Stephen King In High School

**TheHardcase** · August 21st, 2009

Part of this post is motivated by the fact that my own forty-year high school is fast approaching; this weekend, in fact.

I've read so much Stephen King, I don't think there's anything currently in print that I haven't read. I'm now constrained by his publishing schedule to come up with something new.

Over the course of the years, I've noticed with fascination how often SK returns to the theme of childhood trauma, childhood challenges, childhood angst echoing into adulthood . . . well, you get the idea. But, so far as I can recall, he's only revisited the high school venue in earnest in one novel, and that was his first -- Carrie.

My curiousity was further piqued when, in On Writing

This comment really got me going. And from that point forward I wondered -- especially now that I've observed from my own experience that the old high school hierarcy is alive and well, thank you very much, even after a forty-year hiatus -- what was Stephen King like in high school? Was he cool? Or was he a dork? Was he tormented? Or was he a tormentor? He kind of hints he participated in the taunting of one of those tortured girls who suffered at the hands of the mob, but he doesn't come right out and say it.

I've gone back and forth on my speculation on this point over the years. On the one hand, his writing suggests he was one of the coolest guys in the shark tank. Then again, most of his work occured during his adult life, during which a lot of our hard edges get worn down. OTOH, his early pictures are that of a pencil-neck-geek-of-the-week.

So, anyone who wants to speculate about this, I'm all ears. And, of course, anyone who knows, chime right in. It would be interesting to hear about the evolution of Stephen King.

**jchanic** · August 21st, 2009

One of King's other "high school" books was Rage, under the Richard Bachman name. Somehow I've always had the feeling that King was one of the outsiders in high school, but, because of his size and wit, he wasn't bullied as so many other outsiders were.

John

**Moderator** · August 21st, 2009

From Douglas Winters' excellent book: The Art of Darkness:

"King's teenage years were introspective; his family placed an emphasis 'on keeping yourself to yourself.' Although he had many friends, worked on cars, played organized sports, it was his private side that was important:

Inside, I felt different and unhappy a lot of times. I felt violent a lot of times. But I kept that part of myself to myself. I never wanted to let anybody get at it. I figured that they'd steal it, if they knew what I thought about this or that or the other thing. It wasn't the same as being embarrassed about it, so much as wanting to keep it and sort of work it out for myself.

I could write, and that was the way I defined myself, even as a kid. Maybe I couldn't put one past the centerfielder, and maybe all I was good for in football was left tackle. You know, I used to get cleat marks up my back.

But I could write . . .

Looking back on his youth, he assesses it as a happy time: 'My memories of childhood are that it was a good one, a quite happy one -- in a lonely or in a solitary way. If I had really been unhappy, it would come out in what I've written.'

**Mr. Palmer** · August 26th, 2009

Ms. Mod: Thanks so much for that post!

Is that book OOP?

Ms. Mod: Nevermind. I just rushed over to eBay and picked up a copy.

**Mr. Palmer** · August 27th, 2009

Ms. Mod: One more question... does Sai King endorse this book? I mean, is it something that he'd want read by his fans, too?

**Moderator** · August 28th, 2009

Yes, that was one of only a few books about Steve's work that he actually personally participated with the author while it was being written. Doug Winters interviewed Steve for the book and it has many comments by him about the titles. Great reference book and I think he'd recommend it highly. I know I use it extensively to answer fan questions.

**Bryan James** · August 28th, 2009

"The Art of Darkness" = Fun wordplay on the title of a Joseph Conrad novella/book.

Me? The Heart of Dorkness.

**Bob Ross** · September 17th, 2009

I remember reading ART OF DARKNESS in the late 1980's. Great book. I re-read my copy to the point where it literally fell apart. Has it been updated? I'd love to read some current King/Winters interviews.