The Lisbon Reporter

WELCOME TO THE LISBON REPORTER. In an effort to keep our community informed of what is going on at local and Federal levels of government, we decided to create this on-line newspaper. It is our hope that this on-line newspaper will help you stay informed so that you can get involved and take action for the benefit of our ENTIRE community. Thank you for visiting and please check back frequently for information about what is happening in LISBON/LISBON FALLS, MAINE USA

Sunday, July 26, 2009

ROCKY WOOD RETURN ENGAGEMENT

For those who could not attend last Monday’s 1:00 PM Stephen King presentation, Rocky Wood, Australian writer, and chronicler of the works of Stephen King, will return for an evening presentation at 7:00 PM Tuesday July 28th in Rm 6, MTM Center, 18 School Street, Lisbon Falls. He will welcome questions and small talk, and would be pleased to view any memorabilia relating to Stephen King.

Call Dot Smith at 353-8510, or e-mail Bill Barr at bbarr27@roadrunner.com for more info. No charge, and the public is welcome.

Excerpts from Rocky Wood interview on Tabula-Rasa.

"TR: And then there's Stephen King country... You have visited Maine a couple of times. How do the locals react to your research?

RW: I've now been five times – I last got there in March last year; and I'm back there in July, doing some lobster fishing, touristing, working on a new book, and catching up with my many Mainer friends.

I've made some wonderful friends there – some of those who I originally met on my research, like Marsha DeFilippo (SK's personal assistant) and Stu and Penney Tinker (of Betts Bookshop), I regard as close personal friends. We spend more time talking about other subjects than we do about SK when we get together!

I've found that people in Bangor and Orono (SK's papers are at the University of Maine there) are always happy to talk about SK, and particularly to tell you of he and Tabitha's generosity; and to share their own anecdotes of coming across him around town.

When I did my research in Lisbon Falls and Durham (where Steve grew up in his teenage years) all the people in the area were very friendly and helpful. SK is regarded very well there and has contributed in many ways to their communities (for instance, funding a children's library). Of course, I am interested in his work and his inspirations and I don't deal with personal questions – I'm not interested in gossip, or trying to pry into his 'life' – biography if you will. So, I think that helps. The people at the Lisbon Historical Society (who I mention in Stephen King: The Non-Fiction) are truly wonderful and have helped my long-distance research on many occasions. Dot and Bill are wonderful – Bill will even drive half way across the State to check things in libraries and so on, for which I am mightily grateful."