It

It

"The terror which would not end for another twenty-eight years--
if it ever did end--began, so far as I can know or tell, with a boat
made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with
rain."
Stephen King's It begins with one of the all time best opening
lines in the history of novel writing. The use of the everyday and
banal as a conduit to unspeakable evil is the spine chilling premise
around which the story is built. It is amazing that King can carry it
flawlessly for 1093 pages. Kudos to the master of horror! I take off
my backwards UMaine baseball cap to him.
It's the fall of 1957. A big time storm has just passed through
the town of Derry, Maine. The electricity is still out. Little
George Denbrough has a paper boat crafted by his big brother William
(Stuttering Bill) who is in bed getting over the flu. He's having a
great time chasing the boat through the swollen street streams. The
fun abruptly ends when the boat is sucked into a storm drain...from
which two yellow eyes peer out.
Of course that isn't going to end well. (The author's name
should be a big time clue). Little George's bloody body is found with
an arm missing. He's only the first. When kids start turning up
murdered and mutilated...well think how that would play out in your
neighborhood.
Only it isn't a one time gruesome chapter in the history of
Derry. Every twenty-seven years or so the town becomes a little
chamber of horrors. In addition to individual gruesome homicides
there are events like the explosion of an ironworks in which an Easter
egg hunt is being held.
Stuttering Bill and his group of bully beleaguered preteens must
somehow do battle with a supreme evil. Then as adults they are called
to a grizzly reunion. It is back...
This is a very powerful book that should probably not be read
home alone on a dark night unless being startled by every noise is
your cup of tea. Actually it might be best holding off on reading
until the next presidency. During a Trump reign it can be very easy
to imagine Pennywise the clown has left Derry for bigger digs. This
can lead to colorful nightmares. Trust me on this.
On a personal note, planning for the Ending Violence Together event in
September is going really well. There will be tabling and speeches
followed by a march around downtown Bangor. I think, given current
political conditions, we so need this chance to come together over
this topic.
I had an amazing dumpster find: a sturdy, soft book bag (you know who
can always use a book bag) covered with sparkly sequins. Everyone
notices it and is surprised to learn where it came from.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow committee members. It's a
privilege to work with you. :-)
jules hathaway





Sent from my iPod