Stephen King to speak at Manatee library fundraiser

[herbertwest]

MANATEE COUNTY - Prolific horror writer Stephen King is expected to fill an auditorium with his fans this fall for a fundraising event to benefit Manatee County's public libraries.

The foundation hopes to raise $100,000 toward a new operating system to manage the libraries' acquisition, cataloging and circulation data.

“We knew we needed a very special event,” if it is to reach that fundraising goal, Foundation President Jane Plitt said.

The foundation previously said that it would wait until this morning's news conference to identify the “internationally acclaimed writer” it had booked for that event.

“It's been a really tough secret to keep,” Library Services Manager Ava Ehde said.


INTERESTED?
For sponsorship and ticket information about “An Evening with Stephen King,” a Jan. 29 fundraiser for Manatee County's public libraries, go to manateelibraryfoundation.org.
The Manatee Library Foundation announced this morning that King, a seasonal resident of Casey Key, agreed to donate his services for a Jan. 29 lecture at the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton.


>>> http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20140805/ARTICLE/140809844/2416/NEWS?Title=Stephen-King-to-speak-at-Manatee-library-fundraiser

[mattgreenbean]

Awesome!
I was born in Bradenton, so that's great to hear their library system is getting upgraded.

[Kingfan24]

Only 5 grand for a meet and greet...anyone wanna split 8 ways for 8 VIP invites to the reception he attends? :coo3l:

[Kingfan24]

And actually you get six invitations for 2500 - anybody in for 2500 splitting 6 ways? I'd be interested in going if there is any interest in splitting. This is just a preliminary thought, nothing concrete yet though I was going to be in Florida around this time anyway.

[thegunslinger41]

I would be interested in the $2500 split 6 ways. It would be a great chance for me to finally meet him. PM me. Also, does anyone have any guesses as to how the VIP reception will be? Would there normally be a time for him to sign a book or two at this point??? Hmm...


G

[Bev Vincent]

I don't think he signed anything at the meet and greet before the 11/22/63 appearance in Dallas. It was a fairly small room, taken up with a sprawling buffet, and Steve tried to mingle as much as he could to at least spend a moment with everyone there. At a certain point, though, the crowd started to close in on him and Russ Dorr, who's built like a tackle, went over to make sure he at least had some breathing room.

[Roseannebarr]

Yeah HerbertWest!!!! not yet posted on SK website! This is the best site ever!

[EXPLORER]

Thanks for the message... Herberwest. Not sure what to think of the prices as none of them assure a signed book. The VIP receptions I have attended did not allow for time or option of King signing during it. For example The Mason VIP event was great and King circulated however pictures with Steve were the best you could do. (My current avatar is from that event.) Thiis event is very close for me however others may need to weigh the travel expense against the event expense with only the possibility of a signed book. It will be great for anyone who can afford and goes with the intention of simply meeting Mr King.

[Randall Flagg]

I would be interested in the $2500 split 6 ways. It would be a great chance for me to finally meet him. PM me. Also, does anyone have any guesses as to how the VIP reception will be? Would there normally be a time for him to sign a book or two at this point??? Hmm...


G
I need 2 tix. $2500/6 = $416.67 each I WANT to buy a $2.5K sponsorship, but without confirmation that a book or two will be signed per ticket, I can't justify the costs involved.

But that is an awful lot of money with no mention whatsoever of a book(s) signing.

[Randall Flagg]

Oh. Mega positive rep points to herbertwest. Make sure you give him some.

[Roseannebarr]

Now i get it! The Wine and Cheese reception does not feature SK! $416 is too rich for me!!! Especially with Lettered Copy of Thinner on the Horizon!!

[Roseannebarr]

I would be interested in the $2500 split 6 ways. It would be a great chance for me to finally meet him. PM me. Also, does anyone have any guesses as to how the VIP reception will be? Would there normally be a time for him to sign a book or two at this point??? Hmm...


G


Receptions Vary!!!! He signed every book at Umass reception. $100 per person. He signed NOTHING and WE saw him for 1 minute at $150 reception Hartford Conn. We got a signed copy of Joyland. George Mason University he signed nothing! but if you had a golden ticket we got any book of our choice signed after event. but it was awesome. first time i got to meet him! Price?? i forget. I am old.

