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Looks like King got a literary award before retirement. And I guess he's aware that many critics think he's shit. Here's the article on King receiving the award and his speech involving his critics.:
The National Book Foundation has awarded its most prestigious writing prize to American author Stephen King. Not everyone in New York's literary community agreed that the best-selling writer of horror stories deserved the honor.
Stephen King, the prolific author of more than 50 books including The Shining, Carrie, and Salem's Lot, was honored with the National Book Foundation's 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The same award has been bestowed upon some of the greatest literary talents in American history, including Arthur Miller, Saul Bellow, and Toni Morrison, leading some critics to object to placing Mr. King in the same category.
AP
Stephen King addresses 2003 National Book Awards dinner in New York City
Mr. King addressed those naysayers in his keynote speech, saying he always knew he was an outsider when it came to the great authors of his time, and he is tired of reviewers who refuse to take notice of contemporary authors who have mass appeal.
"Nor do I have any patience with or use for those who make a point of pride in saying they have never read anything by John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Mary Higgins Clark or any other popular writer," he quipped. "What do you think? You get social academic brownie points for deliberately staying out of touch with your own culture?"
Mr. King told the audience how his wife, Tabitha, who is credited with rescuing his draft of the novel Carrie from the garbage can, had always encouraged him to keep writing, even when they were desperately poor. At the end of his speech, the crowd gave Mr. King a standing ovation. |
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He's a wordy writer at best, with the old 7 pages to introduce a character, how they grew up, their favourite foods and then murders them horribly. But the editors are afraid to mess with the goose that laid the golden egg. 