Highlights from The Associated Press' interview with Stephen King
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen King recently spoke to The Associated Press about the new film adaption 'The Life of Chuck,' his latest book 'Never Flinch' and other topics.
Here are highlights from that conversation.
On 'The Life of Chuck'
Over time, King has developed a personal policy in how he talks about the adaptations of his books. 'My idea is: If you can't say something nice, keep your mouth shut,' he says. Every now and then, King is such a fan of an adaptation that he's excited to talk about it. That's very much the case with 'The Life of Chuck,' Mike Flanagan's new adaptation of King's novella of the same name published in the 2020 collection 'If It Bleeds.'
'The Life of Chuck,' which Neon releases in theaters Friday (nationwide June 13), there are separate storylines but the tone-setting opening is apocalyptic. The internet, like a dazed prize fighter, wobbles on its last legs before going down. California is said to be peeling away from the mainland 'like old wallpaper.' And yet in this doomsday tale, King is at his most sincere. 'The Life of Chuck,' the book and the movie, is about what matters in life when everything else is lost. There is dancing, Walt Whitman and joy.
'In 'The Life of Chuck,' we understand that this guy's life is cut short, but that doesn't mean he doesn't experience joy,' says King. 'Existential dread and grief and things are part of the human experience, but so is joy.'
On his life as a moviegoer
So vividly drawn is King's fiction that it's offered the basis for some 50 feature films. For half a century, since Brian De Palma's 1976 film 'Carrie,' Hollywood has turned, and turned again, to King's books for their richness of character, nightmare and sheer entertainment. He's also a moviegoer, himself.
'I love anything from 'The 400 Blows' to something with that guy Jason Statham,' King says, speaking by phone from his home in Maine. 'The worst movie I ever saw was still a great way to spend an afternoon. The only movie I ever walked out on was 'Transformers.' At a certain point I said, 'This is just ridiculous.''
On contemporary anxieties
The kind of climate change disaster found in 'The Life of Chuck,' King says, often dominates his anxieties.
'We're creeping up little by little on being the one country who does not acknowledge it's a real problem with carbon in the atmosphere,' King says. 'That's crazy. Certain right wing politicians can talk all they want about how we're saving the world for our grandchildren. They don't care about that. They care about money.'
On social media, King has been a sometimes critic of President Donald Trump, whose second term has included battles with the arts, academia and public financing for PBS and NPR. Over the next four years, King predicts, 'Culture is going to go underground.'
In 'Never Finch,' Holly Gibney is hired as a bodyguard by a women's rights activist whose lecture tour is being plagued by mysterious acts of violence. In the afterward of the book, King includes a tribute to 'supporters of women's right to choose who have been murdered for doing their duty.' 'I'm sure they're not going to like that,' King says of right-wing critics.
On 'Never Flinch'
King, 77, has now written somewhere around 80 books, including the just released 'Never Flinch.' The mystery thriller brings back King's recent favorite protagonist, the private investigator Holly Gibney, who made her stand-alone debut in 'If It Bleeds.' It's Gibney's insecurities, and her willingness to push against them, that has kept King returning to her.
'It gave me great pleasure to see Holly grow into a more confident person,' King says. 'She never outgrows all of her insecurities, though. None of us do.'
'Never Flinch' is a reminder that King has always been less of a genre-first writer than a character-first one. He tends to fall in love with a character and follow them through thick and thin.
'I'm always happy writing. That's why I do it so much,' King says, chuckling. 'I'm a very chipper guy because I get rid of all that dark stuff in the books.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Your Daily FoodScope for June 07, 2025
Do you often find yourself wondering what food to cook, how to cook it, and even that dreaded question—how much of it? It's a daily struggle for all of us, but need not be with our food horoscope. Satisfaction is only a click away! You could be tempted to do as little as possible. But that will be difficult as work demands suck you back in. But the day will be over before you know it and you can finally relax. Let someone else do the cooking tonight. Sushi and miso soup will be a mellow way to end the workweek. It'll behoove you to keep the company of those who share your goals today. This will be particularly true if you're trying to lose weight. A support group will keep you focused so arrange to meet for lunch. You can share each other's salads, although you may want to pass on the one with the anchovies. Things will seem blurry today, and comprehension will be hard to come by. You could be experiencing fallout from skipping breakfast. Making amends at lunch could save the day. Turkey breast on rye with a big green salad could have you seeing things clearer, or at least a lot less fuzzy. You may want to bond with your watery roots today. So get in a swim at the local pool. You'll feel right at home in the water and the subsequent workout will do you good. Follow that with a healthy dinner. Hmmm, grilled salmon with a bowl of Manhattan clam chowder suddenly comes to mind. Emotions will run high at work today, but strive to be the embodiment of Zen. This may be tough as you sit in the middle of the swirling vortex. But a cup of organic chamomile tea with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint may prompt you to chant your mantra, much to the chagrin of those around you. What does your karmic journey hold? Discover your destiny with our Karma Report. ✨ Don't expect a lot to get done on this last day of the week. Fortunately you won't have much on your plate, so it'll be easy to relax. But avoid skipping out early to get a head start on happy hour. Those Buffalo wings and nachos can wait until at least five o'clock, but not a minute later. It won't make sense to start new projects today. So milk the work you've already got on your plate. But you'll want to knock off a little early. There's a seat with your name on it at the sushi bar and a boatload of sashimi that's