Summer Thoughts: Stephen King’s IT and Family

Hi, Everyone,

Sorry for the longer delay than usual in posting on my blog. This summer was busy! And, frankly, sometimes I suffer from wondering what exactly I should write, because I don’t want to drone on about ideas that no one cares about but me. A couple thoughts have been rumbling around in my mind, though, so I offer the following summer thoughts for your enjoyment!

I went old school in my most recent reading endeavor, with Stephen King’s It. Full confession, which seems painfully obvious even if unsaid: I was inspired to read it by the movie last fall, which was really, really good. And further confession: my sick, twisted, horror mind was totally attracted to Pennywise in the movie. (Bill Skarsgard being underneath that make up doesn’t hurt the cause here, either.) I consider myself a casual Stephen King fan. I have not read everything he ever wrote; I find it enjoyable and creepy, but not so engrossing that I have to read him all the time; and sometimes his stuff drags a little, or offends a little, which I think is the point, but still . . . . Anyway, I am reading It, which is absolutely enormous, in case you didn’t know – and what strikes me more than anything is the way King uses horror to tell a story about humanity. Too many people still stereotype the horror genre as nothing but a quick scare and things to spook you. I think King, in particular, gets that label. But It provides the perfect example for why those stereotypes should be thrown in the trash. Underneath the horror that haunts Derry, we see humans coming together, forging a bond, struggling to survive, growing up/coming of age, and deeply caring for one another. That message drives the story, not the horror. It’s the emotion, the nurturing of each other that compels the reader to keep going through the over 1,100 pages. Bravo, Stephen King. Finally, I am also enjoying a throw back to the mid-1980s.

My other summer thought has to do with family, since I spent a lot of time with them this summer. I know I have mentioned this before, and I hope my books in some way get at it, too, but life is about enjoying the journey and spending time with loved ones. Each and every visit meant so much to me, and I always tried to just sit with people and embrace their company. My dad passed away last December, so perhaps I felt more bonded and nostalgic this summer about family than usual. Sitting with loved ones and remembering him has been much needed therapy for us all. Part of the reason my blog suffered more than usual was because of this family time all summer long. I wouldn’t change that for the world.

Until next time, which I promise will come sooner, love you all and thanks for reading.

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