“Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.”

Welcome to The Podcast That Floats Down Here’s Daily Derry! The Daily Derry focuses on topics discussed in the most recent episode of the show, which this week was “Stephen King’s ‘IT’ – 033 – Ch. 18 – Bullseye.”

In this episode, Luke, Ben, and Melissa discussed chapter 18, in which the Losers make their own bullets and shoot them at It, which I think is a pretty good plan. Melissa was aghast at the idea of a child using a blowtorch, but hey – when an evil entity is trying to kill everyone, you do what you gotta do.

The hosts talked a lot about the idea of belief and how that is turning out to be a huge theme of this novel. In this chapter, we see that how belief helps the Losers defeat It for the time being. Beverly pretends she has another slug and It is convinced she does. Everyone has to believe and have a “united thought” for their plans to work.

Melissa brought up this great quote from The Santa Clause: “Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.”

Firstly, great movie.

Secondly, for some reason, my brain always finishes that quote as “believing is believing.” (Anyone know why? Google isn’t helping.)

Belief is a huge part of life. A majority of Americans believe in a higher power, which you will never be able to prove in this life. Belief is the cornerstone of religion.

There’s also the belief we hold in ourselves and each other. Check out this clip from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The protagonist (played here by Nick Jonas, you’re welcome) is tricking everyone into thinking he’s a big shot businessman when he is really a window washer. He sings this song to himself before an important meeting to bolster his confidence. The reprise of the song is then sung to him by his love interest.

As people, we have to believe in ourselves and the people around us. We have to believe that we are doing good in the world and for some people, that involves believing there is a higher power who has set us on the right track.

For the Losers, belief is crucial. They have to believe in each other. They have to believe that Pennywise is a real threat or they will end up like Stan, who refused to believe. They have to believe that they can take him down, even when they have nothing yet. We’ll have to keep considering the idea of the belief as we continue on with the novel.

Until next time, stay imaginary.

“I Never Would Have Anticipated That.”

Welcome to The Podcast That Floats Down Here’s Daily Derry! The Daily Derry focuses on topics discussed in the most recent episode of the show, which this week was “Stephen King’s ‘IT’ – Noobz.”

In this special episode, first-time reader Luke is joined by two other first-time readers: Abby and Bailey. The trio discussed their favorite characters, favorite and least favorite moments, and questions they have for the rest of the novel.

IT was published in 1986 and since its publication and the famous 1990 miniseries starring Tim Curry, IT has never been out of the public consciousness. In this episode of the podcast, we hear from three first time readers who talked about how IT really wasn’t what they were expecting when they picked it up.

Abby talked about how she’s not a horror fan, which is why she never chose to read the book, and Bailey said she’s been surprised every chapter by how King addresses much more than she thought he would. The hosts listed off all of the issues King tackles in this novel: racism, gender inequality, bullying, abuse, domestic violence. Before starting the novel, “I never would have anticipated that,” said Luke.

How did this wonderfully complex story addressing social issues become relegated to simply horror in popular culture?

I was born in 1992, two years after the release of the IT miniseries and several years after the book’s publication. When I was a kid, I watched the miniseries on television and was rightfully terrified. If you mention IT to anyone, they will inevitably mention the opening the scene in which It lures George into the sewers (or they will mention the meme in which It lures other people into the sewers with offers of paying off student debt). This is what I always associated with both the novel and the miniseries, so I understandably had no desire to pick up the book, thinking it would just be a horror novel.

When I heard they were going to be making a new adaptation of the novel, this time on the big screen and starring that kid from Stranger Things, I was intrigued. I watched the trailer, became terrified of It again, this time as an adult, and vowed not to watch it. I have stuck to that vow. Let me know how you liked the movie.

But the way Luke and all the hosts of Floats Down Here discuss the novel, it sounds like it’s very different from any adaptation. I’m not sure a miniseries or film could easily translate King’s treatment of the issues to the screen. Maybe the only way to really understand this story is to read it, especially if, like me, you’re a fraidy-cat.

I have never been as scared of books as I have been of movies or television. When you’re reading, you’re in control of the image. Reading about It visiting the residents of Derry is no doubt still scary, but you know that your brain is in charge. While reading It, not only can you feel in control of the picture, but you can also grapple with the issues in the way King intended – through his words, and not through the interpretation of a director, producer, actor, and screenwriter.

The sequel to the newest It film is due out this year. Maybe all of us who neglected the book before should pick it up before then and spend some time with King’s words for the first time. I think we might be surprised at what we discover.

Until next time, stay imaginary.

