Prof. Philip Nel of Kansas State University has compiled a list of useful Harry Potter Internet Sites for his English 440 class on Harry Potter. I am disappointed that Sword of Gryffindor and HogwartsProfessor.com didn’t merit a mention but, of course, if you’re reading this, you don’t need to learn about those two sites. And it is a grand list even without us, no?

I post Prof. Nel’s list as a point of information and to ask the All-Pro’s if, in your wanderings about the World Wide Web, you have found other lists we all should know about or other quality sites you think Prof. Nel should add to his excellent collection (besides the ones already in the right hand column in the HogPro links box).

Let us know by writing below!

The last time I spoke about Harry Potter to a large group of younger people I stumbled when looking for a great ‘pop’ example of a trio much like Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The three leads, as explained in Unlocking Harry Potter, are a moving-picture of the soul’s three faculties or powers as they are in themselves and as they relate to one another. I have called this a literary or psychological “triptych” after the three-in-one fold-out panel paintings. The model for literary triptychs is Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, [Read more…]

ZoeRose, longtime HogPro AllPro, has weighed in on her Harry Potter weblog, Shell Cottage, about the The Harry Potter Lexicon controversy and lawsuit. As you may know, Steve Vander Ark and I have been friends and correspondents since 2003. I haven’t asked and he hasn’t told me anything about the lawsuit (and I haven’t heard from him in months). My several friends who labor at The Lexicon are also under the Cone of Silence.

The policy here has been and continues to be: [Read more…]

What a weekend! Mary and I taught our Friday evening/all day Saturday, three classes, meals and cooking classes “Way of Communion” seminar at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator here in Allentown. I really enjoy writing and talking with friends about Harry Potter, but I live to eat and talk about good food and eating as an extension of the Eucharist. It was a delight and enlightening, as always (and I think the folks who joined us got a lot out of it, too).

Anyway, prepping for that intensive course left us pretty light on posts here last week. I’ll try to catch up this week, which, except for a trip to New Haven to talk at Yale Divinity School on Wednesday, is a “stay-at-home-and-update-Unlocking” week.

I’ve read about a fascinating Reading Challenge on Dr. Sturgis’ site, at Sword of Gryffindor, even at its point of origin. Let me add my voice to this chorus of thoughtful readers recommending the Mythopoeic Award Challenge for calendar year 2008. Simply choose seven titles from the Mythopoeic Society’s list of Award winners and read them all by midnight 31 December. There’s an edifying, mid-February not-quite-so-New-Year’s resolution.

I ask for your recommendations to put on my list or thoughts about the books you’d like to read. And be sure to tune in to Dr. Sturgis’ interviews this month! The first one is tomorrow…