When Dudley Bostwick, 83, of Cape Elizabeth, sets up shop at South Portland’s annual Art in the Park event Aug. 13, he’ll have the distinction of being one of only two artists to have appeared in every show since the event’s founding 32 years ago. But Bostwick’s art career goes back even further than that, to the sale of his first painting at age 10.
This past week, he took time to talk about his art career, the Maine coast during World War II, talking tough to Clint Eastwood, and firing Stephan King – three times.
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Q: How long did you work at UMO?
A: I was there until my second wife died in 1976. While I was there I had a man who worked for me who’s a big celebrity now, who I fired three times, because he would not wear his hair net while serving food. His name was Stephen King.
But each time I fired him the dean came down and told me he got aid by working food service. Without it, he’d have to leave school. Finally, the dean said, “Do you have a job you can give him where he doesn’t have to wear a hat?” I said, “He can be the pot washer, but don’t anybody let him go out on the line.”
As an employee, Stephen could eat on the house. But he would bring in his girlfriend, Tabitha, and sit her at the table, and give her free food. Well, I put in a time clock and made him punch in and out for his meals, so I could go out and check if she was there at that time, because she didn’t have any right to be eating free food – she didn’t work for me.
We’re friends today. I never have read one of his books, but every time I have a birthday, I get something over the Internet from him that says, “Happy Birthday, Mr. B!”
Stephen King was fired!
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Originally Posted by jhanic