[Roseannebarr]

I would be interested in the $2500 split 6 ways. It would be a great chance for me to finally meet him. PM me. Also, does anyone have any guesses as to how the VIP reception will be? Would there normally be a time for him to sign a book or two at this point??? Hmm...


G
I need 2 tix. $2500/6 = $416.67 each I WANT to buy a $2.5K sponsorship, but without confirmation that a book or two will be signed per ticket, I can't justify the costs involved.

But that is an awful lot of money with no mention whatsoever of a book(s) signing.


I was told that he would not be signing at the reception. Currently no limit on the # of tickets that are going to be sold. If people are paying and mailing in their money they will not have a good account for along time!

[Kingfan24]

Yeah if there isn't any chance of a signing, then I'm not going to worry about it

[herbertwest]

I don't think he signed anything at the meet and greet before the 11/22/63 appearance in Dallas. It was a fairly small room, taken up with a sprawling buffet, and Steve tried to mingle as much as he could to at least spend a moment with everyone there.

Same in Paris. No signing. He was just going through the crowd and try to spend some time with people.
No books signed (i dont think that anyone even asked him, but then i am sure that he would decline in order to do not start it), but that was THE MOMENT to get pictures with him. And this is a lot better than a signed book (which you can buy!)

However, i believe that there was a signing at the german meet & greet where Lilja went.

[RichardX]

When you factor in the travel cost, hotel, food, taking time off from work etc this is an expensive proposition for the casual collector particularly when there are free events. This is truly a fund raising event for a good cause and not a book signing. I've been fortunate enough to hear his standard speech a few times now and while that's nice it doesn't justify an expensive trip for me for that purpose alone. I wouldn't be surprised if he signs some books though at those prices.

[Kingfan24]

Has anyone called to ask about a signing?

[EXPLORER]

Has anyone called to ask about a signing?



I was told that he would not be signing at the reception. Currently no limit on the # of tickets that are going to be sold. If people are paying and mailing in their money they will not have a good account for along time!

As I expected Glen has called and been told there will not be any signing at the VIP reception .

[Kingfan24]

Sorry, I overlooked that comment

[thegunslinger41]

It would be awesome if a group of dt.org members camped out in front of the Manatee library. Maybe even hire a burrito food truck "with Gunslinger Burritos" in bright neon at the top....hire a dance troop to sing and dance the commala. :)


G

[EXPLORER]

It would be awesome if a group of dt.org members camped out in front of the Manatee library. Maybe even hire a burrito food truck "with Gunslinger Burritos" in bright neon at the top....hire a dance troop to sing and dance the commala. :)

Don't tempt me with ideas like that.... How is your chanting voice??

[Ben Staad]

Mine is awful but I may pay to hear yours. LOL. LOL.



It would be awesome if a group of dt.org members camped out in front of the Manatee library. Maybe even hire a burrito food truck "with Gunslinger Burritos" in bright neon at the top....hire a dance troop to sing and dance the commala. :)

Don't tempt me with ideas like that.... How is your chanting voice??

[Lookwhoitis]

I live in Florida.
I know of Manatee county.

But every time I see this thread title I picuture a herd of manatees in a submerged book lending operation, all hanging around reading, while being addressed by Stephen King

[Randall Flagg]

I live in Florida.
I know of Manatee county.

But every time I see this thread title I picuture a herd of manatees in a submerged book lending operation, all hanging around reading, while being addressed by Stephen King


http://www.thedarktower.org/custom/images/1407449371-Manatee%20Public%20Library.jpg

[stroppygoblin]

herd of manatees ?

No, not until I visited Sea World for the first time

[KingKorn]

I live quite near Bradenton and would really consider the possibility of splitting a 6 way "Silver Sponsor" package.

Details here: http://www.manateelibraryfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/king-event4.pdf

My first instinct was to buy a Silver package, use 2 tix for me and wife, and then sell the other 4 on Craigslist or Ebay. Think people would shell out ~$425 for a private reception with SK and a VIP ticket to the event?

[Randall Flagg]

I live quite near Bradenton and would really consider the possibility of splitting a 6 way "Silver Sponsor" package.