That Is Ominous

Welcome to The Podcast That Floats Down Here’s Daily Derry! The Daily Derry focuses on topics discussed in the most recent episode of the show, which this week was 020 IT Ch. 11 pt. 3 – Walking Tours.

In this episode, Luke, Ben, and Melissa discussed part 3 of chapter eleven, which focuses on Beverly. There were two interesting things in this chapter that I wanted to discuss: time and memory.

Luke pointed on early in the episode: “The timeline jumps around so often it feels like we haven’t gone anywhere yet. And that is ominous.”

I find the structure of It very interesting. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there is ever that much going on. This entire chapter is just each Loser walking around and remembering something about their childhood. There really isn’t too much plot here. But King is creating this slow burn of action, keeping the reader wondering what will happen and when.

On the topic of memory, the hosts pointed out that the characters are often saying, “If I could only remember” and then they do remember. They wonder if this is because they are in the environment that causes them to remember, or because they are trying to remember. I think both probably come into play here.

We know that most of the Losers left Derry and were probably trying to escape what they experienced as kids. This means they’d probably be trying to forget those experiences and not think about them. But of course, when you’re back in a meaningful place, that will make you remember all the things you did in that place. The characters are remembering because they’ve placed themselves back in the experience.

But also, when you think about something and try to remember it, that can often jog your memory too. The Losers were not trying to remember their childhood, so when they do actively try, they might find the memories were lurking there beneath the surface all along.

Perhaps this remembering adds to the ominous feeling that Luke was describing. The Losers spend this entire chapter remembering and reliving things from their childhood. By slowly regaining their memories, the Losers are slowly coming to terms with what they must do, the tension building for the reader. I have a feeling this tension will pay off soon.

Until next time, stay imaginary.

People Would Notice

Welcome to The Podcast That Floats Down Here’s Daily Derry! The Daily Derry focuses on topics discussed in the most recent episode of the show, which this week was 016 – IT Derry – The Second Interlude.

I want to start by admitting that I haven’t read this book (I’m sorry!). I saw the 1990 mini-series when I was a pre-teen. When the 2017 movie came out, it looked a lot scarier than the mini-series and I really dislike being scared, so I didn’t see it. However, for some reason, I’ve always been interested in this story, and I ended up reading a lot about the new movie. Long story short, I’m pretty familiar with the book even though I’ve never read it, and today I want to talk about something Ben, Luke. and Melissa discuss in this episode: social amnesia.
There’s no denying that weird stuff has been happening in Derry, Maine for a very long time. In this episode of the show, the hosts discuss the idea that the entire town is collectively forgetting the previous events.

Ben explains, “In real life, people do that. You find excuses to ignore what’s going on.”

“This is such an extreme, though, and it’s so consistent. People would notice [the weird occurances],” Luke counters.

Is Luke right? Would people notice? Let’s start by thinking about what social amnesia is. The concept is attributed to Russell Jacoby, and I’m such a scholar that I went into his work and found a quote!

In brief, society has lost its memory, and with it, its mind. The inability to think back takes its toll [on] the inability to think.

We’ve definitely seen this idea in It so far. The people of Derry tend to think of any reason to explain away and then forget about the weird occurances. Two children are missing, and the law enforcement claim one of them has run away to her abusive father who she hasn’t seen in three years, and the other has simply run away. And then they move on. Strange happenings are forgotten, and as Jacoby would say when the people of Derry are unable to remember, they are unable to think.

“Something is wrong here,” Luke says in this episode about Derry. Is it perhaps because something is so wrong here that people have to forget? The town has decided to forget about the weird things that happen there and move on, but because they’ve forgotten, nothing will ever be fixed.

But there is one person who might be trying to remember. Mike is the only member of the Losers to stay in Derry, working as a librarian. Libraries exist to preserve memory. Mike’s life and career in Derry are an attempt to counter the social amnesia of the town. He knows that if and when It comes back, he will need to be ready.

We see this idea of social amnesia a lot in movies and television. I’ve been rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sunnydale is such an insane place for anyone to live. Kids and teenagers die all the time, and there are always monsters and vampires roaming around town. But the people of Sunnydale still live there. They even try to explain the appearance of and destruction by the monsters, blaming drugs or accidents.

But we do get a glimpse that the town is in on it. In season two, episode three, the principal and the police chief reference their usual cover-up, hinting to the audience that they actually are aware of the weird circumstances and are choosing to ignore and forget them.

Could the people of Derry be doing the same thing? Maybe people do notice, but choosing to ignore and forget the horrors of their town lets them continue their lives without facing the facts. And don’t we all do that sometimes?