In my giddiness last week, I overlooked a corporate cousin also on the <a href=” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/books/bestseller/0401besthardfiction.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1174915109-XuSigEQkxA/JNioZZNTCOQ” target=”_blank”>Times list</a>: Joe Hill. In fact, Hill’s debut novel HEART-SHAPED BOX has been on the list for five weeks. Hill happens to be the son of Stephen King, but as Morrow publisher Lisa Gallagher told the students at the Writer in Paradise conference in January, this was not known at the time of submission. Yesterday, I was reading Lee Goldberg’s blog, when I found <a href=” http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/a_writers_life/2007/03/king_of_the_hil.html” target=”_blank”>this entry</a>, which raises the question of whether Hill has been disingenuous, using the King angle while seeming to disavow it.
Now, in interest of full disclosure, I really like Stephen King. He has done two huge favors for my household, on the professional side of the ledger. And, as noted above, Hill and I share a publisher. Those things said, I am particularly sensitive to the issue of nepotism, and it’s a real damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t phenomenon. In Baltimore, for example, I am and probably always will be known as Theo Lippman Jr.’s daughter. My father was an editorial writer and Sun columnist for thirty years, famous for his knowledge of the presidency. For years, I tried to get a job at the Sun, but the perception seemed to be that my father was the only thing I had going for me. Finally, I applied for a job at the evening paper, owned by the same company, but never mentioned my father. They figured it out along the way – they were good journalists – but were charmed by it. I got the job.
I’ve had some other experiences with this sort of thing; if you know me well, you know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you don’t know, then so be it. The point is, these sorts of relationships are the elephants in the room. They have to be acknowledged, even if the context is that you’d prefer not to talk about them.
I thought the father thing was a pretty open secret, at least in the speculative fiction circles, for a while now. It’s funny that Joe downplays the connection while Owen embraced it, even doing readings with Tabitha, whose own writing career will always be connected to her husband.
The Hill thing was total news to me until this morning – I’m on page 75 of the book and just read this info in 3 different blogs. Until then, I was blissfully unaware of Hill’s parentage. The book’s dedicated to his father – unnamed and well, um, duh. Total news to me – i have not seen any of these articles, announcements/non-announcements whatever that have let us know this. Dunno why not. I’ve been around lately, sort of. Okay, not totally but why didn’t I know this?
I remember reading that Anne Lamott’s (back when I liked her books) father was a writer (and I even went so far as to find him) and Sue Grafton’s father as well. News to me as i never found their books.
some people do what their parents do. some don’t. I do know I heard snarky comments years back that one particular writer could not get published until she stressed her connection with her mother (by using a recognizable middle name that she had, until then, not used). No idea if the story’s true. I guess I admire Joe Hill for not using “King”. there seems to be some question that he’s being coy and letting everyone KNOW who he is – I am not seeing it.
Ah meeting Stephen King. Back before he was STEPHEN KING, but was on the cusp of his fame, he wandered around Norwescon, a wonderful sf convention in Seattle, totally alone, unmobbed, unsucked-up to and/or groupied and having fun. We knew or sensed that this might not last and we all left the guy alone. Ish. Treated him like just another new fan boy at the convention. I hope that was a good memory for him; i know that some writers, once they get to a level of fame can’t DO that any more and miss it. (worse for tv and movie types, i know).
It’s definitely damned if you do/damned if you don’t. For better or for worse, if there’s a platform to be had, even if the publisher makes a concerted effort to downplay it, then that’s the peg interviewers will use. I suspect Hill’s hope is that if he gets all the “Stephen King is my dad” talk out of the way with the debut it won’t be as much of an issue with future books. Because there will, because he’s talented and is staking out his own voice. Having said that, someone should really organize a panel with Hill and Martin Amis…
I don’t fault the man for it because once you’re published you can’t control your life anymore no matter how hard you try. Your books have to sink or swim on their own merits eventually, and they will, no matter how hard the publisher and publicists push. Longevity is where it’s at, which takes time, as you well know, Laura. <g>
Dianne
I think you’ve got a point. When I reviewed Joe Hill’s book (which I for the most part enjoyed), I mentioned the Stephen King connection. How could you write an article about the book and not bring it up? (And besides, my editor told me to.)
I guess it’s a case of trying to put the genie back in the bottle; the fact is newsworthy, so how can a journalist/reviewer ignore it?
Racking my brain for an example of a book by someone with a famous relative/spouse that was allowed to escape that context.
The Bible?
I read Heart-Shaped Box and really enjoyed it. From every interview I’ve read with him, he tries to downplay the father thing, except for the average, “Growing up, we were big on reading” type thing.
Incidentally, I’m so jealous that you got to meet Stephen King. (See? It’s hard not to mention Stephen King when you’re talking about Joe Hill.)
Curiosity about work by Stephen King’s son might make some people pick up HEART-SHAPED BOX, but it won’t make them finish it. Joe Hill is earning that all by himself (I liked HEART-SHAPED BOX a lot). Likewise, people might buy one book because of a connection to someone famous, but they won’t buy a second unless the first is good.
Jesse Kellerman and Christopher Rice have also had to deal with this Famous Parent issue — but because they’re writing good books, it’s now something that just gets mentioned in passing.