King: believing in God is enriching

Wow, an article from Huff Post about Stephen King about religion that can make a conservative preacher smile and nod -- that's a feat.

It's been a week with headlines announcing that famed scientist Stephen Hawking is an atheist.  His view is that science alone can explain the origin of the universe.  Not that Hawking has yet explained how science can do that.  For many of us, it always comes down to an issue of first cause; where did the stuff, the building blocks of creation, come from?

In turn, Stephen King told HuffPost Life in an interview Wednesday that the universe is too complicated not to think it did not originate from a supreme being.  In other words,  there has to be something outside of creation to bring it into existence.  "It's so complex," King said.  "So I have a tendency to believe in intelligent design."

King told  HuffPost Life,

"The very construction of the world and the fact that we seem to be the only blue-populated planet in the universe — and we've been looking for quite a while now, at least since the late 50s —it makes you have to believe that if we happened by accident, it would make winning the lottery look like flipping a coin," 

Cosmology is the very issue that brought long time atheist apologist,  Anthony Flew, to a belief in God.  Flew wrote in his book, There Is A God, “I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite intelligence.  I believe that this universe’s intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the mind of God.  I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine source. Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for half a century, the short answer is this: This is the world picture as I see it that has emerged from modern science.”

King went on to affirm that in his  view faith was  enriching to life.  He said he did not have any belief in the afterlife "one way or the other" saying he is agnostic.  That's an interesting view, since a lot of King's work revolves around the afterlife.  (Pet Sematary come to mind first; and The Shining.)

"I love the idea that there could be a power greater than myself that's sort of writing the script," King said. "I try to live my life by saying that God may be watching out for me. . ."

The full article is at huffingtonpost.com

Huffington Post Blog Accuses Stephen King Of Not Being Able To Write

Michael Conniff posted a blog post at Huffington Post titled, "Why Stephen King Can't Write." (huffingtonpost.com)

Conniff declares that he likes everything Stephen King stands for, and cites a list that really has nothing to do with things King actually "stands" for.  Like -- He has a library next to his house.  Well, if that's the case, put me on the list, I also stand for having libraries next to your house!  I stand with you both!

Wait, you might be wondering who it is that Huff Post has decided is worthy of the platform of smashing Stephen King.  Michael Conniff is a well known author.  In fact, he's sold 11 books.  Not 11 million.  Not 11,000.  11.  ELEVEN.

So exactly how does the esteemed author think Stephen King has failed the writing world?  (Never mind that Stephen King actually wrote the book On Writing!)
 
Of course, after pointing out that Stephen King has sold a few more books than he has, Conniff resorts to telling ust hat sales don't matter, only the words on the paper matter.  And that might be true, but in the world of writing, readers  are the judge of those words.  And it appears the American public judges King worthy of continued sales.  And, 11 people have bought Mr. Conniff's books.  11.

Conniff builds his case on King's latest novel, Mr. Mercedes.  This is frustrating because King used a different style for Mercedes than his usual third person past tense.  Everything is told in present tense in Mercedes, a style King has never used for an entire novel.  So to judge the whole of his work, his ability to write, on this one novel seems like nothing more than a sulky uneducated jealous writer wanting to get some punches in on the big guy.  (Thanks Huffington Post for giving Conniff the platform to do this.)

Conniff accuses King of, "bad writing." After giving us an example paragraph, he then calls King out on "strike two" and asks, "what in the name of all that's scary is a "rank of doors"? Is it some kind of hierarchy or grading system or a band from the Sixties?  I have no idea, and if you're honest, neither do you. It's a stinkeroo."

Here's King's sentence: "When Augie reached the top of the wide, steep drive leading to the big auditorium, he saw a cluster of at least two dozen people already waiting outside the rank of doors, some standing, most sitting."

Made sense to me.  Need it broken down?  Is something unclear?  Wold Conniff think it owuld be better stated, "he saw a cluster of at least two dozen people already waiting outside a bunch-o doors."
Wait, Conniff then gives King a big "strike three."  Which is easy when you make up the game, and you're the Umpire.  The bottom line of his third complaint is that Conniff doesn't like complicated sentences.  He would probably prefer my the books piles up in my children's rooms.  In fact, Conniff declares that King's sentence is "completely incoherent."  And it is -- for him.

Conniff rants, "Wide? Steep? Big? Doors mysteriously ranked? Mazelike non-maze? They prickle me not."  Genius.

Then he makes the charge that because King is focused on  the story, he doesn't care about the words he uses.  He's just barfing up words to push the story forward.  Which is, of course, the opposite of what he argues in On Writing.  A whole portion of On Writing deals with the tools of the craft -- words.

Wait, Conniff isn't done.  He then suggests that it's the movies that save Stephen King's stories.  (REALLY!)  Conniff writes:

it takes movies like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" to bring his ideas to life. 

