The First Autograph

photo credit: HERE

Tom Barton has a short piece on King's speech in Savannah. Barton says he imagined King introverted and withdrawn, maybe a little morbid. Then he declares, joyfully, "He's a hoot." Well we knew that! Makes me wonder what rock Barton has been under.

There are the usual Dr. Sleep summery's, nothing new there. Dr. Sleep sounds absolutely awesome! I was rooting for Dr. Sleep when King said he was either going to work on it or Wind Through The Keyhole. Alas, the Shining will return!

Barton also reports an interesting story King related about his first non-book-store environment.

King, who was in his mid-20s at the time, was in the Steel City on a book tour, promoting his first novel "Carrie." Part of his job, he said, was to appear on morning TV shows (AM Pittsburgh), along with jitterbugging grandmas, to plug his book to the locals.

That evening, King said, he had a command performance at a dinner that the local newspaper hosted at a fancy restaurant. Unfortunately, the author was suffering from homesickness and a far worse malady -- an intestinal disorder that forced him to make an emergency trip to the joint's opulently appointed restroom.

This was a place that had its own restroom attendant. King remembered him as an ancient man who appeared to be about 108 years old.

Unfortunately, there was one necessity that this restroom lacked: Doors to the stalls. So as King was sitting on the toilet, the attendant approached the young author, carrying pen and paper.

"He said, 'You're Stephen King, aren't you? I saw you on AM Pittsburgh. Can I get your autograph?' I gave my first autograph sitting on the crapper."

The full article is HERE