tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post427465696376659315..comments2024-02-22T07:47:22.661-05:00Comments on The Bathroom Monologues: J.K. Rowling Is Not Your BitchJohn Wiswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-75359494438224755442012-10-04T10:42:32.833-04:002012-10-04T10:42:32.833-04:00I was quite pleased when I heard J. K. Rowling was...I was quite pleased when I heard J. K. Rowling was branching out with her next book. I also knew there would be an outcry from some for her departure from Fantasy. I think it's inevitable and why so many authors who do write cross-genre use pseudonyms.<br /><br />My entire family throughly enjoyed the Harry Potter series (though I think it could have used a substantial edit in some places), and will no doubt read The Casual Vacancy. She's earned my respect as a writer so I'll take a chance on something completely different. I never judge a book before I read it.<br /><br />I am kind of hoping she'll take a stab at the mystery genre. She has demonstrated she has a talent for a series with regular characters, and I think it would be a good fit.<br />~jon J. M. Strotherhttp://madutopia.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-51280097296672312712012-10-03T21:43:32.601-04:002012-10-03T21:43:32.601-04:00I hadn't read the New Yorker piece, as my subs...I hadn't read the New Yorker piece, as my subscription had lapsed. Thank you for linking to it in addition to quoting it. Having now read the piece, I'm as skeptical of the interview as I usually am of New Yorker journalism. Had they posted full video of the interview, we would have tone, know what she was responding to, if she amended herself a moment later, and of vital context. If, for instance, she's really describing how her publishers and the writers surrounding her view what she ought to be allowed to do in Fantasy. In New Yorker fashion, Ian Parker crafts the paragraph to suggest a context without having to say whether or not it's true.<br /><br />But out of context, those words are definitely condescending, and erroneous. Of course there's boning around Fantasy. It seems every other comment I hear or read about Wise Man's Fear is about Kvothe's magical sex life. Regardless of whether or not Rowling intended to come across that way, your rebuttal is absolutely correct.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-34445529054796804562012-10-03T21:39:28.983-04:002012-10-03T21:39:28.983-04:00God bless Futurama!God bless Futurama!John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-16127546995105723122012-10-03T18:39:47.222-04:002012-10-03T18:39:47.222-04:00I loved Harry Potter, in large part because it got...I loved Harry Potter, in large part because it got a lot of kids reading who hadn't been. That is the power of great story-telling for children. <br /><br />As far as Rowling branching out to something COMPLETELY different, I applaud her courage and wish her well. However, I do think she should have done it under a slightly different name. One still recognizable as HER but different. (Joanne Rowling, Jo Rowling, etc). The reason being is that there is an aspect of branding that's important in that your readership expects certain things from you. Now, had she done fantasy for adults, I could see the same name, just as if she'd done contemporary for the MG/YA market. By veering SO far from what made her author brand successful, it feels like she's dismissing her fan-base of that original series by using the exact same name. <br /><br />I understand why she would use the same name (she's a hugely popular author and has crazy name recognition), however, I still think by such an immediate and huge shift from the brand, it wasn't cool. <br /><br />Still, it's her book, her career, and her name. Kudos to her for following her muse and heart rather than just churning out something she didn't love. Seleste deLaney/Julie Partickahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346934576672398786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-14468831158339237032012-10-03T09:40:33.981-04:002012-10-03T09:40:33.981-04:00Hey John, excellent post as usual, but I've go...Hey John, excellent post as usual, but I've got to disagree with you about one thing: "I have yet to read a single interview or watch a single Youtube clip of her condescending against YA or Fantasy." Did you read the profile on her in the New Yorker, where she said, "The thing about fantasy — there are certain things you just don’t do in fantasy. You don’t have sex near unicorns. It’s an ironclad rule. It’s tacky." <br /><br />To me, this is the very definition of condescending. It's not just that she's saying, "I've gone in a new direction as a writer"; she's saying the genre itself is limited and limiting. More specifically, she's saying fantasy is ALWAYS for children, NEVER adults; that it cannot address adult desires and bodies, and if it tries to, it's "tacky." (Not, you know, daring or ambitious or anything like that.)<br /><br />Writers should absolutely feel free to switch genres whenever they're so inspired - there's a reason I'm so obsessed with Jonathan Lethem - and I'm not insulted by her doing that in the least. I'm just insulted by the suggestion that anyone who doesn't follow her lead is breaking an "ironclad rule" that seems to come from a very dismissive and aesthetically conservative place.