how do you spell your profanity? (Rambling commentary on Stephen King)

[southerngirlwriter]

When you have occasion to write god and then the verb that means to condemn forever, how do you spell those words??

Weird question.....especially as I just put on my *good* jeans (the black ones with no signs of wear) and a *nice* shirt (nothing written on it) and am leaving for church in a few minutes. LOL.

I am reading The Stand. It's only my fourth Stephen King novel. I never read him at all until I read his book about writing, and now I'm slowly reading the novels he mentions in that book, and will probably go on to read the rest of his oeuvre, as I'm enjoying them.

Anyway, people say "goddam" a lot in this book. I have always seen that particular profanity written as "goddamn" or "god-damn." Is this a regional thing?

Also, what does a Canadian sunrise look like? Twice he's said that "X looked like a Canadian sunrise," and I don't have a clue what that means. His primary weakness as a writer (and all writers have weakness; this isn't a slam on Mr. King) is using metaphors and similes that don't bring *any* picture to mind (like that one). Otherwise I have no complaints.

And good morning, all.

[Don Claybrook]

1. Have you seen A Reader's Manifesto

It was published in the Atlantic Monthly in 2001. It's very withering in its assessment of "serious" writers. Interestingly, the author mentions Stephen King (by way of comparison with "serious" authors) in a positive light. Take a look if you get the chance.

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/07/myers.htm

[SmileyBoy]

2. Chapter 26 of "The Stand" is the scariest thing you'll ever read.

In the uncut long version, that is.

I'm currently reading the uncut version again for the third time.

[southerngirlwriter]

9. Yes, it was shockingly believable

and made me pray all the harder about the elections next year.

[amazona]

3. it can be spelled several ways

Goddamn, goddam, and god-damned are all accepted spellings. Don't think it's especially regional, more of the writer just has to pick a spelling and then stick with it for consistency. It might even depend on the style sheet used by whoever his first editor/publisher was; I'm thinking Doubleday but don't recall for sure off the top of the head.

Don't know what a Canadian sunrise is.

King is a fine writer and well worth reading. The first part of The Stand where the human race is decimated by the flu is one of the most terrifying stories I've ever read. The rest of the book, alas, rambles too much for me. I prefer the hard-hitting focused work of King, like Carrie, Cujo, Pet Semetary. I seem to be in the minority here though.

Even King doesn't like Pet Semetary and fought to repress it for several years. But if you like gut-wrenching, hard-hitting stuff, there it is.

Cujo says more about marriage in America than any number of snooty John Updike novels. :-)

[SmileyBoy]

4. Yup. Chapter 26 in particular talks about the fall of humanity.

The Army declaring Martial Law and shooting everyone they damn well please, Army rank-and-file retaliating against their SOB superiors (the ones who do most of the killing), the barges dumping all the dead bodies into the ocean, the TV stations revolting against the Army troops who took over all forms of communication, it's bone-chilling.

[kath]

5. IMHO, "Misery" is an awesome book as well

Maybe I'll re-read that one this week.

[amazona]

22. oh yeah

Put "Misery" on my list of the harder-hitting, focused books. Nice up-close with two characters going at it. Great stuff.

[SiobhanClancy]

8. An underexposed King book...

is "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". It's a short book(unusual for King)about a little girl who gets lost in the woods. I think one of his gifts as a writer is his ability to describe the thoughts and feelings of children,which he does quite well in this little book.

[RebelOne]

23. Yes, it was a good, short read.

It definitely should be made into a movie or even a made-for-TV show. And I think it will eventually.

[kath]

6. What's the title of King's book on writing?

[SiobhanClancy]

7. The title is "On Writing"........n/t

[jus_the_facts]

16. Also 'Secret Windows' and 'Dance Macabe'

:)

[jus_the_facts]

18. Well Goddammit...that's supposed to be 'Dance Macabre'.....

...guess I shoulda used speel chick!:evilgrin:

[SiobhanClancy]

19. Would you believe "Danse Macabre"?

Just to rub it in a bit:evilgrin:

[RebelOne]

10. Stephen King is my all-time favorite

in horror, sci-fi and suspense novels. I'm an avid fan. In my opinion, just about all his books are worth reading. One exception, however, is "Insomnia." In fact, that book would cure insomnia if you read it at bedtime. But I consider him the Edgar Allen Poe of the 20th and 21st centuries.

[jus_the_facts]

15. I liked 'Insomnia'...I've been collecting all his books in hardback...

....only have a few more left and I'll own every single one he's ever written....all the *Bachman Books* are really good too...'THE REGULATORS' is a TRIP...freaky deaky!!

My least favorites of his are...Geralds Game and Nightmares and Dreamscapes...just did NOT care for those two very much at all.

ALL TIME FAVE...'THE STAND'...BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ...EVER! :)

[RebelOne]

21. You are right!! The Stand. His best ever.

Both abridged and unabridged editions. I've read both.

[TrogL]

11. Canadian sunrises

Canada is far North of the United States. Because of its latitude, the sun takes longer to rise and set. As it gets closer to December 21st (the winter solstice) the sun stays closer and closer to the horizon. Where I live, on December 21st, it was about 25 degrees up. Given the pollution, the day was one continuous sunrise and sunset.

Most Canadian cities, however, don't have an oil refinery due east of them, and tend to have cleaner air generally, so sunrises tend to be an orange ball.

I do remember, however, one time when I was a kid waking up to air raid sirens (the States was having a drill), ran into the living room and saw a huge fireball over Buffalo and thought it had been nuked. It was just a sunrise seen through the pollution over North Tonawanda.

[gator_in_Ontario]

13. I thought I noticed

the sun taking longer to come up and go down. I thought I was losing my mind. Well maybe I am, but not for this reason anyway.

[no name no slogan]

20. True, very true

I'm born and raised in Minnesota (which is further north than many parts of Ontario, btw) and the sunsets seem to take for ever during the winter months. Twilight starts around 4:00, and the sun is just barely peeking over the horizon at 5:00. I always thought it was like that for the rest of the world, too.

When I was 5, my folks divorced and my dad moved to Arizona. I remember being down there and watching the sun set. It would be all over with in half an hour. Wow.

I spent a couple of weeks in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in February 2001. The sunsets over Banderas Bay were spectacular-- but very very short. 15-20 minutes, tops, from full daylight to night.

[TrogL]

12. James Joyce

(formatting)

in From Here to Eternity IIRC spells it "fugging".

[DS1]

14. they aren't mutually exclusive in my books

:evilgrin:

[maxanne]

17. the regional flavor

of Maine does bust into King's novels. Goddam being a yankee kind of thing. I tend to write goddam. :-)

Did the Canadian sunrise refer to someone who'd been beaten up? In that case it would reference their colorful bruising. Maybe a reference to their colorful garb? Sorry, it's been years since I read The Stand.

I guess I get his metaphors because I live in the same region. :scared: