the “creative management” possibilities which the censoring of the Doonesbury strip hint at.’

The piece was originally printed in the April 24, 1985 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

King Testifies (May 1985)

This letter was in response to a book review in the April 1985 issue of FantasyReview. The

review was by Helen Purcell and alleged King was the author of a pornographic novel, Love

Lessons, published as ‘by John Wilson’. This review caused King fans to snap up as many copies as

they could of Love Lessons and King didn’t want his devotees fooled. He states, ‘I am dismayed at

being misrepresented in this fashion and dismayed that no one at Fantasy Review asked for a

confirmation or denial before running the review, but mostly I am anxious that collectors not be

fleeced in such an unsavory business as this one.’ King explains that he is not the author of this novel,

though he did try to write an erotic novel in 1968 while he was in college (he wrote forty pages and

gave up).

An interesting aside to this piece is the letter that follows King’s, titled ‘Lawyer Threatens.’

From King’s lawyers, and addressed to Fantasy Review magazine, it states that Purcell’s review is

‘highly libelous.’

The letter was first printed in Fantasy Review for May 1985. It was subsequently reprinted

(untitled) in Locus; as Random Factors—Letters in science-fiction Chronicle: The Monthly SF and

Fantasy Newsmagazine in July 1985; and as The King Speaks in The Twilight Zone Magazine for

October 1985. The Twilight Zone, Fantasy Review and Locus appearances are the easiest to source,

through the usual used magazine dealers. The science-fiction Chronicle appearance is quite rare and

was only brought to the attention of the King community recently.

Regis Reprimandum(December 1985)

This letter is in response to Jack Chalker’s article about the Philtrum Press edition of King’s

novel, The Eyes of the Dragon. King references the mistakes Fantasy Review made about the identity

of the author of Love Letters (see directly above); and corrects Chalker’s numerous mistakes

regarding the circumstances of King’s privately-owned, specialty press limited edition of his novel.

He is upset at having to correct mistakes about himself at every turn: ‘I am damned tired of

defending my reputation and my integrity in these pages. If you guys are gonna publish, it’s time you

fucking quit this bush-league journalism. I hope that the next time Fantasy Review does a piece either

on me or concerning my work, that the editor will do the fair thing and consult me first.’

The letter was first published in Fantasy Review for December 1985; and reprinted as Fie on

Fantasy in Castle Rock: The Stephen King Newsletter for January 1986. The Castle Rock

appearance is probably the easiest place for collectors to obtain a copy, although the Fantasy Review

appearance can also be obtained from the usual used magazine sources.

A King (1985)

This is an extremely short letter to Fangoria magazine, stating King is quite happy to see his

name and talk of his works grace their pages once again. ‘What a relief to see my name in the new

issue of Fangoria—it was an even greater relief to see you will be doing stories on Cat’s Eye and

Silver Bullet in an upcoming issue or issues.’

It was published in Fangoria magazine (Issue No. 45) in 1985. Copies of this magazine can be

obtained from the usual used magazine sources.

King Vs. Chalker, One Last Round (May 1986)

This is another letter regarding Jack Chalker at Fantasy Review (see also Regis Reprimandum

and King Testifies). King runs through eight-and-a-half points regarding mistakes made by Chalker

and the magazine and closes the letter with this statement about the whole affair: ‘I’m not even really

mad anymore. I was the first time, because you startled the living shit out of me. Now I’m simply

trying to pass on the message: don’t be a slob. Don’t clear your remarks with your wife, the CIA, or

the Pope—but try to get your facts straight or won’t nobody believe you.’

The letter appeared in the May 1986 issue of Fantasy Review magazine. Collectors interested in

obtaining a copy will be able to source it from used magazine specialists.

Whining About the Movies in Bangor: Take That, ‘Top Gun’ (April 9, 1987)

King begins this guest column: ‘“Say, Ezry! Hold up there, hoss! Didja know that us folks down

Bangor who like to go to the movin pitchers every once in a while ain’t nothing but a bunch of

whiners? Oh, ayuh! Says so right in the paper! I’ll have to tell Mother! ”’ He is responding to an

article the previous week in which the General Cinema Corporation implied Bangor moviegoers

were being thrown a bone by the company bringing two artistic films to the area (David Lynch’s

masterpiece, Blue Velvet and James Ivory’s A Room with a View).

This piece once again shows King defending lesser-known artists who actually have talent, this

time in the medium of film. ‘The General Cinema rep knows the real reason these pictures don’t play

in Bangor, and so do I. Bucks. Pictures with small print runs are not going to lose here, but many will

just break even. What good is that? Why take an even break on a Danish picture like “The Elevator”

when you can just leave a print of “Top Gun” that can’t find work anywhere else in its current venue?