Finally, Conniff confesses, "I've never loved his writing."  Of course, he's cited how many books he actually read? Mr. Mercedes and On Writing.  That's it.  I don't know if he's read more, because he doesn't say, and without using WORDS, I have no way of knowing what Conniff has read.

Finally, the Huff Post blogger decides to smack all of us who like King -- because, of course, we're buying Stephen King books and not Michael Conniff books.  (Well, 11 of you might have switched teams here.  11.)    Connif says, "In a way, you can't blame Stephen King for his shortcomings as a writer. Like his audience, he just wants to find out what happens next."  In other words, King so intense into his story, he doesn't care how he gets there.

So Conniff never addresses Kings ability to build characters, advance plot, create suspense and draw the reader right into the mind of some pretty terrible people.  He doesn't look at King's real gift, characters.  Why?  Because simply put, Conniff can't handle the way Stephen King writes and sentence.  His arrogance and pride blinds him to the fact that he's tossing stones at an American Master.  

Obviously, Mr. Conniff needs to read my book, "Stephen King, A Face Among The Masters."  Then he will be better equipped to understand why Stephen King's work is important.

Steven Petite Calls THE STAND A 20th Century Classic

In his Huffington Post article, "Taking The Stand For Stephen King," Steven Petite makes the argument that Stephen King is more than a popular genre writer -- but a truly "great" writer.

Petite notes that King is often underrated, though he has received numerous awards that should break him out of the horror mold.

Petite steps out to make a bold statement; one book alone is strong enough to be considered a 20th century "classic."  And he isn't talking about The Shining.  The Stand, Petite argues, is a truly great novel.  "In 1991," he writes, "The Stand should have been considered for the Pulitzer and the National Book Award."

The Stand is without a doubt one of the greatest stories ever told. He may be considered the greatest genre writer alive, and his books are likely to be read for hundreds of years, most likely surpassing some of the nominees for both awards in 1991.

Is appreciate a voice out there ready to call not only King a great writer, but his work "classic" literature.  For too long we've assumed popular equaled trash.  The truth is, most great books were popular when released.   Naturally, some writers, like Poe, were not really praised until later; but it's not like Charles Dickens was only discovered after he died!

Sometimes a writers own peer group, reading public and critics begin to recognize that something special is going on here.  That's what Petite hones in on.  He writes, 

"My reading habits primarily are of the "literary" nature, but Stephen King's knowledge of literature, his grasp of storytelling, and the art that he creates are worth taking a stand for, because without Stephen King, the book industry would be vastly different today."

Is The Stand that strong?  I think Petite has hit the nail on the head; it is indeed.   Has King done better than The Stand?  That's up for debate, isn't it?  IT, The Green Mile, 11/22/63 and The Shining should all rate up there as truly great novels.  But the Stand is special to us.

What makes The Stand so much fun?  It’s a modern telling of the end of the world.  The apocalypse comes right down to us.  It’s our New York and our Los Angeles. It all comes to an end thanks to a government created plague the West Coast calls Captain Trips.  A long, sprawling novel, The Stand has lots of little cubbyholes–pockets of story that are a world of their own within the larger story.  (Stephen King A Face Among The Masters)

More than just being fun, King dives into other authors worlds and plays with their toys.  With The Stand, King even dabbled in the world of Poe.  -- but I'm saving that for the book.

Read Steve Petite's full article at: huffingtonpost.com

Check out Steve Petite's book, The Concept Of Home at amazon.com/Conceptofhome
Today is Steve's birthday,  which means he has dropped the kindle edition to 99 cents.  You can't really beat that.

A coming of age tale starring Porter Wallace: A failed writer who needs to find a purpose for his existence. After giving up on writing, he embarks on a journey to rediscover life, love, and the true meaning of home. He burns bridges along the way, learns from mentors and uncovers secrets as his quest to become a writer again turns out to be secondary to his home.

--HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!

Holly Derr Uses Carrie To Show Us What Tunnel Vision Looks Like

Holly Durr at Huffington Post has an article titled, "The Blood of Carrie: A Feminist Review of the Re-Make."

She spends her time focusing on the 1970's, not 2013 where the "re-make" was done. She sees Carrie as a challenge to the male dominated establishment and Christian fundamentalism.  For Durr, Carrie's mother represents fundamentalist Christianity.

  the infamous shower scene -- is a product of the meeting of these two forces. Because of a fundamentalist Christian worldview in which menstruation is not simply a biological process but rather evidence of Eve's original sin being visited upon her daughters, Carrie's mother does nothing to prepare her for getting her period.

Only problem with Ms. Derr's assessment is that is not what fundamentalist Christianity teaches.  So  in her  rush to attack Christianity, Ms. Derr builds a straw man position so that she can have fun blowing it up. In the movie, Carrie actually tells her mother that  she is not quoting from the Bible.  Moretz discussed the fact that Carrie's mother had actually made up her own religion, and was not reflecting the views of a Christian movement.

