QUOTE
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Tabitha King's passion burns brightly
By BOB KEYES, Portland Press Herald Writer
BANGOR — Tabitha King dreams of day lilies. Maine's first lady of fiction would love to take the time to turn the backyard of her Bangor home into a sprawling field of day lilies. She's already cultivated several impressive garden beds, and wants more.
She'd also like to be a full-time grandmother, dedicate more time to her photography, maybe work in a library and kayak more with her dog, Frodo. But right now, she just doesn't have time.
King, the wife of novelist Stephen King, encroaches on the spotlight usually reserved for her husband with the publication this week of her first book in several years, "Candles Burning."
King, 57, is actually the co-writer of the Southern Gothic novel with Michael McDowell, a dear friend who died in 1999 before he could complete what he hoped would become his masterpiece.
King considered McDowell a soul mate. She finished the book for him, rounding out the story he left, based on an incomplete manuscript and voluminous notes.
"Candles Burning" tells the story of young Calley Dakin, a Southern girl who inherited the gift of hearing voices in her head. It's a modern-day witch tale, set in New Orleans and Florida and spiced with abundant Gulf Coast flavor.
King has high hopes for the novel.
"I must admit, I've been in a bit of a drought," said King, who has had several books of fiction published, but none recently.
"I've been working. I have a couple of novels in the drawer. Maybe now I will be able to get a publisher. That's really what I want. I would like to be able to publish again as myself, entirely my own work. I'd like to have that door stay open for me."
The day lilies will have to wait.
As King talks, she sits on the brick veranda of the magnificent Bangor home she shares with her husband. Frodo sits obediently at her feet. One of her three cats, whom she affectionately calls Fathead, wanders nearby.
Her husband pops in now and again to check on her and to see if she needs anything.
At lunchtime, he runs over to the neighborhood Subway to get her a tuna sandwich and Diet Coke.
They each dote on the other. At least during this visit, the Kings come across as rather ordinary Mainers. There's no pretention.
Yet they enjoy the rewards of his success. The Kings' 19th-century mansion is spectacularly restored; the grounds are lush. Then there's the indoor pool and two Mercedes-Benzes in the driveway.
But there's also the more pedestrian Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Prius, each of which Tabitha drives. Both are adorned with anti-Bush bumper stickers: "Give Impeachment a Chance" and "Fire the Liar."
She's dressed casually, in matching blue pants and shirt. If you didn't know better, you might imagine her as the stereotypical rural Maine woman, who would just as soon pick blueberries in sweat pants as get dressed up for a luncheon or dinner out.
In other words, she looks nothing like her glamorous publicity photo.
By design, she does not call attention to herself. She struggles to come to terms with the fans who stake out the King house with cameras in hopes of a glimpse of her husband.
The other day, when someone was leaning on the doorbell and would not go away, she said she answered the door fresh from the shower, wearing only a towel, just for shock value.
"You never get used to it," she said.
The near-constant attention is one reason she covets spending time at the family home in western Maine.
"There's a lot of people who don't know who I am, and that's what I love about western Maine. And if they do, they don't (care). I'm just another woman driving around with a dog in her car. I would not want what Steve has. It is not fun."
King has a sharp tongue and is utterly engaging. She peppers her talk with frequent bursts of humor and rage. She lavishes her speech with off-color language. She says what's on her mind.
PET PEEVES AND PASSIONS
Among her rants: People need to read more to their kids, they need to treat their animals better, and pro sports should open their doors to women.
She still watches an occasional game but does not share her husband's love affair with the Red Sox.
"I stopped being interested in professional sports a long time ago. I'll watch a little hockey and a little ball, but it's a boys club with no girls allowed. So to hell with it."
It's worth noting that King's 82-year-old mother does not share her daughter's disdain. An avid fan, she watches the Red Sox with passion, often while talking to Stephen on the phone as the game progresses.
"She's Steve's baseball buddy," King said, delighted at the closeness between her mom and husband. "She's one of those Maine women who's been following the Red Sox forever. She knows more baseball than anyone."
King is passionate about the charity work that she and her husband accomplish.
They have two foundations, one that funds college scholarships for 50 Maine students each year and another that focuses on gifts to libraries and books for schools.
