I picked this article from the New York Times because it is about something important to me.
On Oct. 19 (my 21st birthday), J. K. Rowling was at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Scholastic's Open Book Tour Sweepstakes. If you don't know who Rowling is, first of all you must live in a box and second of all she's the author of the Harry Potter series.
Well for a little back story here, only 1,000 people got tickets to the book signing on Friday. You had to enter a contest through Scholastic and be chosen. Your prize was two tickets to the show.
I love Harry Potter. Call me whatever, I'll be the first to stand up and say I freakin love Harry Potter and Rowling. So I entered the contest thinking nothing of it until I got a call on Sept. 19 from Scholastic saying that I had won. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.
So I picked this article from AP in the New York Times about Friday's event.
This article isn't necessary long and detailed but it covers probably the most interesting part of the evening. During the question and answer session, someone asked Rowling is Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster of Hogwarts) ever found love in his life. Rowling said she always pictured him as gay and the whole auditorium cheered. She jokingly responded, "If I had known it would make you this happy, I would have told you years ago."
Though many people find this tidbit about Dumbledore interesting and pleasing, many people are outraged. My dad heard on TV earlier today that many religious groups are yet again protesting Rowling and Harry Potter, now for homosexuality.
What I love about the whole thing, though, is that Rowling is fully aware of all of the controversy and doesn't let it bother her. Towards the end of the Q & A, an announcer, from backstage, said (not exact words )"Hello? Can you hear me?" And Rowling responded, "God? Is that you? And people say I don't believe in you!" I love that about her.
I get sick of hearing people complain about Harry Potter. Obviously enough people like it that it is the most successful literary work ever. I'm also extremely glad that I got to meet her.
OK, that's the end of my birthday story.
And that's the end of my converged journalism blog!
It's been fun!
2 comments:
First of all, happy birthday!
Second of all, I agree that the religious criticism concerning Harry Potter and now for homosexuality is ridiculous. So a fictional character is supposedly gay? So what? No one can deny the success that J.K. Rollings has had with the book series. A sense of humor is a vital quality to have when dealing with the media, and Rollings definitely showed it.
That's got to be the best birthday present ever! I knew you went to NYC, but didn't know for such fantastic reasons.
I actually haven't read one harry potter book, nor seen an entire film in its entirety. (Sometimes I think I'm the only person on the planet who hasn't) Anyways kudos to you for the amazing trip and once in a lifetime meet and greet.
I read about the character being gay, though really now, who should care? It's a fictional character, correct? Even if he wasn't....I just think that people making a big deal out of something so silly. (not the series, but the topic of discussion).
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