King and Utica, NY? Urban Legend?
MORNINMAN
some time. I've been lurking here for a few weeks and if anyone can
answer this I know you folks can.
In several of Kings works we makes specific mention of Utica, NY, a city I
recently hail from. One of the government agents in "Firestarter" called
it home, as did the lead female character in "Tommyknockers", if I
remember correctly. King even placed the character as being from a
specific neghborhood in the city. A neighborhood that actually exists.
Utica is also given passing reference in several other pieces.
After asking around the real Utica I was told one possible explanation why
King makes multiple references to the city. This could possibly be a
constantly circulated rumor created by people in the city who noticed the
same mentions I did, but.....the story I was told is that Kings natural
father lives in Utica and the mentions, none of which are especially
flattering, are a rather subtle dig at him. Again, I'm just curious if
anyone has any input on the validity of the rumor or has some other
explanation.
Thanks for your time.........MM
NightFlier
(MORNINMAN) writes:
<<In several of Kings works we makes specific mention of Utica, NY, a city
I
recently hail from. >>
-snip-
<<After asking around the real Utica I was told one possible explanation
why King makes multiple references to the city. This could possibly be a
constantly circulated rumor created by people in the city who noticed the
same mentions I did, but.....the story I was told is that Kings natural
father lives in Utica and the mentions, none of which are especially
flattering, are a rather subtle dig at him. Again, I'm just curious if
anyone has any input on the validity of the rumor or has some other
explanation. >>
According to King himself, his father was in the merchant marine, and
simply failed to come home after one of his expeditions.
"Where do you get your ideas, Mr King?" "I get them from Utica."
This has been King's traditional answer to the traditional question. In
one of the chatty intros to one of his books (I can't remember which one),
he discusses another author's response to the coctail party comment: "Gee,
I've always wanted to be a writer." "Gee," replies the author (James
Michener, maybe?). "I've always wanted to be a brain surgeon."
It's simply King's way of both providing some answer, *any* answer, and
still getting out of a philosophical discussion equivalent to explaining
something to a two year old. The answer is always followed by the
question, "Why?" And what really bugs us about this is that we don't
really know the answer, either, and they are reminding us of this!
King probably has used Utica as the home of many of his characters
simply because it'll make us ask, "Why?" I can imagine a sardonic grin
twitching his mustache before he gives us his answer.
"Why not?"
-=NF=-
Ryan Robbins
says:
>
> King probably has used Utica as the home of many of his characters
>simply because it'll make us ask, "Why?" I can imagine a sardonic grin
>twitching his mustache before he gives us his answer.
King doesn't have a mustache (anymore).
_____________________________________________________________________
Ryan Robbins "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine -- Andy Rooney
_____________________________________________________________________
RROB...@Maine.Maine.Edu ____________________________________________
Michael Gant
>From: night...@aol.com (NightFlier)
>Subject: Re: King and Utica, NY? Urban Legend?
>Date: 8 Nov 1994 09:50:12 -0500
>In article <39khlj$c...@newsbf01.news.aol.com>, morn...@aol.com
>(MORNINMAN) writes:
><<In several of Kings works we makes specific mention of Utica, NY, a city
>I
>recently hail from. >>
>-snip-
><<After asking around the real Utica I was told one possible explanation
>why King makes multiple references to the city. This could possibly be a
>constantly circulated rumor created by people in the city who noticed the
>same mentions I did, but.....the story I was told is that Kings natural
>father lives in Utica and the mentions, none of which are especially
>flattering, are a rather subtle dig at him. Again, I'm just curious if
>anyone has any input on the validity of the rumor or has some other
>explanation. >>
> This has been King's traditional answer to the traditional question. In
>one of the chatty intros to one of his books (I can't remember which one),
>he discusses another author's response to the coctail party comment: "Gee,
>I've always wanted to be a writer." "Gee," replies the author (James
>Michener, maybe?). "I've always wanted to be a brain surgeon."
I'm fairly certain that this line was from an introduction by John D.
MacDonald for one of the short story collections ("Skeleton Crew" I think but
not postiive). It was obvious that MacDonald thought very highly of King's
writing. MacDonald was a great writer himself .(he passed away about 5-6 ?
years ago) He wrote a series of books about an amateur detective named Travis
McGee very good books that I've always liked. Both MacDonald and King made
reference to each other in their books. In "Christine" when Arnie's friend
(and narrator I can't remember his name-@#$%) is in the hospital after
his knee injury there is a policeman on guard reading a J. D. MacDonald Travis
McGee mystery. MacDonald alludes to "Cujo" in a T. McGee book I think it was
"The Empty Copper Sea" or "Cinammon Skin".
Anyhow I thought this would be interesting for all of you trivia buffs out
there. :)
Have a good day
M. Gant
Thrill Kill Cult
>I'm fairly certain that this line was from an introduction by John D.
>MacDonald for one of the short story collections ("Skeleton Crew" I think but
>not postiive). It was obvious that MacDonald thought very highly of King's
one of my fav. intro's.
King also Mentions Wilmington, DE a few times, whixh is nice,
esp. since we are such a small state. (one is in thinner, I
believe)
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