She is, of course, something of a Francophile (being part French on the mother’s side) but who knew that she is the second member of her family to be elected to France’s Legion of Honor? Now she stands among such giants of honor and artistry as Jerry Lewis and Stephen Spielberg. Read the whole story here.
In news of equal interest and importance to serious readers (?), the pub where Ms. Rowling penned much of Philosopher’s Stone and the Cinderella legend was born, Nicolson’s Cafe, is for sale. The owners offered it to her for a mere million pounds sterling but she decided against it. Maybe we should take up a collection and make a bid.
In giving JKR the award, Sarkozy said:
“Thanks to this internationally renowned saga, you have contributed to giving young people the taste for reading again,” Sarkozy said before pinning the Legion of Honor medal on her. “With you, they understand that reading is not punishment, but a source of pleasure.”
Even those who don’t “get” the books seem to “get” the fact that JKR did something good and noble for humanity.
I’ve never understood the French thing for Jerry Lewis. It’s sort of like Leonid Brezhnev and Chuck Connors:
http://rifleman-branded.com/leonid_brezhnev.htm