She won't say how much money they give each year, except that it's more than $1 million and less than $10 million.
"Steve believes religiously in tithing. I don't believe religiously. I just believe you can't take it with you, so we try to unload as much as we can. The needs are enormous. We're happy to do it, and we wish we could do more. There's the feeling that it's the teaspoon against the sea."
Tabitha King was born in Old Town, and never expected to move far. Her tombstone, she says wryly, should state: "She got all the way from Old Town to Bangor."
Ideally, she says, she would be cremated with her ashes spread over their lake in western Maine on the Fourth of July "so I could go to as many barbecues as possible."
She's always been a writer with an interest in literature. If her life had turned out differently, she likely would have gotten her master's in library science and supported herself as a professional librarian.
"I still file in my sleep," she said.
She met her husband while attending the University of Maine at Orono. Both worked in the library, and Tabitha knew something of Steve before they became friendly, because he was already getting published in the school newspaper.
His writing impressed her. She knew he had a gift. On the other hand, she also knew she could do better.
"I remember reading his long essays in the papers, and I thought, 'I could have done that.' "
His sense of humor clinched her affection. He had great timing and great lines, and never failed to make her laugh even at the most inappropriate times. That's still true today, she said.
They've been married 35 years and have lived in Bangor since 1980.
The Kings have three grown children - sons Joe and Owen and daughter Naomi. Naomi is a Unitarian-Universalist minister in New York, and both sons are writers. Joe lives in New Hampshire, and Owen lives in New York.
Tabitha King takes some credit for her husband's success.
He's a single-minded writer, who gets up in the morning and goes to work. She's more concerned about the big picture, which at times has detracted from her ability to write as much as she wants. But she's kept the family together, and then some.
"He never would have been successful as he is if he didn't marry me. I kept him alive - twice."
Once came in their early years, when he went through rehab. The other was more recent, when a driver ran him down while he was walking near the family's summer home in western Maine.
She's also been his editor and sounding board.
Being the wife of one of America's most recognized and successful writers has not necessarily been good for her own career. She's not angry or resentful. It is what it is, she said.
STARTING A NEW CHAPTER
"Everybody deals with whatever their circumstances are. In my case, I think it's probably hurt me more than it's helped me. On the other hand, we're very different people as writers. Steve has no doubt about what he wants to do with his life. There's a real blessing to get up in the morning and know what you're supposed to do.
"I am a person who is insatiably curious about nearly everything. It's very hard for me to open a door and not go through it."
Previous to "Candles Burning," King was known as a writer of women's fiction, including "Survivor" and "The Book of Reuben."
"Candles Burning" is her first novel in almost 10 years.
She plans to vigorously promote the new book.
For the memory of McDowell and for the sake of what she hopes will be more writing opportunities in the future, she plans to give several readings and probably will travel nationally if the book succeeds as she hopes it will.
The readings begin Thursday at Bookland in Brunswick and continue at least through July. On July 26, she'll read with son Owen at the Portland Public Library - something she looks forward to, but also dreads.
"I'm going to have to talk to him about being mouthy," she said of her youngest son. "He likes to embarrass me in public now. He thinks that's funny."
Do not underestimate King's unease in doing book tours, especially in the summer. It means time away from the lake, and it likely also will mean traveling to places like New York and Los Angeles.
"I've got a big streak of that Yankee live-in-the-woods mentality. Too many people stimulate me too much. I can only take three days in New York and 24 hours in L.A.
"It's unnerving for me to spend that much time with people not looking at you. I don't like subways, I don't like trains. I don't like any form of mass transportation. And do not trap me in an elevator."
Still, this book is worth it.
Berkley Publishing Group approached her in 2004 about finishing "Candles Burning." The publisher had invested a lot of money and wanted to see McDowell's book finished.
She loved McDowell's concept for the story, and thought she could round it out. Specifically, she felt she could do more to develop the characters.
The final version largely follows McDowell's outline, but King made significant changes. A condition of her accepting the project was her ability to have total freedom to do as she wanted.
She is proud of "Candles Burning" and is pleased with the opportunity to step away from the shadow of her husband.
For her, writing will always be a family affair, with a healthy dose of friendly competition.
"We're anticipating a year when everyone has a book out at the same time. Now, that would be a fun reading to attend, wouldn't it?"
