Longtime HogPro stalwart Beth Priest posted this essay on epinions today, and it makes a nice complement to Ms. Palmer’s guest essay — at least in being about Dumbledore and approaching the character from an entirely different angle and purpose.

Enjoy!

Ten Lessons I’ve Learned from Albus Dumbledore
Jul 10 ’07

The Bottom Line “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”

Well, I’ve reached my 300th review on Epinions! Each time I reach another 100 reviews, I mark the milestone by creating a literary list. For my 100th review, I did our family’s top 10 list of authors writing books for children five and under. When I reached 200, I decided to focus on 10 poems that are wonderful to read to and share with young children.

For number 300, I’ve decided to do something a bit different, though still connected to literature. My reaching 300 reviews happens to coincide with the forthcoming publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in her amazing series. So I thought that I would offer up a different kind of list. In the spirit of celebrating my love and appreciation for Rowling’s stories and characters, I offer you 10 Lessons I’ve Learned (or in many cases Re-Learned) from Albus Dumbledore. [Read more…]

I am hard at work on my Enlightening 2007 presentation and distracted by thoughts about Tale of Two Cities which normally would mean a day without a HogPro update. Today, though, it means a special treat, namely an essay by Sally Palmer. You’ll recall that Ms. Palmer pointed me to Florence and Machiavelli for a possible clue about Severus Snape’s motivation. Here she discusses another neglected influence, Evelyn Underhill, and what this writer might tell us about another major character, Albus Dumbledore. Enjoy!

PS: If you have sent me an essay for comment or posting and I have not responded or posted it, please re-send. I am working on three different computers in three different geographical locations — and the cracks through which valuable things are falling are becoming something like canyons. My apologies.

Dumbledore as Christian Mystic: The Head Master who undermines postmodernism and other “mystical mistakes”

By Sally Palmer

July 10, 2007

Over the past few months, I have made several forays into brief studies on the people to whom “Devotion Days” are dedicated on my Episcopal Churchman’s Ordo Kalendar. June 15th was dedicated to someone I’d never heard of, Evelyn Underhill, an English woman (1875-1941), student of ancient mysticism, and –eventually – Anglican spiritual director. So I googled her & found this website: [Read more…]

If you don’t want to stay up until three in the morning to watch all the neat film clips from the sets of Order of the Phoenix, the A&E teevee special “The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter” is now posted on YouTube. Steve Vander Ark of the Lexicon, Janet Batchler of What Will Harry Do?, and your friend, the Hogwarts Professor, make their appearances in between chats with Daniel Radcliffe and gang.

Thanks to Accio Quote Lisa, once again, for this link.

Did anyone tivo or post the interviews I did with Alex Witt on MSNBC 8 July? That was fun, too.