Rolling Stone interview

[DiO'Bolic]

Join the AMC Stubs club. I go about once every two weeks or so and it works out pretty well. The movies are my favorite pastime next to shredding monster licks on the gee-tar. And reading.

Nah. The last movie I saw (other than children's movies with the kids) was Needful Things when it came out. For entertainment, give me a hammer and a power tool and I'm happy, although I did discover the benefits of Netflix last year. Got to watch Atlas Shrugged Part 1.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

Well then who is more qualified to speak about that?

True dat!

 

[blunthead]

...SK is (probably) the bestselling author on the planet...

Last I heard sK is the bestselling author of the last quarter century.

 

[hossenpepper]

Nah. The last movie I saw (other than children's movies with the kids) was Needful Things when it came out. For entertainment, give me a hammer and a power tool and I'm happy, although I did discover the benefits of Netflix last year. Got to watch Atlas Shrugged Part 1.

I got over all the building and such living on a farm. I am pretty handy and do projects at home a lot, especially with the new house, but I don't know if I'd call it fun. Satisfying, but not necessarily fun.

I saw "St. Vincent" over the weekend. Great movie. Funny and serious and thought provoking.

I read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. as a kid and again in college. Garbage. A few interesting points, but mostly self indulgent garbage. The theory in those is it's OK to step on the throat of those weaker than you. Indulge your selfish nature and the world will be a better place. The exact opposite of all things that are good and refined about humanity.

 

[skimom2]

I read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. as a kid and again in college. Garbage. A few interesting points, but mostly self indulgent garbage. The theory in those is it's OK to step on the throat of those weaker than you. Indulge your selfish nature and the world will be a better place. The exact opposite of all things that are good and refined about humanity.

 

[kingricefan]

Nah. The last movie I saw (other than children's movies with the kids) was Needful Things when it came out. For entertainment, give me a hammer and a power tool and I'm happy, although I did discover the benefits of Netflix last year. Got to watch Atlas Shrugged Part 1.

So you were one of the lucky folks who got to see the entire 3 hours worth on the big screen. Man, I wish that version would become available on dvd or bluray!!!

 

[Mr Nobody]

Mr. Nobody, when you mention the typewriter, you mean the one Bobbi used to write via telepathy? I think the book's name was "The Buffalo Soldiers"?

As for Clancy, I don't know how many books he sold, but he did generate that big videogame franchise, as well as all those book series he didn't write. And I have to say, it may be Little League, but what is happening at Amazon's self-publishing platform is actually very interesting.

Yep. Bobbi's magic typewriter. Though, these past couple of days, I'd just as happily settle for 'the word processor of the gods'. Man, would I ever get creative with that.

For the money thing...what people are worth via stocks held in companies, etc, has to be open and transparent because they're the rules of the road when it comes to company accounts/share values and holdings (I think that's certainly the case for listed companies, so the value Bill Gates' holdings are a matter of public record whether he likes it or not and I'd assume the same thing applies to any stock options Mr King may hold).
For anything else...it's true that SK has mentioned figures in the past, and - again AFAIK - there's probably a way to find out what any author's deal is/was worth via examination of the publisher's/publishers' financial records - it'll be a separate entry in a ledger somewhere or other.
I just don't really see what peoples' earnings have to do with me, or what mine have to do with anyone else, should they be interested. I accept that shareholders will, necessarily, be interested, and I expect certain information is or can be made available to potential investors without it being completely in the public sphere. But if I don't own shares in, say, CBS and have no intention of acquiring any, what difference can knowing or not knowing possibly make to me?
In any case, let's say I did acquire shares in CBS. If I think SK (or anyone else) is overpaid, what difference does it make? I can either trust the judgement of the people who arrange these things and live with it, or I can contact my broker and sell my stock.
As you say, though, it is interesting...but, IMO, only to a certain point. After that, I think it's nothing to do with me and can live with not knowing. (Thanks for the recommendation, though. Where he's chosen to be open about things...well, that's no foul, right? )

Amazon's KDP is interesting. No argument there. I just can't see someone of SK's standing being overly concerned. He's 'too big to fail' now, and could publish new books for nothing and still make a ton from the back catalogue alone. Maybe it'd be different if he was 20 years younger or in either of his sons' positions, but as it is...

