Stephen King and John Grisham walk into the packed Neel Performing Arts Center here in Florida and proceed to entertain the audience - including me and my husband! - with stories about reading, writing and life, all to benefit libraries and literacy.
Stephen King did the event himself last year, and apparently, when the committee wondered how in the world they'd ever top that, King replied he had a friend who might be interested in participating . . . .
We've heard King speak before and he's always so down-to-earth and entertaining, and it was fun to see that Grisham is the same way. Both men wore jeans, chatted and told stories like the old friends they are, and donated their time to the event (which raised over $200,000!)
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| Grisham (left), King (right) |
* When Grisham's first novel A Time to Kill (one of his best, in my opinion) made the New York Times bestseller list, King sent him a congratulatory note.
* Early on, they shared the same editor who bought both King's Carrie and Grisham's A Time to Kill.
* Both men are often approached by fans who praise the movies, not the books. King often responds with "I've written books, too."
* They talked about being famous authors in a society that doesn't really read, how they can pretty much move about their lives unnoticed. (I thought this was an interesting point, although I recognized King when I saw him in the store awhile back while I would've walked right by one of the Kardashians.)
* Grisham prefers print books, while King reads both paper and on screen.
* When asked if he'd ever write a horror novel, Grisham said some people think writing about lawyers is already pretty horrifying. (My husband, who is a lawyer, found this hysterical. And true.)
Oh, and at the end - cookies!
What fun! That sounds like an awesome event. (And who doesn't love bookies, I mean cookies?)
ReplyDeleteHa! The "bookies" were delicious. :)
DeleteWow, I heard of that event! You got to go? So jealous!
ReplyDeleteAnd you've seen King in a store? Double jealous, even though I have a bone to pick with him right now. I may write a blog post about it...he's still my hero, though.
We were very fortunate! We missed last year's event - tickets sold out fast.
DeleteOn the sidebar, you'll see two posts - The King of All Days - all about when I met him in a local store. Still one of my all time favorite moments!
Hmm, I'm a little concerned about this bone you're talking about....
What an awesome event to attend. Yeah, King would be recognized by most. Funny how so many comment on his movies and not his books.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was strange, too, because it's not like every book he's written has been made into a movie. He's got lots more books out than movies.
DeleteI am so jealous!! I agree, who cares about the Kardashians?! and for the umpteenth time, can we all agree that the books are always better than the movies!!!?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that editor who signed those two men a bit of a king himself?
I think you have an excellent point about that editor!
DeleteI would have loved to attend that chat between two of my favorite authors. What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteIt really is such a fun idea. I once heard King in conversation with Lauren Groff, way back when, and I believe he's done something similar with a few other authors.
DeleteThat is awesome! I would've loved to have seen that. Thanks for sharing some highlights. :) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteHave a great weekend yourself! :)
This is so awesome! It's funny because I follow King on Twitter and saw that he tweeted something about this event and I thought it sounded so cool. And now I see you were actually there! Thanks for sharing your experience.
ReplyDeleteIt was cool to see it mentioned and know we were there. :)
DeleteWow! Just wow! That had to have been an awesome experience! I love that parts that you shared, and I'm both glad you went and a mite green. Wow!
ReplyDeleteMany wishes for inspired writing and life, Madeline!!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the parts I shared! I wish I could've remembered more/better, but you all got the essence of it. :)
DeleteSame wishes for you, Tyrean!
Cookies and Stephen King and John Grisham...wow! I too would recognize Stephen King if I saw him in public.
ReplyDeleteWow is right! :)
DeleteWish I had been there. I would've liked to hear them talk. Thanks for sharing some highlights with us!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the highlights, Chrys. :)
DeleteLove the cookies!
ReplyDeleteThey were pretty yummy, too. :)
DeleteWow!!!...It would have been nice meeting Stephen King and John Grisham :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't actually get to meet them - just sat in the audience and listened. :)
Delete(Although I did meet King years ago - see the posts on the sidebar titled The King of All Days Parts 1 and 2.)
That sounds like a fantastic event! I enjoyed King's On Writing. It must be interesting to hear him talk.
ReplyDeleteHe really does seem to be a natural storyteller. :)
DeleteI actually have On Writing on CD, and hearing King read it makes the lessons come alive.
This sounds like such an amazing event! I've never had the privilege of hearing King speak live, but I love what I've seen of his recorded talks.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a lot of fun, and it's very similar to watching/listening to recorded events. Check out the audio version of ON WRITING - I love it!
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