You don’t make much, true, but you make a little, and you save the shipping and booking charges

you’d have to pay to open the theater to something else.’

King ends with a defense of the area’s movie-going public: ‘We may be at the end of the pipe,

but we’re not stupid, not whiners, and not indifferent to either quality cinema or the brave

independent experiment in the field. We’re just stuck with what they’ll give us.’

The column appeared in the April 9, 1987 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

Untitled (December 23-29, 1987)

The author King responds to Bangor writer Rosalind Warren’s negative comments on King’s

‘Ever Et Raw Meat?’ and Other Weird Questions in The New York Times Book Review; his letter is

centered around this notion: ‘Rosalind Warren’s irritation with my piece in the New York Times Book

Review and her self-proclaimed status as one of Bangor’s least successful writers just might have the

same root cause: a failure to grasp the concept of universality.’

The letter appeared in the December 23-29, 1987 issue of The Bangor Review newspaper, a

free local weekly publication. It was only brought to light in late 2005 by King researcher Jonathan

Reitan, who discovered it in a box of papers that had belonged to the late King super-collector

Charlie Fried. It is next to impossible to secure a copy, as this newspaper is apparently not archived

at any library.

Untitled (December 1987)

This is a very brief letter (dated October 21, 1987) from King to Arlen Ettinger regarding the

auction of the Forrest J. Ackerman Collection, and the man himself.

It was printed in science-fiction, Fantasy, Horror—The World of Forrest J. Ackerman at

Auction—Guernsey’s, a catalogue for an auction held December 10-13, 1987 at Guernsey’s in New

York City (along with the letter noted directly below). A copy of this booklet surfaced on eBay in

early 2006, but collectors probably won’t have much luck trying to track one down.

Untitled (December 1987)

This is a short letter to the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland (Forrest J. Ackerman),

written by Stephen King at the age of fourteen (in 1961 or 1962). He writes he’s been submitting

stories for a few years and that the story accompanying his letter is intended for the “O. Henry’s

Comet” section of the magazine.

The letter was printed in science-fiction, Fantasy, Horror—The World of Forrest J. Ackerman

at Auction—Guernsey’s, a catalogue for an auction that was held December 10-13, 1987 at

Guernsey’s in New York City (along with the letter noted directly above). A copy of this booklet

surfaced on eBay in early 2006, as noted above.

King on Firestarter: Who’s to Blame? (February 1991)

This letter is in response to Mark Lester’s angry comments about King’s public criticism of

Lester’s film adaptation of Firestarter. King goes on to briefly talk about technical aspects of the film

that he didn’t agree with and of the overall piece he says, ‘I don’t blame Mark Lester a whole lot, for

the way the movie turned out or for his angry reaction to my remarks, I imagine the whole thing was a

painful experience for him—one he’d rather forget—and I’m sure I was part of it. I’ve enjoyed most

of his other films.’

The letter appeared in the February 1991 issue of Cinefantastique magazine. Copies of this

magazine can be obtained fairly easily from the usual sources for older and used magazines.

Oscarama (April 12, 1991)

King uses this short letter to defend actress Kathy Bates’ performance as Annie Wilkes in the

film adaptation of his novel Misery. Entertainment Weekly magazine had previously made comments

suggesting that the Oscar nomination for her performance was actually to her detriment because it

came from work done in a Stephen King movie. King says Bates ‘did a great job’ and that he is

starting to understand how and why Spike Lee ‘manages to stay so pissed off at you guys in the

critical press.’

The letter appeared in the April 12, 1991 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Copies can

be obtained fairly easily from the usual sources for older and used magazines.

From Stephen King (July-August 1991)

This short piece is an open letter to rare bookseller Barry R. Levin. King reproaches him for

selling copies of Nebel, the German bootleg edition of King’s novella The Mist. He writes, ‘you and

I both know that the limited edition of The Mist, like the limited edition of IT (titled Es in German),

was not authorized and was produced in arrant violation of my copyright.’ Nebel was limited to 250

copies and has since become a very expensive rarity among King collectors, with copies selling for

as high as $1,300. It is bound in black leather with a red velour slipcase and is arguably the true

world’s first edition (if an illegal one).

The letter was published in the July-August 1991 issue of Mystery Scene magazine. Copies may

be obtained through the usual used magazine resources, though this one is quite a bit rarer than others.

Silence of the Lambs (November 17, 1991)

This short letter was written in response to Walter Kendrick’s review of King’s novel Needful

Things. King takes aim at the high level of ‘academic arrogance’ used in the review of his book and

defends those who read for pleasure rather than for a living.