Tabitha King's passion burns brightly
By BOB KEYES, Portland Press Herald Writer
BANGOR — Tabitha King dreams of day lilies. Maine's first lady of fiction would love to take the time to turn the backyard of her Bangor home into a sprawling field of day lilies. She's already cultivated several impressive garden beds, and wants more.
She'd also like to be a full-time grandmother, dedicate more time to her photography, maybe work in a library and kayak more with her dog, Frodo. But right now, she just doesn't have time.
King, the wife of novelist Stephen King, encroaches on the spotlight usually reserved for her husband with the publication this week of her first book in several years, "Candles Burning."
King, 57, is actually the co-writer of the Southern Gothic novel with Michael McDowell, a dear friend who died in 1999 before he could complete what he hoped would become his masterpiece.
King considered McDowell a soul mate. She finished the book for him, rounding out the story he left, based on an incomplete manuscript and voluminous notes.
"Candles Burning" tells the story of young Calley Dakin, a Southern girl who inherited the gift of hearing voices in her head. It's a modern-day witch tale, set in New Orleans and Florida and spiced with abundant Gulf Coast flavor.
King has high hopes for the novel.
"I must admit, I've been in a bit of a drought," said King, who has had several books of fiction published, but none recently.
"I've been working. I have a couple of novels in the drawer. Maybe now I will be able to get a publisher. That's really what I want. I would like to be able to publish again as myself, entirely my own work. I'd like to have that door stay open for me."
The day lilies will have to wait.
As King talks, she sits on the brick veranda of the magnificent Bangor home she shares with her husband. Frodo sits obediently at her feet. One of her three cats, whom she affectionately calls Fathead, wanders nearby.
Her husband pops in now and again to check on her and to see if she needs anything.
At lunchtime, he runs over to the neighborhood Subway to get her a tuna sandwich and Diet Coke.
They each dote on the other. At least during this visit, the Kings come across as rather ordinary Mainers. There's no pretention.
Yet they enjoy the rewards of his success. The Kings' 19th-century mansion is spectacularly restored; the grounds are lush. Then there's the indoor pool and two Mercedes-Benzes in the driveway.
But there's also the more pedestrian Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Prius, each of which Tabitha drives. Both are adorned with anti-Bush bumper stickers: "Give Impeachment a Chance" and "Fire the Liar."
She's dressed casually, in matching blue pants and shirt. If you didn't know better, you might imagine her as the stereotypical rural Maine woman, who would just as soon pick blueberries in sweat pants as get dressed up for a luncheon or dinner out.
In other words, she looks nothing like her glamorous publicity photo.
By design, she does not call attention to herself. She struggles to come to terms with the fans who stake out the King house with cameras in hopes of a glimpse of her husband.
The other day, when someone was leaning on the doorbell and would not go away, she said she answered the door fresh from the shower, wearing only a towel, just for shock value.
"You never get used to it," she said.
The near-constant attention is one reason she covets spending time at the family home in western Maine.
"There's a lot of people who don't know who I am, and that's what I love about western Maine. And if they do, they don't (care). I'm just another woman driving around with a dog in her car. I would not want what Steve has. It is not fun."
King has a sharp tongue and is utterly engaging. She peppers her talk with frequent bursts of humor and rage. She lavishes her speech with off-color language. She says what's on her mind.
PET PEEVES AND PASSIONS
Among her rants: People need to read more to their kids, they need to treat their animals better, and pro sports should open their doors to women.
She still watches an occasional game but does not share her husband's love affair with the Red Sox.
"I stopped being interested in professional sports a long time ago. I'll watch a little hockey and a little ball, but it's a boys club with no girls allowed. So to hell with it."
It's worth noting that King's 82-year-old mother does not share her daughter's disdain. An avid fan, she watches the Red Sox with passion, often while talking to Stephen on the phone as the game progresses.
"She's Steve's baseball buddy," King said, delighted at the closeness between her mom and husband. "She's one of those Maine women who's been following the Red Sox forever. She knows more baseball than anyone."
King is passionate about the charity work that she and her husband accomplish.
They have two foundations, one that funds college scholarships for 50 Maine students each year and another that focuses on gifts to libraries and books for schools.
She won't say how much money they give each year, except that it's more than $1 million and less than $10 million.
