Six Reasons S. King Should be Nominated for the Noble Prize
Jun 25, 2020 20:34:10 GMT
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Post by prufrock21 on Jun 25, 2020 20:34:10 GMT
There are many of us, Constant Readers especially, who believe Stephen King should be nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature. Purists may not agree, but I find there are solid reasons to consider Stephen King for such a prize. If we forgo the belief that genre writers are never considered for such a prize, then Mr. King’s name would be easily included in a list of possible nominees. You might ask, why now? Besides the reasons mentioned below, time is no longer on his side, and even literary geniuses (Mr. King is definitely one) cannot wait forever.
I understand that for this to happen, for Mr. King to be nominated—let alone, win—a change in attitude concerning horror writing must take place in the cultural communities that consider, regard and promote literature.
My reasons are the following:
1.First and foremost, I believe that such a prize is in his ka. As far as contemporary literature is concerned, and the horror genre in particular, Stephen King is essential, the sine qua non, and therefore worthy of the prize.
2.Stephen King has dedicated his life to literature. Beginning with Carrie, his first published book, Mr. King has dedicated time, long hours and ceaseless energy to the production of a literary legacy. This has been more than a nine to five endeavor. Writing has been truly his calling, what he was definitely born to do. So much so that his literary output (both fiction and nonfiction) bears witness to his dedication and respect for his craft. Not every writer—not even bestselling ones—enjoy what they do. Stephen King does.
3.Stephen King’s literary output has enthralled and captivated millions of readers. Mr. King’s readers are legion. They read and enjoy his work with a passion accorded to only a few great writers. Truly Stephen King’s readers cannot be satisfied with reading only one of his books. Many, especially those he calls his “Constant Readers,” have read great chunks, a literary output which now surpasses over sixty books. Arguably one of the reasons why readers enjoy his work lies in the fact that Mr. King has created characters we care about, has explored ideas and developed themes that encompass a world, an entire universe. Not an easy task to be sure. In essence, Mr. King has opened a portal to literature, and those of his Constant Readers who have crossed the threshold, will never look back.
4.Stephen King in his fiction has captured the essence of modern America, and has offered it to the world. No doubt he is the modern master of the macabre. And when his work focuses on horror, the stories he conjures are geared to scare the bejesus out of many an unsuspecting reader. However, if in these tales we downplay the supernatural elements, what’s left is a surprising and suggestive look into the lives of the people of the US.
It, for example, is a story of a demonic being that feeds on children. But the book also narrates three decades of the people of a town in Maine. The Stand posits a virus which destroys much of humanity (prescient on Mr. King’s part, to be sure), but it is also a fascinating journey through the highways and byways of modern America. Hearts in Atlantis has the Vietnam War as a backdrop, and explores the moral consequences of that war.
Stephen King is the chronicler of modern America, as John Steinbeck was the chronicle of the Depression. His greatest achievement is that he elevated the writing of terror to an art form, and in so doing made it palatable to scores of readers.
5. Stephen King has been not only a student, but also a master of the writing craft. He has been a prolific reader as well as writer. This love of literature, coupled with this overwhelming success as a bestselling author, has led him to reflect upon writing and the writer’s craft as few writers are capable of doing, with candor, sincerity and panache.
Many of his reflections and postulates on writing can be found in the forewords and afterwards of his books, and these constitute worthy examples of his brilliance as well. There is also On Writing, a nonfiction work which is part autobiography and memoir, and also offers readers inspiration and writing instruction.
And possibly his best (but less known) work on writing, Danse Macabre. In it Mr. King analyzes the horror genre from the point of view of a neophyte who finds in horror writing his calling. In this work is evident the writer’s profound knowledge of the horror genre, not only in literature but also films. Knowledge no doubt he has achieved through many long hours of dedication and study.
6.Stephen King is the vehicle through which horror writing should be given official recognition. Horror writing is not taken seriously as an art form, and for the most part is disparaged by literary criticism. It is ignored in some circles, especially when we invoked the Nobel Prize committee. No doubt much of contemporary horror writing is deplorable and unworthy of receiving prizes. It is also a fact, however, that many writers of horror have shown authentic mastery of their craft and are the equal of other writers who pen so-called “serious” fiction. A few, such as Poe, Stoker, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, were once disparaged as authors of popular fiction but now are studied in colleges and considered classics.