It appeared in the November 17, 1991 issue of the Washington Post Book World. The easiest

way to obtain a copy is from a larger library that keeps microfilm of The Washington Post

newspaper.

The Book-Banners: Adventure in Censorship is Stranger Than Fiction (March 20, 1992)

This guest column once again shows King railing against censorship and defending freedom of

speech. Over the years King has had to deal with his books being banned in libraries all over the

world (for more information on this see Banned Books and Other Concerns: The Virginia Beach

Lecture in our Opinion—Venturing Into Politics chapter). He writes, ‘If there’s one American belief

I hold above all others, it’s that those who would set themselves up in judgment on matters of what is

“right” and what is “best” should be given no rest; that they should have to defend their behavior most

stringently. No book, record, or film should be banned without a full airing of the issues. As a nation,

we’ve been through too many fights to preserve our rights of free thought to let them go just because

some prude with a highlighter doesn’t approve of them.’

The piece was originally published in the March 20, 1992 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

On ‘Rampage’ (November 27, 1992)

This is an extremely short letter regarding a harsh review of William Friedkin’s film Rampage

in a previous issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. ‘To review this fierce, emotional, and

spiritually challenging movie on the basis of its legal stance is the act of a critic too busy counting

trees to see there’s a forest in front of him.’

It appeared in the November 27, 1992 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Copies of this

magazine can be obtained fairly easily from the usual sources for older and used magazines and

possibly from contacting Entertainment Weekly for back issues.

See for Yourself (September 25-26, 1993)

Over the course of his career, Stephen King has constantly been outspoken in matters of opinion

for the Bangor Daily News and other publications, especially in regard to the subject of censorship,

and this article is no exception. ‘Okay, let’s talk a little bit about “NYPD Blue,” which is this

season’s bit of TV controversy’, King writes. He goes on to stress that he is not reviewing the

television show, but writing about ‘whether or not this program is going to stay on the air in this

market, and if not, why not.’

In 1993, NYPD Blue was facing controversy over issues of language, violence and nudity. In this

article, King once again states that it is up to people to make up their own minds rather than letting a

small group control what they can see. ‘I am suggesting that it’s not fair to allow a small group of

letter-writing, phone-calling zealots to impose their will on me, on you, and all the other viewers in

the WVII broadcast area who might like to check out this program and judge for themselves.’ The

creator of NYPD Blue, David Milch would later go on to create HBO’s acclaimed western

Deadwood, which is technically the most profane show ever aired on television!

The article was published in the Maine Weekend section of the September 25-26, 1993 issue of

the Bangor Daily News.

A Satiric Punch (October 11, 1993)

This is a letter to the editor of Time magazine, regarding Christopher John Farley’s review of

Garth Brooks’ album American Honky-Tonk Bar Association. Here King disagrees with the

reviewer’s interpretation of the tone of the album, calling it satiric instead of serious. Also, King

references a bad review of Scott Smith’s novel A Simple Plan. He closes the letter by claiming this is

‘more cutting-edge arts criticism from Time.’

The letter appeared in the October 11, 1993 issue of Time magazine. Copies can be obtained

from the usual sources for older and used magazines. If all one wants is a photocopy of this piece, any

significant library should have back issues.

Flight of Fancy (November 3, 1994)

This is a short letter to the editor in reference to a November 1, 1994 cover story in USA Today

that claimed King and his family fled their house to avoid trick or treaters on Halloween. King

corrects the error, saying he was away that year and ‘the idea that we could be driven out of our

home, even for an evening, by little ballerinas, pirates and Power Rangers, is just ridiculous.’

The piece was printed in the November 3, 1994 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

Coastal Filming a Study in Patience Grown Thinner (January 8, 1996)

King begins this article: ‘As a rule, I don’t believe there’s much truth in regional stereotypes—

the courtly, hospitable southerner, the strong and silent westerner, all that—but every now and then

you see a reversion to type that makes you understand how such stereotypes get started in the first

place. The reaction of some Camden residents, many of them merchants, to the filming of “Thinner” in

their community last summer, is a case in point.’ King writes of the business owners’ hostile attitude

toward outsiders making a film in their town and counters each of their points with his own

arguments. He concludes that he’ll ‘continue supporting film in Maine—it’s honest, nonpolluting

work, for the most part.’

The article was originally published in the January 8, 1996 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

‘Shining’ Correspondence (September 1996)

This is a very short letter, which King wrote from the set of his miniseries version of The

Shining in Estes Park, Colorado. He mentions some other cast members who are fans of Fangoria

and signs this letter ‘yours from the dark side of Colorado.’

