Hogwarts Professor

Next weekend I travel across the eastern border of Oklahoma for an academic conference, ‘Literature of the Hidden and Fantastic,’ at the University of Arkansas, Ft. Smith (UAFS). The woman in charge, Carly Darling, Conference Chair, has put together a remarkable gathering of scholars to discuss “all aspects of fantasy, magic realism, fairy tales and folk tales, and in particular, their more arcane or enigmatic qualities and/or structures.” To that end, she invited both the Rev Dr Michael Ward, author of Planet Narnia and expert on the esoteric artistry of C. S. Lewis, and me to give the conference’s two Keynote lectures. My talk is called ‘Writing in Rings: The Literary Alchemy and Inkling Artistry of Harry Potter.’

I have heard Michael Ward’s talk on the astrological symbolism of Lewis’ Narniad twice and traveled significant distances to do so. My copy of Planet Narnia is almost unreadable because of the highlighting, underlining, and marginalia; very few books of literary criticism have been as helpful to me as has Ward’s. If you haven’t heard him speak or if you want to ask him questions about his magisterial work on Lewis’ oeuvre, I hope I will see you there. It’s an experience worth the trip for all serious readers, believe me, not just Narniacs.

In addition to his talk and mine, there will be more than 20 other talks about authors covering the spectrum from Lewis and Rowling to Sartre, Stiefvater, Tolkien, and O’Connor. Really into the Hogwarts Saga? Seven of these talks explore the artistry and meaning of Harry’s adventures, one by the Rev Dr Danielle Tumminio, author of God and Harry Potter at Yale. Check out the schedule and slate of speakers here — then sign up at the conference’s registration page!

The Features Editor at The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sent me five questions this morning about what I’ll talking about at the conference and about imaginative literature in general. My answers are after the jump. Please introduce yourself at the conference or just say hello if an old friend — and let me know where I went wrong with my answers, there or in the comment boxes!