Details here: http://www.manateelibraryfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/king-event4.pdf

My first instinct was to buy a Silver package, use 2 tix for me and wife, and then sell the other 4 on Craigslist or Ebay. Think people would shell out ~$425 for a private reception with SK and a VIP ticket to the event?
PM sent.

[Randall Flagg]

Only 1 ticket left.

[Roseannebarr]

We need one more person to commit to seeing Stephen King at the Manatee Library!!! PM Randal Flagg NoW dont miss an opportunity of a life time.

[Ari_Racing]

Okay...Jan. 29th is my daughter's second birthday so my idea of attending was a NO from the begining, until my girlfriend told me that the three of us could go. Do you think Helena (2 years old on that day) would require a ticket as well to enter?

[herbertwest]

Do you plan on asking a signed book for her birthday? Something like Eyes of the dragon that you could read to her in a few years? :p

[Ari_Racing]

Actually, after learning that the first package is sold out, I'll take a flight on November to attend the signings I can and well...no M&G.

[herbertwest]

TheDarkTower.org : gold partner, that's great!
Reputation points sent to RF !

[mae]

http://www.bradenton.com/2015/01/30/5609945/stephen-king-speaks-to-bradenton.html

Wherever he goes, Stephen King said, people come up to him and say: "You scare the hell out of me."

And they follow it with: "Can I have a hug?"

"At some point of my career," the author told a capacity crowd Thursday night at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, "I became America's best-loved bogey man."

King doesn't do too many charity events, but when representatives of the Library Foundation, which supports the Manatee County Public Library System, wrote last spring asking him to speak at an annual author event, he agreed. Individual tickets went for $200, and Stone Hall sold out within three weeks.

The foundation met its goal of raising $100,000, just through ticket sales, and thousands more from raffled collectibles.

The crowd consisted mostly of Bradenton-area residents, but others came from as far away as California, Canada and even Argentina for the event.

Ariel Bosi and his friend, Federico Axat, came from Buenos Aires just to hear King speak. They spent six days here, and took time to see places King, a seasonal Bradenton-area resident, mentions in his writing.

"He's the greatest collector (of King items) in Argentina," Axat said of his friend.

They're members of a website for King fans called thedarktower.org. The met in Bradenton with about 20 website members, including Rick Smith of California, Kris and Chantal Webster of Nova Scotia and several other people from the east coast of Florida.

"Groups of us get tickets," Smith said. "We get tickets for one another. We're fans. King's a great writer and a great speaker."

King mingled with guests at a private reception before his presentation, then went to collect his thoughts for a half-hour or so before he came on stage.

"We're not at home watching television," he told the crowd. "We're not at the movies. We're not playing video games. We're here because we love to read."

He spoke of his childhood, growing up without much money in the Maine countryside, in an area with no library.

"I had a hunger for books," he said. He lived for the days when the bookmobile would come to his neighborhood and he could replenish his supply of novels.

One of the questions he said he's asked most often: "Where do you get your ideas?"

He said the answer isn't as intriguing as people hope.

"The fact is that the ideas come from everywhere," he said. "But I like to tell people that there's this little ideas shop in Utica where you can get second-hand ideas."

The actual process of developing ideas is still a bit mystical, he said.

"There's a moments when there are two ideas in your head, and there's a moment when those two ideas come together," he said. "And that is why still I do this job."

King talked for about 45 minutes, ambling around the stage with a hand-held microphone and occasionally stretching out. His tone was amiable, though his speech was peppered with R-rated language.

Although he seemed to be enjoying himself onstage, he said he was uncomfortable with his public persona and felt like an impostor.

"I don't have the greatest self-image," he said. "The man who wrote those books is not here because he doesn't do public. He sends me instead. There is someone inside who does this job and he doesn't come out in public."

King didn't take a fee and donated collectible autographed books to be raffled and auctioned, which raised thousands for the Library Foundation.

The money raised from the King event, together with $150,000 in matching funds from the county, will pay for a new computer system for the library.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2015/1/30/stephen_king_speaks_.html

Bradenton book lovers recently got a big treat when Stephen King took part in a fundraiser to raise money for literacy.

The author made a special appearance Thursday night at the Manatee Performing Arts Center to help raise money for the Manatee County Library System.