The letter was published in Fangoria magazine (Issue No. 156) for September 1996. Copies of

this magazine can be obtained from used magazine sources, particularly those that specialize in horror

publications.

The Spirit of Maine (May 16, 1997)

There isn’t really much to say about this letter to the editor, written in poetic form, as it is only a

couple of sentences long. It asks if a pregnant cigarette-smoking teenager is perhaps a better image for

the state of Maine as it enters the twenty-first century than is a chickadee or a lighthouse. The tone of

the letter comes across as sarcastic, angry, and resigned.

The letter was originally printed in the May 16, 1997 issue of the Bangor Daily News.

Book in Progress (November 7, 1997)

This is a letter to the editor in regard to an article, Getting Spooked by King’s Tactic, in the

November 5, 1997 edition of The New York Times. King is upset because the author of the article

discussed his new publishing deal with Simon & Schuster and his then in progress novel Bag of

Bones. He writes, ‘It’s embarrassing to read about one’s financial dealings in your paper, but what’s

most painful is to read unkind assessments of one’s work in progress by editors you quote who are

brave enough to give their opinions but not their names.’

The letter was originally published in the November 7, 1997 edition of The New York Times

newspaper. It is easy to obtain a copy from microfilm at larger libraries.

Letter (March 1998)

This letter is in response to the statement by Adair Lara in a previous issue of Locus magazine

that ‘writers never look right.’ King says he agrees and that only a handful of writers have actually

looked the way we might wish. King writes, ‘the woman whose work makes you cry shows up with

her slip showing, and the man who made your mind thrum like an overtuned tuning fork wears his

pants highwater and has eczema around his nose.’

The letter appeared in the March 1998 issue of Locus magazine. The easiest way to obtain this

piece is through the usual used magazine resources.

Remainders Rock On (May 14, 1998)

This is a letter to the editor in which King thanks everyone who attended the Rock Bottom

Remainders concert in Bangor the previous week and writes that Shaw House, a local charity, will

probably see a pretty good amount after all is said and done. He also thanks the Bangor Daily News

and a local television station for lending some of their personnel for the event. Other members of the

band have included Dave Barry, Tad Bartimus, Roy Blount, Jr., Michael Dorris, Robert Fulghum,

Kathi Goldmark, Matt Groening, Barbara Kingsolver, Al Kooper, Greil Marcus, Ridley Pearson, Joel

Selvin, and Amy Tan (see The Neighborhood of the Beast in our Miscellany chapter).

The letter was printed in the May 14, 1998 edition of the Bangor Daily News.

Painful First Lesson (November 19, 1998)

This letter to the editor is in response to an article on the first page of the sports section of the

Bangor Daily News regarding the arrest of a University student over an alcohol-related incident.

King relates that, ‘as someone who was busted twice by the Orono police for alcohol-related

misbehavior when I was 21 and a student at the University of Maine, my heart went out to Matt

Kinney166 when I read the report of his arrest...I’m very grateful I didn’t have the burden of fame

while I was still learning to be a grown-up, and I don’t have much respect for the Bangor Daily

News’ handling of this particular tale.’

The letter appeared in the November 19, 1998 edition of the Bangor Daily News.

Watch ‘Witch’ Again (August 11, 1999)

King wrote this letter in response to Christopher Smith’s review of The Blair Witch Project. He

disagreed with the reviewer in regard to the film’s ending. It is interesting to note that, while King

was confined to bed after the accident he suffered in June of 1999, Artisan Films sent him a copy of

the film on videocassette. He advises viewers who didn’t like or agree with the end of the film to

give it a second chance; and that the second time he watched it, he ‘picked up a small but vital clue in

the first 15 minutes of the film that has changed my understanding of the end completely.’ He also

takes the opportunity to thank everyone in the Bangor area who had wished him well in recovering

from his accident.

This letter was printed in the August 11, 1999 issue of King’s hometown newspaper, the Bangor

Daily News.

What is Stephen King Trying to Prove? (September 10, 2000)

In this letter to the editor King apologizes for things he said in a previously published interview

(“What is Stephen King Trying to Prove?” by Stephen J. Dubner in The New York Times Magazine

for August 13, 2000): ‘The chief hazard of the interview process is that there is never a chance for a

second draft, where one may revise or delete badly expressed and sometimes downright idiotic

comments.’

The letter was published in the September 10, 2000 issue of The New York Times Magazine,

which is distributed as part of the Sunday edition of The New York Times. The magazine should be

included in the microfilm of the newspaper, so should be relatively easy to secure at any larger

library.

