• Shared Text Alert: Terrorists Love Hogwarts Saga?

    ByElizabeth
    8 Comments

    According to a recent AP article, former child soldier and Al-Qaeda militant Omar Khadr is something of a Harry Potter fan.  Khadr, described in several articles as a rage-filled, cold-blooded killer, apparently enjoys reading the books, which begs the question: Does someone who so clearly exhibits only intolerance for anyone who does not share his beliefs really “get it” if he considers himself a fan? Does he not see that the Order of the Phoenix members would all fall under the category of personae non gratia in his worldview? Or does he see those who disagree with him as the evil Ministry of Magic?  What seems really interesting, though, is the way the media keeps tossing out Khadr’s reading of HP. On one level, the references are probably just meant to emphasize the irony of the situation: terrorist who reads the popular, epitome-of-Western-Culture books loved by millions, isn’t that bizarre? Read More “Shared Text Alert: Terrorists Love Hogwarts Saga?”

  • Unusual Appearance of Shared Text in Politics

    ByElizabeth
    4 Comments

    Joe Miller recently launched this hilarious Halloween-themed ad in his US Senate race, calling his opponent “She Who Must not Be Named” and using plenty of campy witch tag-lines. The commerical looks more like an SNL spoof than the real deal, but the shared text hit is intriguing, especially since campaign advertisements are specifically aimed at adults. While critics want to send Harry to the kiddie lit compartment, children can’t vote and would thus not be the target audience here. The grown-ups headed to the polls are clearly expected to “get it”!

  • Shared Text: The Advent of ‘Parable Novel’ Mania

    ByJohn
    10 Comments

    I was asked last week by a major periodical to share what my current thinking was about the Harry Potter novels. The editors were curious if I had anything ‘new’ on my mind about these books that they could publish in the run-up to the release of the first ‘Deathly Hallows’ film, at the beginning of the end, if you will. I’m not sure if they’ll be interested in publishing what I’m thinking these days, but I thought I’d share with you the preliminary notes I sent them. My thesis is this: Ms. Rowling’s success (and the success of Harry’s progeny, the books that probably wouldn’t have been published or found the audience they have except for Harry) has turned the literary world upside-up, with allegorical and serial ‘Young Adult’ books restoring the novel to its original popularity, power, and relevance. Read More “Shared Text: The Advent of ‘Parable Novel’ Mania”