"I’m totally in awe that he been as generous as he has,” said Jane Plitt, President of the Manatee Library Foundation Inc.

Plitt organized the event called "An Evening with Stephen King." She said they were able to get King to help them out after taking a risk to contact him.

"A friend of mine knew we had a goal of trying to raise $100,000," said Plitt. “So, she suggested that she could get a letter to Mr. King when he signed books in Sarasota. We wrote the letter and he actually read the letter. He responded and agreed to come. The letter suggested that we are an award-winning system that needed to upgrade their operating system and he understood. We were the little engine that could."

Only three weeks after being publicly announced, the event sold out and the foundation reached its fundraiser goal.

The money is being used help overhaul the Library System’s online operating system.

"It enables us to purchase us that backbone library computer system that will take us into next century,” said Ava Ehde, the Library Services for Manager Manatee Libraries. “People will now be able to jump into an eBook, they can pay their bills on-line, and they can request books online.”

Prior to speaking the group of more than 300 people, King mingled with his fans. He shook hands with them, talked to them and even took several pictures.

It was a sold-out crowd that attracted people from all over the world.

“I took the opportunity from this event and we travelled with all the family from Israel,” said Shachar Crouvi, who was at the event with his 9-year old daughter. Both are from Israel. They said they planned a whole family vacation around the opportunity to see King in Bradenton.

In addition to the special appearance, King donated signed, rare, first-edition books to raffle off to raise even more money.

King’s books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide. His most popular titles include "Carrie," "The Shining," "The Stand," "Misery," "It" and "The Dark Tower." He has received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America along with numerous writing awards in the fields of fantasy, fiction, horror and mystery writing.

The new on-line operating system should be in place by late fall. For more information about the Manatee County Public Library System, visit www.mymanatee.org/library.

[Merlin1958]

Great Press!!!

[Randall Flagg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F--2_auHk7g&feature=youtu.be

[Randall Flagg]

Entire King speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgxqQV8hX8U

[mae]

Thanks for that. King needs to freshen up his routine.

[Ari_Racing]

Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

[T-Dogz_AK47]

Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

Personally, I think you should be grateful that you got to attend this event and actually witness Stephen King talking live. I would have been absolutely thrilled to attend this event, given half the chance to do so.

Had I been lucky enough to actually go to this event, I certainly wouldn't now start bemoaning his "routine".

Such comments should be beneath you.

[Ari_Racing]

Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

Personally, I think you should be grateful that you got to attend this event and actually witness Stephen King talking live. I would have been absolutely thrilled to attend this event, given half the chance to do so.

Had I been lucky enough to actually go to this event, I certainly wouldn't be bemoaning his "routine".

Such comments should be beneath you.

I witnessed King live in 2009 and his talk was superior to this one. For that one I paid U$S 35 if I remember correctly, I was six mts away from him, the talk lasted for more than 1:30 hour and his answers were both for fans and fresh ones. I bought 4 copies of Under the Dome signed by him and could have purchased more if I had more space. The organization was SUPER for that event and all the ones involved were really polite.

For this one I paid $400 and there were only few things in his speech that I didn't hear before (Bucket List, UR and crabs). It lasted less than an hour and organization...well, everyone knows already how it went.

So I think I can complain if I want to :)

[Roseannebarr]

Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

Personally, I think you should be grateful that you got to attend this event and actually witness Stephen King talking live. I would have been absolutely thrilled to attend this event, given half the chance to do so.

Had I been lucky enough to actually go to this event, I certainly wouldn't now start bemoaning his "routine".

Such comments should be beneath you.


We are always grateful to attend a SK event! He does so few in a year and its always awesome to attend! Ari's insight into the event is necessary documentation for future event goers and for people who plan to attend can know what to expect if/when another event occurs! Ari and many others have mixed feelings about this event because of the ticket expense and promises made and not delivered. The organizers did not see a difference in getting a signed copy of revival and actually having SK sign a copy of revival in front of you! People travelled a great distance to see him and talk to him! They ended up seeing him only.

SK has told some of the same great stories in the past! If you look through the CASTLE Rock newsletters you will see some of same stories there (20-30 years ago). Having attended 13 events in the last 4 1/2 years, some of the stories are repeated, but then you get gems like Joe Hill being handcuffed to the bed! The giant crab and his new puppy! More Dark Tower and expanded UR story for Bazaar of Bad Dreams!

