As I was recently browsing the local classifieds, I nearly dropped the paper when I came across these two entries back to back. I have been sorely tempted to call the number of the second ad and ask for Dolores! I’m fairly certain the folks at the local paper probably didn’t put these two together on purpose, but it’s fun to think so.
Department of Accidental and Skewed Shared Text References: Kitten Pattern Dishes and DVDs Sale
February 24, 2011 by 3 Comments
Taking ‘Shared Text’ Vocabulary to the Movies!
February 8, 2011 by 1 Comment
“I’ll explain it to you. And I’ll use small words so you’ll be sure to understand.” The Princess Bride
Standardized tests are generally considered so terrifying that only “IRS” could be considered a scarier acronym than “SAT,” but Brian Leaf takes the big test to our favorite movies and gives us a big tub of popcorn to make learning frequently tested vocabulary as fun and effortless as a Saturday matinee. In Name that Movie: A Painless Vocabulary Builder, Leaf uses the approach that he has taken in Defining Twilight, Defining New Moon, Defining Eclipse, and Defining Breaking Dawn: he delves into the stories we already know and love and pulls out the words we ought to know.
Was Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein an Alchemist? Introducing the ‘Potter as Pearl Harbor’ Thesis
February 4, 2011 by 4 Comments
The News from Summit Entertainment this week (H/T to James!) is that the Twilight film makers understand something of what made the Forks Saga the bonanza it has been for them. I’m pretty confident they’d call it “paranormal romance” and “love triangle” rather than “literary alchemy” or “soul triptych” but those of you who have listened to my talks on Harry Potter and Twilight that I gave last weekend at the Eighth Day Institute will recognize the features. From the MTV article, ‘Summit Entertainment To Bring Frankenstein to Life:‘
Summit Entertainment’s already worked box office magic with vampires and werewolves, but can they do the same for Frankenstein (the mad scientist, not the monster)? According to Deadline, the studio behind “The Twilight Saga” has acquired the screen rights to the upcoming YA novel “This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein” by Kenneth Oppel, which hits bookstores August 23.
The novel is a prequel of sorts to Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein.” The plot centers around young Victor Frankenstein and his quest to save sick twin brother Konrad. He seeks help from a mysterious alchemist, who sends Victor and his friend Elizabeth on a dangerous journey to find the three ingredients needed to create a serum called the Elixir of Life that will heal Konrad. Like any YA novel worth its salt, the inevitable love triangle ensues.
Checking out the Amazon page Book Description, we learn the trio’s hero journey has three stages:
Shared Text: US Defense Calls China ‘Voldemort’
February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
When Harry Potter shapes the vocabulary of the Pentagon, Generation Hex is carrying the nuclear football. And we definitely have reached Shared Text status —
While Washington’s Asian allies look to it for leadership, the Obama administration has (like its predecessor) taken China’s professed good intentions at face value. Things have gotten so bad that in the Pentagon some now refer to China as “Voldemort,” the evil wizard from the Harry Potter series who is often referred to as “he who must not be named.”
The “Voldemort Effect” is seen in the Defense Department’s recently published Quadrennial Defense Review, which cites the growing threat posed by anti-access and area-denial capabilities….. (The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2010, p. A13).
See also the original report at Defense Studies. H/T Nicole!
Shared Text: Harry Potter in ‘Big Bang Theory’
January 24, 2011 by 7 Comments
A better episode from the same series with a Quidditch reference (embed function disabled, alas) can be found here and here’s the actress who plays Penny talking about her love of Harry Potter. H/T to Lynn!
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