just daring you to dive in. You'll think your imagination is playing tricks on you today. But you'll soon realize that you're staring at the real deal. So pull up a chair and a fork and dig into a delicious crab casserole made with crab fresh from the bay. It'll be so good you'll think you're dreaming. You'll have a hard time getting the engine started today. So put the appropriate fuel into the tank before leaving home. Buttermilk pancakes with turkey sausage smothered in maple syrup will give you something to burn straight through lunch and beyond. Compassion will fuel you with a desire to help the less fortunate today. So buy cans of tuna, soup and fruit as well as boxes of cereal and donate them to your local food bank. It's important to remember those who don't have much to celebrate. You deserve to pamper yourself as the week draws to a close. A massage or facial sound tempting but they will ultimately be unsatisfying. Treat yourself to dinner instead. A surf and turf meal will give you contentment, especially if the surf in question is a plump Maine lobster tail. You may not have funds to lavish yourself with jewelry and trendy new clothes. But you can still pamper yourself and remain within budget. Buy the ingredients needed to make an obscenely cheesy lasagna. You'll get tremendous self-satisfaction and it won't break your bank. Need guidance? Your Numerology Reading is a mystic cheat-sheet to living your full potential.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sir Rod Stewart cancels US concerts amid recovery from flu
Sir Rod Stewart has cancelled a string of concerts in the US as he recovers from flu, ahead of his set at Glastonbury later this month. Sir Rod is due to play the coveted tea-time legends slot at the Somerset festival on Sunday June 29. He took to Instagram to announce that he was 'devastated' to have to cancel or reschedule the six US shows, due to take place in the next eight days. 'I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June as I continue to recover from the flu,' he wrote. 'So sorry my friends. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart) 'I'm devastated and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans. I'll be back on stage and will see you soon.' He signed off 'Sir Rod' along with the heartbreak emoji. He also listed the four shows he was cancelling – in Las Vegas and Stateline, Nevada – as well as two he plans to reschedule – in California. The 80-year-old musician recently announced he will reunite with his former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood for his much-anticipated set at Glastonbury. He told That Peter Crouch Podcast he was only due to play for an hour and a quarter on the Pyramid Stage. 'But I've asked them 'Please, another 15 minutes' because I play for over two hours every night and it's nothing,' he said. In 2024, he promised he would not retire but confirmed his 2025 European and North American shows would bring an end to his 'large-scale world tours', with his next slate to be held at more intimate venues. Sir Rod's best known solo songs include Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Every Beat Of My Heart, and Maggie May. Last month he was presented with a prestigious lifetime achievement award by five of his children at the American Music Awards (AMAs).
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man mistakenly deported to El Salvador brought back to US to face charges
A man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador has been returned to the United States to face criminal charges. Kilmar Abrego Garcia faces charges related to what US President Donald Trump's government said was a large human smuggling operation that brought immigrants into the country illegally. His abrupt release from El Salvador is the latest twist in a saga that sparked a months-long standoff between Trump administration officials and the courts over a deportation that officials initially acknowledged was done in error but then continued to stand behind in apparent defiance of orders by judges to facilitate his return to the US. The development occurred after US officials presented El Salvador President Nayib Bukele with an arrest warrant for federal charges in Tennessee accusing Abrego Garcia of playing a key role in smuggling immigrants into the country for money. He is expected to be prosecuted in the US and, if convicted, will be returned to his home country of El Salvador at the conclusion of the case, officials said. 'This is what American justice looks like,' US attorney general Pam Bondi said in announcing Abrego Garcia's return and the unsealing of a grand jury indictment. Abrego Garcia's lawyers called the case 'baseless'. 'There's no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,' lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. Federal magistrate judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, determined that Abrego Garcia will be held in custody until at least next Friday, when there will be an arraignment and detention hearing. Abrego Garcia appeared in court wearing a short-sleeved, white, buttoned shirt. When asked if he understood the charges, he told the judge through an interpreter: 'Yes. I understand.' Democrats and immigrant rights groups had pressed for Abrego Garcia's release, with several politicians – including senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, where Abrego Garcia had lived for years – even travelling to El Salvador to visit him. A federal judge had ordered him to be returned in April and the US Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by directing the government to work to bring him back. But the news that Abrego Garcia, who had an immigration court order preventing his deportation to his native country over fears he would face persecution from local gangs, was being brought back for the purpose of prosecution was greeted with dismay by his lawyers. The case also prompted the resignation of a top supervisor in the US attorney's office in Nashville, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. Ben Schrader, who was chief of the office's criminal division, did not explain the reason for his resignation but posted to social media around the time the indictment was being handed down, saying: 'It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, where the only job description I've ever known is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.' He declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press on Friday.
