BANGOR – Local writer Stephen King, known worldwide for the numerous creepy and best-selling stories he has written over the years, will not be reading his work at a fundraiser scheduled for Tom Allen next month.

The Allen campaign released a statement late Monday indicating that the planned June 7 fundraiser, which was to be held at Bangor Auditorium and was to include authors John Grisham and Tess Gerritsen, has been postponed due to “recent developments.”

The statement did not indicate what those developments are, but it almost certainly is the controversy generated last week when a conservative blogger took King to task over comments the author made in April about literacy and the U.S. Army. Allen’s campaign did not return calls Monday evening seeking clarification.

Speaking April 4 to high school students at the Library of Congress, King suggested that not being able to read could force some people to join the Army for a lack of other career options.

“The fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on,” King said. “If you don’t, then you’ve got the Army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that.”

Not only was King criticized by right-wing blogger Noel Sheppard, but the remarks attracted official military attention, too. Paul Boyce, spokesman for the U.S. Army, said most soldiers are avid readers and that all are role models for high school students “and many book authors.”

A display about King at Bangor International Airport was removed temporarily last week by troop greeters who welcome military personnel as they pass through the airport on their way to and from assignments overseas.

But in a May 7 interview with the Bangor Daily News, King defended his remarks.

“[Conservative commentators] shift the discussion away from education to who’s supporting the troops,” he told the newspaper. “Of course, I support the troops. In this country, there’s an equating of intelligence with elitism, and elitism with being unpatriotic. But smart people love the U.S., too.”

Chris Potholm, a political science professor at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, said Monday that King’s April 4 comments are surely the reason the fundraiser has been postponed.

“Coincidences like this are rare in politics,” he said.

Potholm said Allen would be right to be concerned about King’s comments. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent Allen is hoping to unseat in the November election, has long enjoyed the support of military veterans, he said.

“I personally was stunned Stephen King made those remarks,” Potholm said Monday evening. “Tom Allen’s campaign always has had a steep hill to climb [in pulling the support of veterans away from Collins].”

Mark Brewer, a political science professor at University of Maine, said Monday evening that regardless of who made the decision to postpone the fundraiser or the reason behind it, any candidate should be worried about being associated with King’s comments, however innocent the author’s intent may have been.

“It’s all about perception here,” he said. “Veterans are an important voting group in any state you look at. Whoever made this decision had to be thinking about that.”

Brewer said King is likely the person who decided to postpone the fundraiser.

“This is not a run-of-the-mill supporter here,” he said. “Stephen King probably calls his own shots.”

Carol Andrews, Allen’s campaign communication’s director, later confirmed by e-mail that it was King’s decision.

In the statement, Allen’s campaign said the Democratic congressman still values King’s support.

“Our campaign truly appreciates the confidence of Stephen King, Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham,” Andrews indicated. “They are all great authors but more importantly Americans who believe strongly that we as a country can do better with a change in leadership.”

The statement also said that people who have bought tickets to the event can contact the Allen campaign for a full refund. The cost was $25 per person.

King indicated in the same statement from Allen’s campaign office that he intends to go through with the fundraiser at an undetermined date.

“My goal was and is to aid the Allen campaign, not to be a distraction,” King said in the release. “Since that might be the case now, it’s best to do this event later, but it’s just too good not to do at all.”