As the literary world braces for the midnight multiplex release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon adapted from Stephenie Meyer’s mega-bestseller, GalleyCat caught up with one reporter who went straight into the heart of Twilight darkness–celebrating Stephenie Meyer Day in Forks, Washington.
Journalist and author Jeff Gordinier wrote a long essay for Details magazine about visiting the real-life town made famous by the fictional Twilight saga. We asked the obvious question. Do the local hate these 60,000 new literary tourists? “In the course of three full days there, I didn’t encounter a single resident who snickered at the ravenous squealing Twihards. Everyone was thrilled about it! Believe me, the people who live in Forks are grateful,” he replied via email, sharing two photographs of the trip.
Gordinier concluded: “Meyer has saved their town. Before the Twilight craze, Forks truly was trapped in the realm of the undead–the logging business had cratered. The vampire phenomenon has turned Forks into a magnet for Twilight pilgrims, which means that the local motels and souvenir shops are perpetually packed, and revenue is pouring in. Nobody in Forks (nor at the Quileute reservation out at La Push beach) seemed even the tiniest bit jaded about that. They’re welcoming the fanatics with open arms.”
Here’s a glittering piece of cultural analysis, from the article: “What Stephenie Meyer Day really boils down to is a cloaked symposium on the state of American marriage … Edward Cullen has, for millions of passion-starved better halves worldwide, become the undead embodiment of everything the contemporary schlub seems to have shed: danger, poetry, strength, speed, eternal devotion, and an insatiable hunger for the jugular. Meanwhile, the defanged mortal males of Earth, their rumps firmly planted in front of the flat-screen and their breath faintly fragrant of Pirate’s Booty, have become, thanks to Edward, one big collective cuckold.”