The Science of Stephen King

In a more meaningful way, the incident inspired him to write Lisey’s Story, a novel unlike most of his body of work. While Lisey’s Story has a King-esque paranormal element, it is at its heart, a story about marriage and grief. While Stephen King was in the hospital, his wife, Tabitha, organized his office. When he returned, after a near-death experience, he was struck by what his office would look like if he had lost his life on that summer day. When asked in an interview if Lisey’s Story is about his own mortality, King was quick to admit it. “Sure, there’s no doubt about that. I had the accident, and then as kind of an outfall of the accident, two years later I had pneumonia because the bottom of my right lung was crumpled and nobody realized that. It got infected and that was very serious, that was actually closer [to death] than the accident. So, I had some of those mortality issues.”1

In Lisey’s Story, Lisa Landon’s famous author husband is not so lucky. He dies, leaving her with just memories. As she navigates through her grief, Lisa must face the reality that Scott had been escaping to an alternate reality their entire marriage, a place called Boo’ya Moon. Desperate to reconnect to her love, Lisa wants to traverse this beautiful yet frightening place to find him. This led us to question the vast depths of grief. And what better way than speaking with someone who is well-versed in this difficult topic? In order to learn more about the reality of grief we spoke to licensed professional counselor, and Stephen King fan, Samantha Dansby.

From the car accident, Stephen King suffered broken ribs, a broken hip and leg, and a punctured lung. He spent three weeks in the hospital and endured five surgeries.

Repressed memories refer to the rare psychological phenomenon in which memories of traumatic events may be stored in the unconscious mind and blocked from normal conscious recall.

Meg:“First, can you tell us about your professional background?”Samantha Dansby: “I have been working as a counselor since 2015. I’ve worked in a variety of settings, including an inpatient psychiatric hospital for teenagers, a private practice, a clinic that provided pro-bono counseling services, and for a community mental health organization. I’ve worked with a variety of mental health disorders from mild to severe and with clients ranging from the age of one to eighty-five.”

Kelly:“Wow! That’s quite a resume! What led you to pursue becoming a counselor?”

Samantha Dansby: “I have struggled with my own mental health throughout most of my life, as well as watching many others I love struggle. From the time I can remember, all I really wanted to do was help others, and counseling gave me that outlet. I lost my mother at the age of twenty-two and my father at the age of twenty-six, so that pushed me more to want to work with grief specifically.”

Intense grief can cause “Broken Heart Syndrome” in which the heart muscles are changed, eventually mimicking the symptoms of a heart attack.

Meg:“I’m sorry to hear that. How would you describe the grieving process? Is it unique to every human? Do there seem to be shared experiences?”

Samantha Dansby: “Oh, wow. How to describe the grieving process? I honestly think that the grieving process is a journey. I don’t know that it is a journey that ever ends. My mom died eight years ago, and I’m still grieving. One of the best comparisons I have heard is comparing grief to an ocean. At times, the waves are calm, and at times, they crash. All we can do is find some way to keep swimming. There are many models of grief in the counseling world, but I truly do not believe that it is a step-by-step process. I also don’t think anyone can look at anyone else who is grieving and honestly say, ‘I understand.’”

Kelly:“You have counseled many through their grief. In the King novelLisey’s Story, Lisey Landon is navigating through the loss of her husband as she handles getting rid of his books and keepsakes. From your experience, is this a vulnerable time for those grieving?”