<br /><br />For the piece I'm talking about, check out: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/01/121001fa_fact_parker#ixzz28F3906mj<br />The Chawmongerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08817936739545420642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-89260634976621386722012-10-01T03:53:38.616-04:002012-10-01T03:53:38.616-04:00This is a thoughtful, intelligent post. I suspect ...This is a thoughtful, intelligent post. I suspect many of the people who need to read it won't. It reminds me of when Matt Groening first tried to sell Futurama and they said (something like):<br />"Hang on, this is nothing like the Simpsons!"<br />And he said (something like):<br />"Yes it is. It's smart, funny and original."Peter Newmanhttp://www.runpetewrite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-17893379826749082302012-10-01T03:30:20.039-04:002012-10-01T03:30:20.039-04:00I've never read a Potter book and probably nev...I've never read a Potter book and probably never will. I'm not into fantasy, as you know, nor am I into YA, but that doesn't mean I won't read her new novel.<br />Your post reminded me of Heller's comment when an interviewer suggested that he has never written anything as good as Catch 22. Heller replied that nobody else has either, and probably muttered some expletives under his breath.<br />Judge Whiskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04397629379090101005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-46785326268418828842012-09-30T21:18:01.834-04:002012-09-30T21:18:01.834-04:00Firstly, I want to apologize if the above post gav...Firstly, I want to apologize if the above post gave the impression that all Potterheads are like this. That would clearly be false, you're evidence of that, and I’m sorry if I offended you. As someone not in that fandom, the reaction to this post has actually shown me more of the positive, pro-experimental Rowling fandom than I’d experienced at perhaps any time before it.<br /><br />As to your question, when the book was announced, my social networks lit up with outrage, then quieted in the interim. At WorldCon in August, I got my first real taste for the anti-non-Potter work, listening to multiple rants in the halls, con suite and parties about her walking out on the fandom. There was palpable venom. Since then, I’ve noticed it popping up over and over on Twitter and blogs. This essay itself was inspired by an anti-Rowling blog post elsewhere, which I haven’t linked to because I don’t want to send negative traffic there.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-53244043252880165922012-09-30T21:03:58.423-04:002012-09-30T21:03:58.423-04:00I want to know where the hell you're seeing th...I want to know where the hell you're seeing this anti-non-Potter-Rowling backlash, because I'm hip deep in character-shipping, fanfic-writing, fanart-commissioning Harry Potter fandom, and this blog post is the first sign I've seen that anyone is other than thrilled that JKR has written a new book in an entirely different vein.Leviathan's Phonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18066033146169376686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-76001238444809925732012-09-30T20:42:48.356-04:002012-09-30T20:42:48.356-04:00The LeGuin story made me see red for a few days. A...The LeGuin story made me see red for a few days. Absolutely unacceptable stuff. And I can certainly see Harry Potter as a smoothly executed story for anyone who got into it initially.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-45311629259947078862012-09-30T20:40:43.315-04:002012-09-30T20:40:43.315-04:00I suspect comparing one's present work to one&...I suspect comparing one's present work to one's past is almost inescapable if one has seen success. I would prefer if those comparisons were more thoughtful, as in the analysis of Michael Chabon's books seeking throughlines or what he's shifted away from, rather than the blanket "He's not as good anymore" or "I miss the Summerland Bigfoot."John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-51614348580818891052012-09-30T20:36:33.874-04:002012-09-30T20:36:33.874-04:00Great post, I'm Tweeting this! Love the line &...Great post, I'm Tweeting this! Love the line 'It’s a backlash so common and severe that when God tried to change up His sequel to The Torah, the Romans killed His only son.'Jason Runnelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656622649601360477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-59464539354916488632012-09-30T18:52:52.762-04:002012-09-30T18:52:52.762-04:00Thank you for this post. While I don't think ...Thank you for this post. While I don't think Harry Potter was great literature the series was eminently readable. And, when Casual Vacancy becomes a paperback I will assuredly buy it. I don't like being pigeon-holed, so I try very hard not to do it to someone else. BTW - I was appalled to hear that Ursula Le Guin was pressured to be more like Rowlings. Hiss and spit. Which are words I type far too often.Elephant's Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06650565833097914052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-3073908124517928302012-09-30T18:52:42.595-04:002012-09-30T18:52:42.595-04:00You got to have dinner with Kobo developers? Count...<b>You got to have dinner with Kobo <i>developers</i>? Count me as sooooo jealous.</b><br /><br />What I like about Kobo:<br /><br />* They're at least partly Canadian (although, last I heard, bought by a Japanese company)<br />* their native format is epub -- there's not such a tight lock between hardware and content supply<br />* I won one at a publisher's conference (and gave it to my mum 'cos she was going to buy one, but I read a few books on it first -- including some Chaucer just for the pre- and post-Gutenberg vibe)<br />* They seem to be the smartest about their hardware vs. content price points.