Harry Potter is mentioned once in this NYTimes article about a father and daughter whose relationship until she left for college was defined by reading together every day for at least ten minutes. But their story is only a little about Harry and a lot about the bonds people who read aloud to one another share in the activity of their imaginations, Coleridge’s “poetic faith,” which is very close to if not continuous with the inner heart.

I’m thinking of starting a ‘Streak’ tonight with my youngest boy or my wife. I hope you will consider starting one with someone you love, too.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I met up in Tucson on Saturday at the Festival of Books on the University of Arizona campus — and meeting celebrities like this wasn’t even the high point of my travels. If you’re interested, read on below the jump. If not, I’m back at home in my Lehigh Valley bunker now and will be re-joining the Hunger Games conversation here tomorrow. Stay tuned! [Read more…]

I hope if you have five or ten minutes today that you will read ‘Why There Is No Jewish Narnia’ by Michael Weingrad in the Jewish Review of Books. I know very little about Judaism, but what Mr. Weingrad argues in his discussion of why there isn’t a Jewish fantasy tradition to speak of, confirms what I think to be the case about the origins of the English High Fantasy literary stream post Coleridge. [Read more…]

Travis Prinzi, James Thomas, and I record podCasts once or twice a month for The Leaky Cauldron’s ‘PotterCast.’ They call these segments ‘The Potter Pundits’ because we explore the artistry and meaning of Harry Potter from a literary angle. The segments we have done have gone over very well, if I say so myself; we get a lot of positive feedback from TLC and from listeners. I have to admit, though, that I’d do it even if Fandom gave the shows a rousing raspberry because the shows for me are a wonderful opportunity and excuse every month to get together via Skype and talk with two thoughtful, funny, and eloquent readers, both of whom I wish lived next door.

The Potter Pundit parts of PotterCast are a sufficiently big deal that that show segment has its own website, PotterPundits.com, and a Facebook page. I kid you not. We’ve talked about Luna Lovegood, the Gothic elements in Harry Potter (with guest Pundit, Dr. Amy H. Sturgis), and most recently, Christmas at Hogwarts (#211).

But why do I bring this up? [Read more…]

Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron wrote me with this last minute announcement to share with both HogwartsProfessor readers that are into WRock music. Enjoy it, you two! [Read more…]