How I Got That Story (December 18, 2000)

In this article, King writes about his experience with the electronic serialized publication of his

novel The Plant, as that week’s Viewpoint section of Time. He deals with the business aspect of this

new form of publishing and the media’s response to it, ‘Am I displeased with how things turned out?

Nope. I’ve had terrific fun working on The Plant.’

The Plant was published electronically in six monthly installments, initially offered for $1

apiece on the honor system. King had said that he would pull the plug if too many people were simply

stealing the work. ‘The real test of The Plant’s marketplace viability may come in late December and

January, when Philtrum Press—my publishing company, which has offered books at odd intervals for

almost 20 years—will e-market all six parts (The Plant, Book One: The Rise of Zenith) for $7, about

the price of a paperback. And for that, my friend, you’ll need your credit card. My mamma didn’t

raise no fools.’ When combined as an e-book, the title actually became The Plant, Book One: Zenith

Rising.

This article appeared in the December 18, 2000 issue of Time magazine. Copies can be obtained

from the usual sources for older and used magazines. If all one wants is a photocopy, larger libraries

will hold back issues.

She’s Got Mail: Symposium on the Nature of Genre and Pleasure in the 21stCentury

(February 2002)

This article by Emma Straub (Peter Straub’s daughter) contains Straub’s letters to writers, and

their responses—including King’s. King makes some interesting points, for example: ‘There is a

simple fact of life in English-speaking literature, and it’s this: a huge rock cropped up in the second

half of the 18th century, and the river of literature split into two streams around it: popular fiction

and literature.’ King also makes an important statement about himself and his craft: ‘I would do this

for nothing, and continue to do it until all the fuel in the tank is burned. And what would I do then?

Nothing but die happy, beautiful. Nothing but die happy.’

The article was published in The Spook in February 2002. The Spook is a free monthly

electronic publication, available on the Internet for download in.pdf file format.

Untitled (2004)

This is a letter to fan (and, later, King expert), Bev Vincent (dated December 1, 1983) regarding

the publication of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. Like many King fans who had seen the limited

edition book listed for the first time in the ‘Also by’ page of King’s then recently published novel Pet

Sematary, Vincent wrote to King asking how to obtain a copy. The author replied he had given

Donald M. Grant the right to print another 10,000 copies of the book and that if Vincent still wanted a

copy he could photocopy the letter and place a request for Grant to reserve him one.

Bev Vincent reprints the letter in his The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King’s

Magnum Opus167. Copies of the trade paperback edition of this book can be found in most good

bookstores. In late 2005, Cemetery Dance published limited numbered and lettered editions of this

study, one of the most important books about King’s work yet published.

Man in Love (December 25, 2005)

King writes, ‘The problem with Francine Prose’s review of D. H. Lawrence: The Life of an

Outsider (Dec. 4) isn’t that she came to Lawrence through a book (“Lady Chatterley’s Lover”) she

glommed from her Dad’s sock drawer, or that she seems not to have renewed her acquaintance with

Lawrence’s work since her undergraduate days; the problem is her not uncommon assumption that she

may be better able to understand a great writer by reading about him than by reading him.’

The letter to the editor appeared in the December 25, 2005 edition of the Book Review section in

TheNew York Times. It should be quite easy to copy this from microfilm, which is easily accessible

from the archives of larger libraries.

These letters to the editor and guest columns are revelatory both of King’s opinions and his

short-term concerns and even gripes. Most anyone who has written a letter to the editor will know it

is often in annoyance at some event, generally that reported in the publication. Such letters are

generally short and therefore lack the substance and broad argument that we see more clearly in the

guest pieces and columns reviewed here.

There is little doubt King will continue to write both letters to the editor, when something

concerns him, and to offer more in-depth analysis of issues.

OPINION—RADIO, MUSIC,

FILM AND TELEVISION

When we were young enough to believe that rock ‘n’ roll would live forever, we believed the

same of ourselves.

—From Between Rock and a Soft Place.

This chapter deals with opinion pieces on various forms of entertainment media—radio, music,

film and television. Throughout the years King has commented on all media and he continues to do so

in the guise of his The Pop of King column in Entertainment Weekly magazine. Those columns are

the subject of a separate chapter, Later Columns—The Pop of King.

Included here are King’s reviews of films and commentaries on television shows and even the

radio; and many best and worst of lists for films spanning the course of his life and career. Our

purpose here is to help inform the avid King reader as to the man’s tastes and shed light on how these

likes and dislikes may influence his body of work.

‘No Vietnamese Ever Called Me Nigger’ (October 23, 1969)

Published as by “Steve King”, like most of his college-era work, this is a short movie review

for The Maine Campus, the student newspaper for the University of Maine at Orono. King reviews a

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