<br /><br />Kindles seem like good machines, but they make me nervous because it took forever for them to be available here. For a while, even if you bought one in the States, you couldn't use it outside of the US (or so I was told).Katherine Hajerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08270232675026751342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-80296522767370486682012-09-30T18:03:45.509-04:002012-09-30T18:03:45.509-04:00This resonates with me as somebody with a deep lov...This resonates with me as somebody with a deep love for music. I've developed an attachment to some bands, and some albums, but musicians don't (usually) freeze after creating their magnum opus. At least, the good one's don't.<br /><br />The most disappointing music criticism is that which comes without the understanding of an artist's right to develop, experiment, and grow. You can't read a review of any of Corin Tucker's solo work, for example, without it being compared to her work as a member of Sleater-Kinney, a band that hung it up six years ago.<br /><br />It speaks to how much we love these musicians and their work that we want them to continue making the same (or similar) music, but a love that can't show the same patience and respect for the musician's craft is much more like a teenage crush.Nicholas Sabinhttp://www.teamsabin.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-71178498253923333572012-09-30T17:55:30.042-04:002012-09-30T17:55:30.042-04:00I haven't picked up the causal vacancy, and I ...I haven't picked up the causal vacancy, and I am not sure I want to, but still . . . . I agree with everything you said. Except for the part where you dislike the books. (I like them. LOL)Sonia Lalhttp://storytreasury.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-38590735241361784522012-09-30T17:55:23.554-04:002012-09-30T17:55:23.554-04:00I've seen a few articles revealing a little of...I've seen a few articles revealing a little of her adult voice, and it seems amusing. Yours is a great attitude, and I'd expect it given you're a novelist yourself. But it's still the right stuff!John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-62600312848093785392012-09-30T17:50:01.005-04:002012-09-30T17:50:01.005-04:00I am a little shocked! Won't lie about that, t...I am a little shocked! Won't lie about that, though I guess Potter does lack smut.<br /><br />Looking back on this piece, I do think I've been a little unfair to her fanbase. It's not the entirety that is decrying her, only a sizable and extremely vocal block. I've seen at least a few people on Twitter proclaiming their excitement for the return of their "Queen."John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-56000995979383306262012-09-30T17:37:40.396-04:002012-09-30T17:37:40.396-04:00While I see the advantages of brand management, it...While I see the advantages of brand management, it's likewise infuriating to me. One reason I expose to much of myself here and on social networks is to give any potential reader as honest a portrayal of who I am as possible, rather than a simple strawman. Not that, if I ever made it to Rowling's level of popularity, that it would necessarily carry to even the majority of my audience.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-16700506768919965972012-09-30T17:36:16.828-04:002012-09-30T17:36:16.828-04:00Did you know Rowling is a practicing Christian? I ...Did you know Rowling is a practicing Christian? I always wondered what she thought about the accusations of Satanism, considering that element.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-11003256081831312112012-09-30T17:34:43.797-04:002012-09-30T17:34:43.797-04:00I'm afraid this flew over my head. I can guess...I'm afraid this flew over my head. I can guess from the Latin roots about the beginning of diversity, and easily apply that notion here, but don't know the word as having a common usage for this. Can you clarify for me?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-1560703165462616932012-09-30T17:29:11.646-04:002012-09-30T17:29:11.646-04:00Oh good, I get to continue! :-) I read the first H...Oh good, I get to continue! :-) I read the first Harry Potter book, and liked it all right. Wife listened to too many church ladies who insist that magic = Satanism, but what I saw was a story of friendship.<br /><br />I hope Rowling succeeds, and breaks out of the one-genre pigeonhole.Larry Kollarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317037795075278427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-51488870674862677832012-09-30T17:28:29.861-04:002012-09-30T17:28:29.861-04:00I'm really glad you wrote this, John. I have b...I'm really glad you wrote this, John. I have been thinking it myself as well. As for me, I am excited to read her new novel and am thrilled she decided to write something for adults. Karen Wojcik Bernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12824421839546160653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-72718141395077138722012-09-30T17:27:53.982-04:002012-09-30T17:27:53.982-04:00Ah, xenogenesis.Ah, xenogenesis.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14947233996077734991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-55276888763416096432012-09-30T17:23:36.298-04:002012-09-30T17:23:36.298-04:00Thank you for standing up and saying what so many ...Thank you for standing up and saying what so many of us are saying but not saying it quite as well. Writers write. Most writers write from their hearts and the whispers of the muse. They should always be supported no matter the genre. I'd like to see half these whiny brats that are complaining about Rowling write anything worth reading. DJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01442391270938785813noreply@blogger.com