[Merlin1958]

Thanks for that. King needs to freshen up his routine.


Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)



Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

Personally, I think you should be grateful that you got to attend this event and actually witness Stephen King talking live. I would have been absolutely thrilled to attend this event, given half the chance to do so.

Had I been lucky enough to actually go to this event, I certainly wouldn't now start bemoaning his "routine".

Such comments should be beneath you.




Someone pointed out that his routine was focused for 50-or-so years old females that attended the venue. I couldn't agree more with that :)

Personally, I think you should be grateful that you got to attend this event and actually witness Stephen King talking live. I would have been absolutely thrilled to attend this event, given half the chance to do so.

Had I been lucky enough to actually go to this event, I certainly wouldn't now start bemoaning his "routine".

Such comments should be beneath you.


We are always grateful to attend a SK event! He does so few in a year and its always awesome to attend! Ari's insight into the event is necessary documentation for future event goers and for people who plan to attend can know what to expect if/when another event occurs! Ari and many others have mixed feelings about this event because of the ticket expense and promises made and not delivered. The organizers did not see a difference in getting a signed copy of revival and actually having SK sign a copy of revival in front of you! People travelled a great distance to see him and talk to him! They ended up seeing him only.

SK has told some of the same great stories in the past! If you look through the CASTLE Rock newsletters you will see some of same stories there (20-30 years ago). Having attended 13 events in the last 4 1/2 years, some of the stories are repeated, but then you get gems like Joe Hill being handcuffed to the bed! The giant crab and his new puppy! More Dark Tower and expanded UR story for Bazaar of Bad Dreams!

Hey, he's getting older and really doesn't "have" to do these things anymore. I am of the opinion that what he does these days are more for his fans than any personal gain. I think I offered a good perspective in this post...


http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?18597-Stephen-King-Signing-amp-Event-Manatee-Florida-1-29-2015&p=899090&viewfull=1#post899090

It is, what it is, is the bottom line. He does, what he wants at this point in his life and who could really blame him? Just be thankful for what you get, while bittersweet perhaps, it is the only way to look at it, I suppose.

[herbertwest]

Indeed, the video seemed to be only stuff repeated over and over, but... I guess that most people do not follow each of his events and therefore, it's relevant for 90% of the audience.
Still an opportunity to see him live which is good I believe :)

[stroppygoblin]

I have met SK twice at book signings. One in London and one in Paris. Both events were of the "Stand in Line, get a book signed" variety and I have never seen him present on stage like he does in the video. For me most of the material was "new" and I enjoyed watching it. Those of you in the US have had considerably more frequent access to him with events like these. You may have heard the routine many times, but you also have a lot more signed books!

As a comparison, I went to a lot of concerts in the 80's and saw the same band over and over as they released a new album each year. Recently those same bands (Simple Minds, Ultravox, Genesis,The Police, etc) have reformed/regrouped and have done 'new' tours. 90% of their set was 'old' stuff I had heard many times before.... I loved every minute of it

[Cordial Jim]

Boy, Stevie really loves to tell that story about the old lady in the supermarket who didn't believe he had written Shawshank. I've seen him tell that tale at least ten times now. Cracks me up every time though! Same thing goes for the story about his first book tour, in Pittsburgh, and being asked for an autograph while sitting on the can. :)

Interesting that he said IT and 11/22/63 when asked what was his favorite book that he wrote. He usually responds with Lisey's Story.

[Randall Flagg]

Interesting that he said IT and 11/22/63 when asked what was his favorite book that he wrote. He usually responds with Lisey's Story.
Yes. I think Tabitha pissed him off the day before....

[Merlin1958]

Interesting that he said IT and 11/22/63 when asked what was his favorite book that he wrote. He usually responds with Lisey's Story.
Yes. I think Tabitha pissed him off the day before....

Well, in her defense he did forget to take out the trash and put the seat back down........


AGAIN!!!

[Randall Flagg]

Bill, you can't LOL on your own joke...especially if it fails...LOL

[Merlin1958]

Bill, you can't LOL on your own joke...especially if it fails...LOL

LOL Fixed.

