I’m on my way! There is an ‘Author’s Event’ this afternoon where a bunch of the Gilderoys of the Potter Pundit set will gather for conversation, to sign autographs, and, I’m told, to have our pictures taken with fans. [I’m hoping (with everyone else) that I can get my picture taken with Melissa Annelli.] Tomorrow afternoon, I’m scheduled to give a Featured Presentation on the ‘Eyes of Deathly Hallows.’ Fortunately or unfortunately, online and on their printed programs, I’m scheduled opposite a Keynote talk by the Order of the Phoenix screenwriter and a literary talk by Karin Westman, the Chairman of the KSU English department. I may join the crowds and no-show my own talk to sit in on the others!
The highlight of the event promises to be seeing HogPro All-Pros in attendance and Potterdelphians. I’ve already contacted and made dates with Toni and David Gras and with Boston Nadja. I hope the rest of you folks who will be there will give me a shout out so we can have our photos taken with the WRock stars and online celebrities of Fandom!
So, are you going to be wearing the same sort of clothing as Gilderoy? That would make you stand out in a crowd. 🙂
Hope your talk is well attended.
Oh, yes. Sapphire and silver robes with a gold bow tie. Don’t forget to buy Tooth Twinkle (“Guarantees a Brilliant Smile!”). 😉
I also hope your talk is well-attended. Such scheduling seems, like MacGonagall’s hat, to be, uh, pointed…
John, thank you so much for your wonderful talk at LeakyCon. I am sure the scheduling problem was an honest mistake and not a “pointed” slighting of you. I am a minor Leaky staff member in the Lily and Stag reading groups, and several of us attended your presentation with great pleasure. Although I’m sure you understand this from the good turnout and enthusiastic response to your lecture, I wish to reiterate how much we LeakyCon folks appreciate your work and your effort to be with us this weekend.
Thank you, MerryThought!
I am just back from Leaky Con where I learned a lot, made many new friends, and had a great time catching up with some true believers. I hope to write something longer here tomorrow about the great time I had and what a wonderful show they put on — but for tonight, let me just post this quick ‘thank you’ to Kadi, the Academic Programming goddess, for all she did both to convince me to come to Leaky Con and to make my experience there a delight start to finish.
There is no HogPro/Leaky animus or ill feeling, if my time there and the many Leaky regulars who welcomed and spoke with me are any indication, and, if anything, the gang there went too far in their efforts to make me feel like Gilderoy visiting Flourish and Blotts. My swollen head made it hard getting into the car for the long drive home.
Thank you to the Leaky Con staff for their several kindnesses to me and for putting on a professional and fun convention for serious readers and whole hog WRockers!
More tomorrow (on meeting Lev Grossman and Melissa Anelli at the Author’s Event and other preconception shattering moments…) — stay tuned!
What a gracious response, MerryThought. I apologize for my ungracious insinuation.
Thudders has stalked off disgusted with me…
I most heartily assure you (well, as heartily as a slytherin can bear) there was no slight at all intended. It was simply an oversight on my own part to catch the glitch on the schedule after it’s 20th revision, lol. Believe me we worked on it up until quite literally the last minute before it went to the printer!
Will do better for round 2, 2011 😉
Kadi (Academic Programming Hussy)
P.S. I was quite astonished this screen name had not been nabbed 😛
Hi. Like Lisa (merrythought (hi there)) I am a minor Leaky staffer too, also in the Reading Groups.
John, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with you at lunch. I was the mom who talked about reading your book. I was unable to be at your session as I was staffing the information/registration table but I am very sorry I missed it.
I just wanted to tell you how much meeting and speaking with you at lunch meant to me and thank you again for talking with me.
Also, we were told that you had a pretty full house for your session, and from what I heard from those who were there, it was a shame I missed it.
I would like to thank the Leaky staff as well for taking care of some of the challenging changes in presentation schedules and last minute changes to conference room locations. Kadi, you were a great hostess!
The enthusiasm for the formal presentations at LeakyCon was outstanding!
Many of the talks were so well attended we couldn’t fit everybody into the room!!
HogPro family you gotta love this! John’s talk was scheduled at the same time as the Keynote of the day being Michael Goldenberg, the Screenwriter of Order of the Phoenix which Toni and I had to report on for Harry Potter Fan Zone. Toni and I are thinking, “How could they do this to John?” and place his talk opposite the big “Hollywood” ticket of the day. Well, we finish our work on Michael Goldenberg in the Ballroom about half way through and run up to catch the latter half of John’s talk and found John’s conference room filled without an empty seat, STANDING ROOM ONLY!!!!!
Great talk on the Deathly Hallows symbolism John. Many of the attendees were on their feet at the conclusion of the session. Wish all of the HogPros could have been there to share in the moment.
David and Toni Gras
Harry Potter Fan Zone
Hello. This is my first time posting on HogPro, but have been a HogPro fan since I first read Looking for God in Harry Potter over five years ago. My own work regarding the HP series (using the series as a way to inspire and encourage one’s faith journey) grew out of that reading, so it was with great anticipation that I went to LeakyCon 09 (my FIRST ever HP conference) to present some of my own work as well as to get to listen to HogPro.
Imagine my great joy and pleasure as not only getting to MEET and finally listen in person to HogPro, but to also have the opportunity to be fully embraced and welcomed by not only HogPro but the HogPro community as well (THANKS David, Toni and Boston Nadja for graciously allowing me to share in the time you all had with HogPro while we were in Boston). It was a most wonderful weekend, and I am so very glad that I went!
As for HogPro’s presentation, needless to say, it was MOST excellent! Although there was the “scheduling situation,” it did not detract in the least from the presentation, and THANKS to the graciousness of the presenter who was scheduled to follow after HogPro, John was able to talk about his ideas and thoughts formally and informally to a crowd of over 120 for almost TWO hours! Even then, the folks STILL didn’t want to leave! Think HogPro could have gone on for at least another hour, but had to wrap it up at some point…anyway, the result was that all of HogPro’s books were SOLD OUT in less than 10 minutes and people were lined up for autographs. It was most WONDERFUL result to witness!
So I have to say again how AWESOME my experience was! Now that I am committed to figuring out and participating more fully in this online community stuff, I am looking forward to more conversations similar to the stimulating and intellectually engaging ones I had in Boston.
This is wonderful news, John. I am glad your presentation at LeakyCon was a success. I have read all of your books, which are brilliant, and can honestly say that you deserve all of the adulation. Please tell us more about your visit to Boston.
I am looking forward to hearing you speak at Azkatraz, and I am also hoping to get an autographed copy of “Harry Potter’s Bookshelf.” I’d like everyone here at hogwartsprofessor.com to know that I am a presenter at Azkatraz also. My event is at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, and I would like to invite you all to come to hear it. It is about common themes in Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. You can read more about it at my blog: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com. This is a new blog for my book, “The Lord of the Hallows.” Everyone is invited to visit it and leave a comment. Thanks!
It sounds like everything went very well, John. But then, none of us are really surprised. I’m always interested to read (or listen) to your ideas and thoughts about HP. You always make me think, and I’m sure that was the case with your full house.
Wow! You didn’t tell us that they actually got a two hour session! That’s great.
I’m looking forward to HP’s Book Shelf. July 7?
And welcome, to all the new posters. Always nice to have people join us here at our comfortable home.
Pat
I second Pat and also welcome all new posters. I look forward to your contributions and insights here at HogPro.