Thursday, June 26, 2014

Observations — 1983, Big Year For Stephen King, The King of Pop, and Star Wars

William Golding, Nobel Prize Winner

Soviets shot down a South Korean jet, killing 269. In Beirut, terrorists killed 237 U.S. Marines. France invaded Algeria.  Alabama Governor George Wallace set to serve fourth term. Crack cocaine debuts in US.  Karen Carpenter died of complications from anorexia. First cell phone was tested.  Vinyl record sales took a dive. Disneyland opened in Tokyo.  The last episode of M*A*S*H aired.  Michael Jackson’s Thriller went to #1 and stayed there for 37 weeks.  Torch Song Trilogy won multiple awards.  The Nobel Prize for Literature went to William Golding.  Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for The Color Purple.  The Mystery Writers of America gave its Best Mystery Edgar to Rick Boyer for Billingsgate Shoal and The Private Eye Writers of America gave their top award to Lawrence Block for Eight Million Ways To Die. Other books we read that year were:  The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour, Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins White Gold Wielder by Stephen R.  Donaldson The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, Changes by Danielle Steel, Christine by Stephen King, The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré, Pet Sematary by Stephen King, Poland by James L. Michener, and Return of the Jedi by James Kahn and George Lucas. We went to the movies to see: Nation Lampoon on Vacation, The Outsiders, Scarface, Star Wars— Return of the Jedi, Risky Business, Flashdance, Christine, The Big Chill and Trading Places.  The music chart were topped by “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, “Flashdance — What A Feeling” by Irene Cara, “Down Under” by Men at Work, “Beat It” by Michael Jackson, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, Maneater” by John Hall and Daryl Oates, “Maniac” by Michael Sembello and “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurhythmics. Jonah Hill, Emily Blunt, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Winehouse came into the world. Among those who left it were: Tennessee Williams, David Niven, Harry James Joan Hackett, Gloria Swanson, Pat O’Brien, Rod Cameron, Raymond Massey, Buster Crabbe, Joan Miró, Buckminster Fuller, Jack Dempsey, Norm Shearer and Sir Ralph Richardson.  If you were around, what were you doing during this year of the water pig?




2 comments:

mybillcrider said...

Seems like only yesterday. That was the year we moved to our current home and I became chair of the English Department at the college here. I've been retired for 12 years now, and that time span seems like about 12 minutes. Wow.

Ronald Tierney said...


Time goes faster and faster.