[Bev Vincent]

Three month renovation project at Central Library in Bradenton is almost complete (http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/three-month-renovation-project-at-central-library-in-bradenton-is/article_2b2aa32c-f3d3-11e4-877b-1f25924032f0.html)

It's being paid for largely through $100,000 in proceeds from the January Stephen King fundraiser sponsored by the Manatee Library Foundation.

[stkmw02]

I can't express how happy my heart is every time I learn about King's work helping libraries. Thanks for keeping us updated!

[mae]

He's back!

http://www.bradenton.com/2015/09/17/5995261/wow-manatee-library-foundation.html

Star power indeed. Last January, the Manatee Library Foundation scored a major coup by enticing Stephen King to hold court at the organization's annual author event, raising a record $100,000. This coming January, the foundation pushed the bar even higher, perhaps out of sight. John Grisham will join his good friend King on the stage as the center of attention.

Good grief, how did little old Bradenton manage to corral two of the most popular authors in the world? The story, as told by Manatee Library Foundation President Jane Plitt and Manatee County Library Services Manager Ava Ehde, puts a shining light on the people in our community.

"Stephen King was really taken with us, the event, the library, the response, the warmth," Plitt told the Herald ahead of Tuesday's official public announcement of the grand pairing. The best-selling author "fell in love" with Bradenton, she noted.

King pitched the idea of inviting Grisham -- by twisting his arm a bit, telling his friend he owed him one. An invitation to vacation with his wife at King's Casey Key estate sealed the deal.

Last year's fundraiser allowed the Manatee County Public Library System to replace an out-of-date operating system with a state-of-the-art online system.

With the upcoming event, Plitt hopes to collect $175,000 for an admirable children's literacy program.

Since the venue for January's "Bookends: An Evening With Two Literary Giants" is the more cavernous Neel Performing Arts Center than last January's "An Evening With Stephen King" at the Manatee Performing Arts Center -- roughly double the seating -- $175,000 sounds modest. (Our thanks to State College of Florida for donating the use of the Neel auditorium for this.)

The King event sold out on sponsorships alone, ahead of the date set for the start of $150 general admission sales. The Jan. 19 Grisham-King event could as well, even with an additional 350 seats in the Neel over the MPAC. Sponsorships start at $300, on sale now. The $150 public tickets will be offered beginning Oct. 15.

In a book-sales tabulation, King bests Grisham by 350 million to 250 million, but either figure assures great wealth. That these two incredibly successful authors would donate their time is a tribute to their commitment to reading and literacy.

The goal: children's literacy

And all of the money collected by the "Bookends" event will go toward improving the reading skills of Manatee County children -- "to combat the illiteracy crisis in our community," Plitt wrote in a letter to Grisham "summoning" him here to help.

The foundation sought his assistance in raising money for a Family Literacy Center geared toward capitalizing on proven research for helping children to read -- "with family involvement to assure (school) attendance and engagement, summer programs to stop the summer slide (in learning) and pre-K programming to level the playing field for reading," Plitt also wrote.

Perhaps the most convincing point is this: This community "sorely" lacks the resources to teach basic literacy to children from low-income families. More than 50 percent of Manatee third-graders cannot read at that grade level, and almost 80 percent come from poor families.

The foundation's intentions dovetail with the strategic efforts driving the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, which Manatee County joined this year. Forty entities across Sarasota and Manatee counties are involved in this endeavor.

Education literature shows third grade is the critical time for students to shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn," thus gaining vital comprehension skills and mastering more complex material. That paves the way for more opportunities for a lifetime of achievement.

"Their focus is literacy," Plitt said of King and Grisham. "They heard about the crisis here."

Thank you, Stephen King, for your friendship. And thank you, John Grisham, for agreeing to come. The community is in your debt.

Event details: manatee libraryfoundation.org; 941-216-8746.

[Kingfan24]

I still don't like Jane Plitt.

[webstar1000]

I still don't like Jane Plitt.

Dorthy was awesome though!

[mae]

http://www.bradenton.com/2015/09/20/5998637/stephen-kings-love-of-bradenton.html

All she asked for was a rock 'n' roll band. She ended up getting two of the best-selling authors of all time.

