Stephen King

Stephen in 1994 from Horrorking.com

When some people think of heroes they think of Batman and Spiderman. When I think of a hero I think about people who do things to make a difference in the world or who inspire people to fight for what they believe in. Stephen King is one such example of a hero. He is kind and generous and a loving father and husband. Stephen King has inspired many writers, including myself.

Stephen King was born in 1947 in Portland, Maine. He and his older brother spent most of their childhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana with their mother, Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. She and King's father separated when he was just a toddler. At the age of eleven, Stephen's mother took them back to Maine for good. After his grandparents started to need extra care due to their age, his mother took care of them with financial help from his aunts.

In 1966 Stephen graduated from Lisbon Falls High School; he also attended the grammar school in Durham. His sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper titled "The Maine Campus." King was also active in student politics. He supported the anti-war movement on the Orono Campus. In 1970 he graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in English with the qualification to teach at the high school level. After graduating from college he faced several challenges to his health, including high blood pressure, limited vision,flat feet,and punctured ear drums.

In January of 1971 he and Tabitha Spruce were married after meeting in the Fogler Library at the university, where they both worked as students. Unable to find work as a teacher, the young couple were forced to live on Stephen's earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loans and savings helped. In 1967 King wrote his first professional short story called "The Glass Floor" and sold it to "Startling Mystery Stories." After this King wrote more short stories and sold them to men's magazines. Doubleday & Co. accepted "Carrie" in the spring of 1973 for publication. After this, the editor from the company informed Stephen that he could write full time. The summer of 1973 the Kings moved to southern Maine because of his growing family and sick mother. There he wrote his second novel in his garage. It was originally titled "Second Coming" he then changed it to "Jerusalem's Lot" before he called it "Salem's Lot." During this time his mother died of cancer at the age of 59. In spring of 1974 "Carrie" was published. The family then moved to Boulder, Colorado for less than a year. There he wrote "The Shining" which was set in Colorado. In 1975 the Kings returned to Maine where he finished "The Stand," which is also set in Boulder.

Stephen King and his wife now spend winters in Florida since their children have grown. They have three children: Naomi Rachel, Joe Hill and Owen Phillip; they also have three grandchildren. The Kings do a great amount of charity work as well, such as providing scholarships for local high school students. They also contribute to a lot of national charities. Obviously, Stephen King is a great man and an inspiration.