The transcript discusses the irony of banned books becoming more appealing, citing examples like "Tropic of Cancer" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." It highlights Stephen King's book "Rage," which was linked to real-life violence and subsequently pulled from shelves by King himself. The text also delves into King's pseudonym Richard Bachman, under which "Rage" was initially published, and how King's prolific writing led to the creation of Bachman. It covers the incidents of school violence associated with "Rage" and King's response to them, as well as the eventual unmasking of Bachman as King by a bookstore clerk, leading to Bachman's 'death.' The summary concludes with King's acknowledgment of his work's potential influence and his decision to cease its publication.
1. Stephen King wrote a book called "Rage" under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1977.
2. The book was published straight to paperback and did not sell well.
3. King created the pseudonym to see if people would buy his books because they were good or because they had his name on the cover.
4. The book "Rage" is about a high school student named Charlie Decker who takes his algebra class hostage and kills two people.
5. The story is interspersed with flashbacks of Decker's abusive father and the events leading up to his decision to shoot up the school.
6. In 1988, a student named Joe Cox took his English class hostage with a rifle, declaring "urban terrorism is fun."
7. In 1989, a student named Dustin L. Pierce took his history class hostage for nine hours before releasing everyone.
8. In 1996, a student named Barry Lukatis shot two students and a teacher at his algebra class, killing two and wounding another.
9. In 1997, a student named Michael Carneal shot eight students, killing three and injuring five, during a prayer meeting at his school.
10. All four students had copies of King's book "Rage" in their possession or had mentioned it as an inspiration.
11. King pulled "Rage" from publication in the late 1990s due to its connection to these incidents.
12. King did not take personal responsibility for the shootings, but acknowledged that his book may have been an accelerant for the violent behavior.
13. The pseudonym "Richard Bachman" was created by King by combining the names of Richard Stark and Bachman Turner Overdrive.
14. King wrote six pages a day, which was his usual writing pace.
15. King's publishers, New American Library, were unwilling to release his books at the rate he was writing due to fear of oversaturating the market.
16. In 1985, a bookstore clerk named Steve Brown discovered King's pseudonym and contacted his agent, Kirby McCauley.
17. King eventually confirmed the discovery to Brown and gave him an interview, which was published in the Washington Post on April 9, 1985.