She is Jane Plitt, the president of the Manatee Library Foundation. On Jan. 19, as almost everyone in Bradenton now knows, Stephen King spoke to a full house at the Manatee Performing Arts Center and raised $100,000 for the foundation.

And Plitt already had her eyes on something bigger as a follow-up.

"I asked Stephen King if he could bring his band to Bradenton, his authors band," she said.

That band is the Rock Bottom Remainders, a notoriously mediocre rock covers band that featured, at various times, King, Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Amy Tan and Matt Groening.

The band had broken up, though, and King apparently wasn't too keen on a reunion.

"He looked at me and said 'There's no way that band is getting back together,' " Plitt said. "I said 'But this community loves you and we will have ongoing needs.'"

King's reply was "John Grisham owes me one."

Thus started the chain of events that led to a major coup for the Library Foundation, and in fact for Manatee County: Grisham and King will appear together on stage Jan. 19 at the Neel Performing Arts Center at the State College of Florida.

It's historic. They're two of the biggest names in book world, with combined sales of something like 600 million books.

It didn't all happen right away. Plitt had to put together a proposal and send it to King. King, who Plitt said had "fallen in love with Bradenton," has a passion for libraries and for literacy, so he liked where the money was going. Grisham shares those passions, and when King said that Grisham and his wife could stay at King's home on Casey Key, the deal was set.

Or almost, anyway. There were still some inter-author negotiations to be done.

Grisham apparently thought this favor was a little bigger than the one he owed King. So he said that King would have to be up there on the stage with him. King countered by insisting that the focus be on Grisham, not on him. Only Grisham's book will be on sale at the event, and only Grisham will appear at the VIP event for high-level sponsors.

"They're friends." Plitt said, "so I imagine that they had some fun pushing each other."

If you hadn't heard about the Grisham-King event before the formal announcement on Tuesday, it's because people around in the Bradenton are really good at keeping secrets. The Library Foundation had told sponsors of the King event all about it, but asked them not to tell. They also told people at the Bradenton Herald. Dozens of people, at least, knew about it weeks before the announcement. But the word didn't seem to spread around town.

When King spoke in January, he wanted to keep the evening as intimate as he could, while still raising a ton of money for the Manatee Library Foundation. So he didn't want to speak in a venue bigger than Stone Hall in the Manatee Performing Arts Center.

The problem was that the 380 seats in Stone Hall were quickly taken up by sponsors, who pay premium prices and get some perks. No one could buy an individual ticket.

Grisham was fine with bigger venue, so the Grisham-King event was moved to the Neel, which is a little more than twice as big as Stone Hall. The hope is that the general public will be able to get seats, which will go on sale for $150 apiece on Oct. 14. Plitt said she expects that tickets will be available. But the idea of a fundraiser is to raise funds, so if sponsors buy up all the tickets that's not all that bad.

You can find out about tickets and sponsorships at manateelibraryfoundation.org.

(Anyone can be a sponsor. The sponsorships start at $300, which gets you one ticket and some bonuses, and go up to $7,500.)

They're hoping to raise $175,000 this time for various literacy programs. The programs and the money to fund them are desperately needed. As of last year, Plitt said, 50 percent of third graders in Manatee County couldn't read at a third-grade level.

"That's a crisis," she said. "It's a crisis for our schools, it's a crisis for future employers, it's a crisis for the government."

The one problem, if you can call it that, is that once you've gotten Stephen King and John Grisham to appear together in Bradenton, there's not much of a way to top it.

Plitt may not have connections to anyone who can get even bigger names, but she knows who does.

"I intend to ask Mr. Grisham," she said. "I think the gauntlet has been passed, don't you?"

[barlow]

Has anyone called to see if there will be a signing?

[webstar1000]

There is no signing Doris told me.

[EXPLORER]

Has anyone called to see if there will be a signing?

I was told they have asked Grisham to sign however since the venue holds over 800 there will not be a signing , however Grisham may pre-sign some books. King will not and has emphasized this event is to feature Grisham.

[RichardX]

I would view this event strictly as a donation to the library since you can pick up about a dozen signed Grisham books for retail from places like the shop in Alabama that sells the McCammon books. I can't see any great reason for folks outside the area attending at those prices.