The test of time has proven the value and enduring quality of their work. And our contemporary point of view, limited yet farsighted concerning what art is, should acknowledge officially the horror genre as legitimate.
What better way of doing this than by awarding Stephen King, one of the genre’s greatest exponents—the past and present of horror—the Nobel prize?
This thread first appeared in SKMB.
I understand that for this to happen, for Mr. King to be nominated—let alone, win—a change in attitude concerning horror writing must take place in the cultural communities that consider, regard and promote literature.
My reasons are the following:
1.First and foremost, I believe that such a prize is in his ka. As far as contemporary literature is concerned, and the horror genre in particular, Stephen King is essential, the sine qua non, and therefore worthy of the prize.
2.Stephen King has dedicated his life to literature. Beginning with Carrie, his first published book, Mr. King has dedicated time, long hours and ceaseless energy to the production of a literary legacy. This has been more than a nine to five endeavor. Writing has been truly his calling, what he was definitely born to do. So much so that his literary output (both fiction and nonfiction) bears witness to his dedication and respect for his craft. Not every writer—not even bestselling ones—enjoy what they do. Stephen King does.
3.Stephen King’s literary output has enthralled and captivated millions of readers. Mr. King’s readers are legion. They read and enjoy his work with a passion accorded to only a few great writers. Truly Stephen King’s readers cannot be satisfied with reading only one of his books. Many, especially those he calls his “Constant Readers,” have read great chunks, a literary output which now surpasses over sixty books. Arguably one of the reasons why readers enjoy his work lies in the fact that Mr. King has created characters we care about, has explored ideas and developed themes that encompass a world, an entire universe. Not an easy task to be sure. In essence, Mr. King has opened a portal to literature, and those of his Constant Readers who have crossed the threshold, will never look back.
4.Stephen King in his fiction has captured the essence of modern America, and has offered it to the world. No doubt he is the modern master of the macabre. And when his work focuses on horror, the stories he conjures are geared to scare the bejesus out of many an unsuspecting reader. However, if in these tales we downplay the supernatural elements, what’s left is a surprising and suggestive look into the lives of the people of the US.
It, for example, is a story of a demonic being that feeds on children. But the book also narrates three decades of the people of a town in Maine. The Stand posits a virus which destroys much of humanity (prescient on Mr. King’s part, to be sure), but it is also a fascinating journey through the highways and byways of modern America. Hearts in Atlantis has the Vietnam War as a backdrop, and explores the moral consequences of that war.
Stephen King is the chronicler of modern America, as John Steinbeck was the chronicle of the Depression. His greatest achievement is that he elevated the writing of terror to an art form, and in so doing made it palatable to scores of readers.
5. Stephen King has been not only a student, but also a master of the writing craft. He has been a prolific reader as well as writer. This love of literature, coupled with this overwhelming success as a bestselling author, has led him to reflect upon writing and the writer’s craft as few writers are capable of doing, with candor, sincerity and panache.
Many of his reflections and postulates on writing can be found in the forewords and afterwards of his books, and these constitute worthy examples of his brilliance as well. There is also On Writing, a nonfiction work which is part autobiography and memoir, and also offers readers inspiration and writing instruction.
And possibly his best (but less known) work on writing, Danse Macabre. In it Mr. King analyzes the horror genre from the point of view of a neophyte who finds in horror writing his calling. In this work is evident the writer’s profound knowledge of the horror genre, not only in literature but also films. Knowledge no doubt he has achieved through many long hours of dedication and study.
6.Stephen King is the vehicle through which horror writing should be given official recognition. Horror writing is not taken seriously as an art form, and for the most part is disparaged by literary criticism. It is ignored in some circles, especially when we invoked the Nobel Prize committee. No doubt much of contemporary horror writing is deplorable and unworthy of receiving prizes. It is also a fact, however, that many writers of horror have shown authentic mastery of their craft and are the equal of other writers who pen so-called “serious” fiction. A few, such as Poe, Stoker, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, were once disparaged as authors of popular fiction but now are studied in colleges and considered classics.
The test of time has proven the value and enduring quality of their work. And our contemporary point of view, limited yet farsighted concerning what art is, should acknowledge officially the horror genre as legitimate.
What better way of doing this than by awarding Stephen King, one of the genre’s greatest exponents—the past and present of horror—the Nobel prize?
This thread first appeared in SKMB.