Here’s Where You Can Read Stephen King’s Hard-to-Find Maine Newspaper Columns

If you're a Stephen King fan, you've been spoiled.

The Maine-born writer is prolific, for sure, so unless you've read all 65 of King's novels (and novellas) -- not to mention his 200 or so short stories -- something is waiting on the bookshelf to give you your fix.

But what if you have read everything King's written -- from Carrie (1974) to his latest, Never Flinch (2025)? First off, congratulations! You're a true fan of the King of Horror.

King's College Days

If you're that big of a fan, you probably know King honed his writing skills while attending the University of Maine, where he majored in English. You might also know that, during his junior and senior years on the Orono campus, King -- as Steve King -- wrote a weekly column for the student newspaper, The Maine Campus.

Below, King -- as only he can -- urges his fellow students to hit the books for finals week on this 1970 front page of the Campus.

The column, "King's Garbage Truck," isn't easy to find. In fact, only four installments have been reprinted since their original publication in 1969 and 1970.

Read More: How Bangor, Maine, Inspired HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry

It's said that King has resisted requests to reprint the rest, labeling some of the writing "sophomoric." Really, who can blame him? Who wants the world to comb through their early efforts in anything?

Of course, King is probably his own worst critic. True --  his writing then might not be up to his current standards. Heck, King has sold many millions of books and received heaps of accolades -- including the National Medal of Arts.

Now, those are standards.

Where to Read 'King's Garbage Truck'

But, if one were to comb through back issues of the Campus, the columns give his fans an interesting look into King as a student -- from his opposition to the Vietnam War to his tastes in film and music at the time.

Beyond King's column, past issues of The Maine Campus send readers back to a time when campus life in Orono was different. Student protests were commonplace, and the journalism -- and advertising -- were edgy compared to today.

Read More: Exploring Stephen King's Bangor

In perusing past issues of the Campus, one also discovers that King was once arrested -- and found not guilty -- on a charge of public intoxication in Orono shortly after graduating in 1970. The student newspaper covered the verdict on its front page, where King also weighed in on the judge's ruling.

"Happiness is having the judge tell you you're not guilty—I think," King began his response, in which he earnestly and thoughtfully wondered how the arrest — despite the acquittal — might affect his future employment prospects and reputation in the community.

Turns out King did more than okay for himself. He went on to teach English at Hampden Academy before the sale of Carrie's paperback rights in 1974 allowed him to become a full-time writer.

The rest is history.

Speaking of history, if you'd like to read "King's Garbage Truck," 34 installments are available at the University of Maine Digital Commons, which archives past issues of The Maine Campus.  Also available are three installments of King's serial short story, "Slade," a precursor to his Dark Tower series.

Enjoy your trip back in time. Don't touch anything while you're there. That never ends well.