Well, no, she hasn’t.

She did say that she has “always thought of Dumbledore as gay,” that she is against homophobia, and that homosexuality is a quality she considers a “shade of character,” not anything especially defining about Dumbledore. Ms. Rowling even seems a trifle put out that readers haven’t universally welcomed her sharing this extra-textual shading with us: [Read more…]

Here is a letter I received last month with a follow-up note from another friend after my thank you:

Dear Mr. Granger,

We met a few months ago. I am the chimney sweep that came to your house. I hope you have been enjoying your fireplace. I am contacting you to thank you for the gift of your book “Looking for God in Harry Potter.” It has taken me a long time to finish it. I think it has taken me so long for a reason though. Since I met you I began converting to Catholicism. In that time I have studied a lot and taken my faith far more seriously than I ever had. I tell you this only because I feel I had to go through that process to really appreciate and understand your book.
[Read more…]

‘Talking with Tim,’ with the thoughtful Tim O’Shea at the helm, is a website that features interviews with authors and Subject Matter Experts on Pop Culture. The interview Mr. O’Shea did with me a few weeks ago went up this morning and, if you’ve ever wondered about what I think of homeschoolers, when my books are coming out, or how I became the “alchemy guy” about Harry Potter, it’s all in there. I enjoyed my time with Mr. O’Shea tremendously and am pleased with the resulting interview (a real rarity). Your thoughts are coveted, as always!

According to research done at nearby Muhlenberg College (I was not surveyed), up to 10% of serious Harry Potter readers post Deathly Hallows are showing signs of addiction to the series and of withdrawal now that the series is complete. I urge you to read the whole thing, but here are a few of the meatier parts with some Hogwarts Professor comments: [Read more…]