Stephen King’s Family Business | Hacker News Reader

Stephen King’s Family Business

nytimes.com

63 pointspg12 comments

I was Stephen King's paperboy as a kid growing up for about 6 years. I never met or saw him once.

I delivered the paper each morning through his black gate, up his driveway around to the side door. The winter mornings were especially scary, as it was still dark out. One morning there was a black crow perched on the railing of his steps to the door I put the paper in. As I got closer, I figured the crow would fly, like a normal bird. However, it didn't. I got closer, 10 feet away, 5 feet, then 1 foot. I stuck my hand out to pet the crow. It didn't move, just standing there, looking right at me. The crow let me pet him for a few seconds, I stopped and then he flew away. I delivered the paper and went on my way.

That's the only story I have about the King Family. Oh, and that I never got a Christmas tip from him once. That's all.

> One morning there was a black crow perched on the railing of his steps to the door I put the paper in...

If you ever hear the sound of approaching bootsteps in the distance... run.

That crow was cawing Flagg, Flagg, Flagg..

King is my favorite writer. While none of his novels make it in my top 20, I generally enjoy most of what he writes in some fashion or another. Some of them are stinkers but they are like a finding a burnt potato chip -- the carbon taste is there but it's still a fried slice of salty goodness. I very much enjoy listening to him speak and I respect the candid look into his life that he has given the public.

I recommend to anyone who has a love for good books and especially if you have literary aspirations to give King's On Writing a chance. It's a mix between an autobiography and a lesson in the craft of writing. I recommend the audio version. While I have no plans to write stories in the future, the book is fascinating. His voice takes getting used to but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'd rather he read any of his novels than Frank Miller.

I haven't read anything from Joe Hill yet but I look forward to checking out his work as well.

Speaking as someone who is planning to write in the future - by which I mean "Edit a short story tomorrow," "Launch a Kickstarter for a novel next week," and "Participate in NaNoWriMo for the eighth or so time next month" - I can highly recommend On Writing. It's one of the very few books, out of easily a hundred or two, that I first had shipped up when I moved out of state. I'm sitting across from it even now.

Speaking of the Kickstarter: http://planetoz.net. I'm posting a writing tutorial link to the mailing list soon!

The audiobook of "On Writing " is particularly good. Read by the author.

I thoroughly enjoyed On Writing. To me, it captures the entrepreneur ethos and demonstrates why perseverance and just doing are two of the most important keys to success.

  > A rabbi named Zusya died and went to stand before the judgment seat of God. As he
  > waited for God to appear, he grew nervous thinking about his life and how little
  > he had done. He began to imagine that God was going to ask him, "Why weren't you
  > Moses or why weren't you Solomon or why weren't you David?" But when God appeared,
  > the rabbi was surprised. God simply asked, "Why weren't you Zusya?"

http://chippit.tripod.com/tales1.html

I don't get it. Why does God always have to be so vague about things?

I'm an atheist, but I enjoyed these stories. I think I understood this one, so I'll attempt to explain.

God is asking him why he didn't just relax and be true to himself. If the rabbi wasn't so worried about living up to the examples set by others, he could have fulfilled his own potential.

That makes sense, thanks for answering.

He _was_ true to his own, doubtful, self.

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