By the way -- in Genesis, Eve’s curse was pain in childbirth, not menstruation. Women giving birth don't menstruate.

Durr continues: "When Carrie's mother locks her in the closet, Peirce has the crucifix bleed -- something that doesn't happen in the first movie. The blood of the crucifix connects Carrie's first period to the suffering of Christ, deepening the relationship between debased femininity and religion."  Someone should get Durr a spot on the documentary Room 237.

The message of Carrie for Durr?  "that fundamentalism is dangerous to women."  Huh?  Fundamentalist Christians believe a man should love his wife, be ready to give his life for her and honor her.  That's dangerous to women?  Of course not!  Because that's not what Durr has decided in her own head Fundamentalist Christians believe.  She has decided Margaret White must represent the whole of Fundamentalist Christianity.  That's great, maybe we should assume Bill Ayres represents liberals.

Of course, Carrie's school tormentors were not fundamentalist.  Nor is Carrie's mother -- she's her own whack-job.  The only fundamentalism is coming from Durr's own imagination.  She made the movie what she wanted, saw what she wanted to see, and came out swinging against enemies that lie only between her own two ears.

www.huffingtonpost.com

The Simpsons Under The Dome

Vulture.com has a fun article by Jesse David Fox that compares Under  The Dome to The Simpsons movie. Yes, we all know King did not steal from the Simpsons -- he wrote The Cannibals, an early version of Dome, int he 80's.  But, the comparisons are still pretty cool.

Domed Town	Springfield	Chester's Mill
Domers	The EPA.	Unknown.
Reason for Doming	To quarantine the highly polluted town.	Unknown.
Can You See Through It?	Yes.	Yes.
Can You Hear Through It?	No.	No.
The Domed Band Together To...	Try to kill Homer.	Put out a fire.
Who's in Charge?	Emperor of Springfield Moe Szyslak.	Councilman Big Jim Rennie.
Charismatic Newcomer?	Spider Pig.	Barbie.
Ominous Chanting	Abe Simpson's church meltdown: "Epa! Epa! Epa!"	Joe and Norrie's "pink stars are falling" seizures.
Dome-Crossed Loves	Lisa and her Irish environmental dreamboat Colin.	Deputy Sheriff Linda Esquivel and her fireman fiancé.
Means of Escape	Sandbox sinkhole.	Unknown.
Useless Escape Tools	Swordfish, bubbles, pies, jackhammer, elephant's head.	Bulldozer.
Failed Dome Punchers	Drederick Tatum.	Junior Rennie.
Shooting It Results In...	Bullets bouncing back and wounding Hometown Security agents.	Bullets bouncing back and killing a cop.
Other Objects That Bounce Off Dome	Head of the EPA Russ Cargill's binoculars.	Reporter Julia Shumway's tennis ball.
Outside Military	Easily duped by forged leaf note.	Loves spraying dome with water.
School	Seemingly in perfect condition, but kids don't go because city has descended into chaos.	Likely in perfect condition, but kids don't go because they're having phone-charging parties.

King Told Vaughan To Take The Dome Where He Couldn't

Check  out the Huffington Posts interview with Under The Dome's producer Brian K. Vaughan.

The whole interview is great.  This in particular stood out to me:

I was lucky enough to get to talk with Stephen early in the process. He said, to quote Elvis, "It's your baby, you rock it now." The big thing he encouraged us [to think about] is, when he came up with the concept, he first thought about, "What if these people were trapped under this dome for potentially years, how might society change?" [When writing the book], he was on page 1,200 and thought, "Oh my God, they've only been trapped under here for a few days. I better wrap things up." He said, "Use television to go to the places that I couldn't." 

That gives an interesting insight into the writing of the novel.  So King originally imagined entire society changing. . . but ran out of space.  Of course, in The Stand, he had things pretty torn up by page 300.  Still, a new society never fully developed there, either.  I was always interested in what was going to happen with the Free Zone.

Vaughan also talks about the impact Lost had on Stephen King.  He says, "I will always be happy and honored to have been a part of that world."

When asked what the fun part  of the project was,  Vaughan recalled sitting across from Steven Spielberg with King on speaker phone as they tossed ideas  out.  He called it "geek fantasy camp."  I don't know if I could sit across from Spielberg and not just bug the snot out of him about the Lincoln film.  I know everyone wants to talk Dome and ET -- but I was mesmerized by Lincoln.

Vaughan also said that he hopes the political themes don't feel "heavy handed."  I hope so, too.  I think they did feel exactly that way in the novel.  Of course, the same themes are still on the front page as when Under The Dome was written.

The full interview is great.  Check it out at www.huffingtonpost.com

Under The Dome Trailer Gives Extended Look

Huffington Post wrote:

The new footage can best be described as "explosive," given that we see everything from a plane to a house go up in smoke, illustrating the panic and chaos that grips the inhabitants of Chester's Mill after a giant, impenetrable dome inexplicably traps the town.