Skipping to another post...Dreamcatcher isn't a great book (or even a good one, if I'm being harsh), but that's not a surprise given the circumstances under which it was written. It's fair to say 'So why publish? He didn't need to', but here's a thing for both that book and Insomnia: usually, you sign a deal to provide x books in exchange for x in up-front payment plus, say, 8% on profits/extra sales. That deal could cover 3 books, or 5, or 7. However many. However, most deals will stipulate a time limit. It could be that they want 5 books in a maximum of 7 years. It could even be 5 in 5. In those circumstances, you'd have to submit something for publication, even if you felt that it was no good. And yeah, maybe a lot of people would just bang it out and think of the money, not caring about the quality or relative merits of the work. A lot of people would also see their reputations suffer, if not go completely down the pan, and while SK can be reasonably sure that people will buy whatever he produces, regardless, there would still come a point where his deal expired and it was time to renegotiate, and if he just went down the 'any old crap will do' route, publishers would notice and downwardly adjust their offers accordingly. So, for me, Dreamcatcher and Insomnia (probably Desperation, too) only made it out into the world because that's what he'd completed, and like any story, you never know how they're going to turn out until they're written; that fantastic golden idea that wouldn't leave you alone at 3 in the morning could turn out to be a pile of old brown merde on the page. It's like dipping into Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get.

 

[GNTLGNT]

Shouldn't the political discussion be moved to the Politics forum?

John

...it is a fair detour....he did touch on politics in the interview...

 

[Shoesalesman]

Stephen talks/interviews like my neighbor Burt from decades ago. Really smart, talented guy, uber-successful, but never put himself above a tailgate sit-down over darts and beers in his garage. I imagine you could talk to Stephen about spooling weed-whacker line and recent developments in stem-cell research and end up with the same sense of the guy. Can't fake that. Good on him!

 

[doowopgirl]

Doowopgirl, I'm glad you enjoyed "Dreamcatcher." Though it may sound odd, I always like hearing from people who enjoyed a King book that I did not. Truthfully, I'd rather most actually like the book than not like it, no matter my feelings. I enjoyed the Duddits character as well, although -- and it's been a while since I have read the tome -- I don't think he was in it as much as I would have liked. I too at first really enjoyed the friends in the book, but then, well -- the plot happened.

I don't know if Hemingway exactly sucks, but I would have to study his work more. One thing that is cool about him is he proves you can make an impact with simpler sentences.

Out of curiosity, you say it's no business of anyone in terms of how much money people make. Fair enough. What about, though, highly-paid members of a public company? What about Christopher Nolan and his deal for "Interstellar" -- should shareholders know how his compensation scheme is structured? I'm honestly curious, not necessarily looking for a debate.

When I talk about how much money a person makes being no one elses business I mean private people. It's none of my business how much you or Stephen King or Beyonce makes. The likes of answering to shareholders is a different matter. You asked a fair enough question. I'm glad you can enjoy someone else enjoying a book you didn't especially. I'm that way myself. When I say Hemingway sucks I mean, IMO he wrote about people with too much time on their hands who mainly whined all the time. Yes he does make an impact with simple sentences, but I never met one of his characters I liked.

 

[Brooks]

Just read the article in Rolling Stone. Great enlightening article. I noticed in the pic of SK and his family sitting in the kitchen that he uses an old school rotary phone with a cord on it long enough to walk to Boston. Love it! Dude could buy a phone company and he is using a rotary phone! Kicking it old school SK!!!

 

[KINGSMAN129]

Does anyone have a REPUTABLE & VIRUS FREE LINK where I can read the article & devise my OWN OPPINION on all this CRAZINESS?

 

[FlakeNoir]

Does anyone have a REPUTABLE & VIRUS FREE LINK where I can read the article & devise my OWN OPPINION on all this CRAZINESS?

Rolling Stone interview.

 

[KINGSMAN129]

THANKS Flake!

 

[KINGSMAN129]

OK, all I can say is there are THINGS WE AGREE ON, & certain stuff we WILL NEVER AGREE ON, I still love him, but BY FAR my FAVORITE part of the interview was when Stephen NAMED MY TOP 3 FAVORITE T.V. SHOWS as some of his own! "Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead"

 

[mal]

Thanks for the link Flake. Great interview!

 

[muskrat]

Yeah, thanx, Flake.

Anybody wanna read a great lengthy interview with Uncle Stevie, get on The Paris Review site and scroll thru the interview archives. His is on the 2000s list.