All Potter's Eve
Gavin Newsom, our local mayor, has officially declared tomorrow night "All Potter's Eve" in San Francisco, in honor of the release on Saturday morning at 12:01 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We are, of course, participating in the madness, going at midnight to pick up the copy we've reserved at our local independent bookstore.
This made me think: how odd must it be to be Jo Rowling? I mean, really. Imagine knowing that there are 100 million copies of your books in print around the world. Imagine knowing that the first printing on your new hardcover is 10 million copies. And imagine the weird weight of knowing that at 12:01 am local time all over the world, kids (and adults) are going to be buried in your work, only coming up for bathroom breaks and sustenance. Aside from the money and the castle and the Officer of the British Empire thing, the sheer weight of expectation--especially if you take your work and the people who love it seriously--must be enormous. I think it would stop me in my tracks. Since I enjoy the books, and the girls love them, I'm glad that she seems to be bearing up under that spotlight. But really, how odd must it be to be Jo Rowling?
This made me think: how odd must it be to be Jo Rowling? I mean, really. Imagine knowing that there are 100 million copies of your books in print around the world. Imagine knowing that the first printing on your new hardcover is 10 million copies. And imagine the weird weight of knowing that at 12:01 am local time all over the world, kids (and adults) are going to be buried in your work, only coming up for bathroom breaks and sustenance. Aside from the money and the castle and the Officer of the British Empire thing, the sheer weight of expectation--especially if you take your work and the people who love it seriously--must be enormous. I think it would stop me in my tracks. Since I enjoy the books, and the girls love them, I'm glad that she seems to be bearing up under that spotlight. But really, how odd must it be to be Jo Rowling?
posted by Madeleine Robins at 11:16 PM
4 Comments:
I have always wondered (not being a church go-er or a more-than-once-Bible reader) why the people who get hysterical about the Potter books (and other fantasy) get so hysterical. If I raise my kids to believe in certain things (honesty, generosity, the utter illegality of the 2000 election, the importance of returning library books and paying off college loans) should I not have faith that their upbringing and their own good minds remain undamaged by conflicting viewpoints?
I had a friend, growing up in New York. Her family was culturally Jewish, but not particularly observant (which is to say, they celebrated Hannukah and Passover, and pretty much ignored the whole issue the rest of the year). But her parents were horrified when they found her reading C.S. Lewis because of the Christian allegorical material contained in the Narnia books--which she had not even noticed until her parents pointed it out. Go figure.
Meanwhile, one can never have too much of a good witch outfit, IMHO. The best I could cobble up (and it's not appropriate for All Potter's Eve) is either a take on Sarah Tolerance or a vampire's victim. So I'm going in Mufti.
I adore Gavin Newsom. Have I mentioned that lately? I am just so happy that he's the mayor. Our old mayor in NYC was NEVER that cool. This almost makes me want to wear my Hermione Granger costume... but I won't for two reasons. One: I don't want to seem like TOO much of a dork. Two: it's from 4th grade. Highly doubting it would fit and all, ya know?
Really: thank God for J.K. Rowling. I can't imagine the mail she must have gotten once she "killed off" Sirius (I don't think he's quite dead yet.* Possibly trapped in limbo). Tsk tsk tsk... I can't imagine what she's thinking right now. Something along the lines of "what if they don't like it" I'd imagine.
*Think Eric Idle saying "I'm not dead yet!" ... "I'm getting better!" ... "A- actually, I think I'm fine..."
God I love Monty Python.
There's a lot to love when it comes to Python (Monty).
"It's pining for the fjords."
---L.
My fave: "But can a bee be said to be or not to be an entire bee
When half a bee is not a bee, due to some ancient injury?"
also the Money Program and the Argument Clinic are close to my heart as well...
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