"Steve believes religiously in tithing. I don't believe religiously. I just believe you can't take it with you, so we try to unload as much as we can. The needs are enormous. We're happy to do it, and we wish we could do more. There's the feeling that it's the teaspoon against the sea."
Tabitha King was born in Old Town, and never expected to move far. Her tombstone, she says wryly, should state: "She got all the way from Old Town to Bangor."
Ideally, she says, she would be cremated with her ashes spread over their lake in western Maine on the Fourth of July "so I could go to as many barbecues as possible."
She's always been a writer with an interest in literature. If her life had turned out differently, she likely would have gotten her master's in library science and supported herself as a professional librarian.
"I still file in my sleep," she said.
She met her husband while attending the University of Maine at Orono. Both worked in the library, and Tabitha knew something of Steve before they became friendly, because he was already getting published in the school newspaper.
His writing impressed her. She knew he had a gift. On the other hand, she also knew she could do better.
"I remember reading his long essays in the papers, and I thought, 'I could have done that.' "
His sense of humor clinched her affection. He had great timing and great lines, and never failed to make her laugh even at the most inappropriate times. That's still true today, she said.
They've been married 35 years and have lived in Bangor since 1980.
The Kings have three grown children - sons Joe and Owen and daughter Naomi. Naomi is a Unitarian-Universalist minister in New York, and both sons are writers. Joe lives in New Hampshire, and Owen lives in New York.
Tabitha King takes some credit for her husband's success.
He's a single-minded writer, who gets up in the morning and goes to work. She's more concerned about the big picture, which at times has detracted from her ability to write as much as she wants. But she's kept the family together, and then some.
"He never would have been successful as he is if he didn't marry me. I kept him alive - twice."
Once came in their early years, when he went through rehab. The other was more recent, when a driver ran him down while he was walking near the family's summer home in western Maine.
She's also been his editor and sounding board.
Being the wife of one of America's most recognized and successful writers has not necessarily been good for her own career. She's not angry or resentful. It is what it is, she said.
STARTING A NEW CHAPTER
"Everybody deals with whatever their circumstances are. In my case, I think it's probably hurt me more than it's helped me. On the other hand, we're very different people as writers. Steve has no doubt about what he wants to do with his life. There's a real blessing to get up in the morning and know what you're supposed to do.
"I am a person who is insatiably curious about nearly everything. It's very hard for me to open a door and not go through it."
Previous to "Candles Burning," King was known as a writer of women's fiction, including "Survivor" and "The Book of Reuben."
"Candles Burning" is her first novel in almost 10 years.
She plans to vigorously promote the new book.
For the memory of McDowell and for the sake of what she hopes will be more writing opportunities in the future, she plans to give several readings and probably will travel nationally if the book succeeds as she hopes it will.
The readings begin Thursday at Bookland in Brunswick and continue at least through July. On July 26, she'll read with son Owen at the Portland Public Library - something she looks forward to, but also dreads.
"I'm going to have to talk to him about being mouthy," she said of her youngest son. "He likes to embarrass me in public now. He thinks that's funny."
Do not underestimate King's unease in doing book tours, especially in the summer. It means time away from the lake, and it likely also will mean traveling to places like New York and Los Angeles.
"I've got a big streak of that Yankee live-in-the-woods mentality. Too many people stimulate me too much. I can only take three days in New York and 24 hours in L.A.
"It's unnerving for me to spend that much time with people not looking at you. I don't like subways, I don't like trains. I don't like any form of mass transportation. And do not trap me in an elevator."
Still, this book is worth it.
Berkley Publishing Group approached her in 2004 about finishing "Candles Burning." The publisher had invested a lot of money and wanted to see McDowell's book finished.
She loved McDowell's concept for the story, and thought she could round it out. Specifically, she felt she could do more to develop the characters.
The final version largely follows McDowell's outline, but King made significant changes. A condition of her accepting the project was her ability to have total freedom to do as she wanted.
She is proud of "Candles Burning" and is pleased with the opportunity to step away from the shadow of her husband.
For her, writing will always be a family affair, with a healthy dose of friendly competition.
"We're anticipating a year when everyone has a book out at the same time. Now, that would be a fun reading to attend, wouldn't it?"