In a recent blog I mentioned some great horror novels, including a couple that were collections of short stories. I went on to say that I love short stories, and mentioned one in particular that I was reading (re-reading, actually) called "Iverson's Pits" by Dan Simmons. It is a gruesome and ghostly account of a skirmish at Gettysburg, but it's also poetic. It's so well written that it leaves an indelible mark, which is why it's drawn me back over the years, to read it again and again.
Well, today I have a new story to recommend, both to you and myself, because I'm sure I'll be re-reading it several times in the years to come. It's one of four stories in Stephen King's new book "If It Bleeds", and it has a rather bland title by King standards : "The Life of Chuck". It runs about 50 pages.
"The Life of Chuck" is both simple and weird, but in the end, as you let it sink in, it's almost impossibly profound on the subject of living one's life. It was especially poignant to read this week (you know why), but in this case, the fictional Chuck is not a famous person but just an average Joe. And still, his life is huge. You'll have to read it to see why, but it's worth doing because it's some of King's most nuanced writing ever, even beyond the greatness of "The Body", which became the movie "Stand By Me". As great as King is, he's outdone himself with this story, and it's not just because of the things that happen, but his sentences and use of words. So that's my short story pick for today, and for a long, long time.
And wow and Holy Smokes, folks! After finishing "The Life of Chuck" this afternoon, I was thinking, "they've gotta make a movie out of this". Of course, they make movies out of everything SK ever wrote. Some are good, a few are great, but a lot are sub-par. However, if the recent trend is any indication, with the awesome "It" movies, and "Doctor Sleep", there has been an upswing in trying to do his stories justice. And now.......(drum roll please).....I have just this moment Googled "The Life of Chuck" and I see that it's been optioned by Darren Aronofsky. Wow! Now, I must add that this could either be really good news, or a total disaster. I don't know if you saw "Mother" by Aronofsky, but.........yikes. Still, he can be great when he wants to, or when he's not out of his mind. So it's great news that "The Life of Chuck" will hit the silver screen! But it's even better, or best, just as words on the page. I really can't recommend it enough. ////
I have also just tonight finished "The Inheritance" by Christopher Fulton. It's the story of how Fulton came to possess a key piece of evidence in the JFK assassination, and what happened to his life as a result, at the hands of Federal prosecutors. It's a real life horror story, and it reminded me in one aspect of my own story, of What Happened In Northridge, as I call it. For years, I have been exceptionally frustrated that not one single person has ever stepped forward to say anything about what they know happened to me, and to all of us who were present in September 1989. during those events, which "seem like a dream" as Dennis once put it, but which were 100% real.
They weren't a dream, Dennis. They were real.
Not one single person has ever said a word on my behalf, in the 26 years I've been talking and writing about it. The late David Friedman once told me, to my face, "if you keep talking about this, I won't be your friend anymore". I had brought it up several times in 1998, when I began writing about it, and I had directly accused him of having direct knowledge of some of the events, as well as participating in one. He first tried telling me I was crazy, but that tactic was useless by then. Everyone else had tried it, too, and I withstood all the slurs because I knew what had happened was real. But when I asked him why he was so afraid to talk about it, his response always stuck with me, because of the way he worded it. I always remembered his words.
One night I asked him "why won't you talk about it".
His answer : "Because if I talk about it, I'll become part of it".
"I'll become part of it"................"if I talk about it".
"If I talk about it".
There are secrets the Federal government keeps under the heading of National Security. I have Glomar responses from the CIA to prove it. For years and years, it was hard for me to understand the sheer vehemence of the response from my friends, and others, when I'd ask them about 1989.
More recently, I'd come to understand it a little better. They were afraid. But in reading Christopher Fulton's book, I now truly understand.
That's all I will say, but I urge you to read "The Inheritance" if you had anything to to with 1989.
I urge you. ///////
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
No comments:
Post a Comment