I complain too often that the world needs a critical biography of J. K. Rowling, one for which the Boswell has researched her personal history thoroughly and professionally, by which I mean “paid private investigators to find ‘Michael’ of Exeter and Manchester among other pertinent Lake facts.” I have thought, incorrectly it turns out, that there hasn’t been even an attempt at a biography worthy of note since Sean Smith’s in 2003.
Search Amazon.com’s book section for ‘J. K. Rowling Biography’ and begin scrolling; there are five pages of attempts. I’m not sure any qualify for “worthy of note” status as most seem to be Kindle exploitation pieces, but at least biographers are aware that Rowling is a hot topic whose life-story and its relation to her work has not been told.
The surest evidence of this is the report from Kirkus Reviews of a book going to press soon: ‘Biography of J.K. Rowling Coming in 2025.’
The good news? A real publisher has paid a professional biographer to write a 0ne volume history of Rowling’s life and its relation to her work. It’s titled A Pen to Change the World: The Life of J. K. Rowling, it weighs in at 384 pages, and the publication date is February 2025. The author, Solomon Schmidt, has written the biography of another controversial figure, Alan Dershowitz, and hosts the ‘History Bites’ Youtube channel. The publisher’s page for the book has this blurb:
The only complete biography of the most famous author in the world.
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter saga is the best-selling book series in history. Through her numerous books, the blockbuster films based on her work, and her ground-breaking charities, she has touched the hearts and lives of millions of people the world over. And yet, following her extremely controversial public stance on gender issues, Rowling became a pariah in circles that once welcomed her with open arms.
Rowling’s profoundly compelling life is a story of triumph over failure, defiance in the face of authoritarianism, and the redemptive power of love. Drawing on exhaustive research, wunderkind author Solomon Schmidt has told her story in full for the first time.
The bad or not especially encouraging news?
When the blurb says “wunderkind,” that’s a spin of the fact the author is twenty years old. The book is priced at $32.99, which, even factoring in inflation and the length of the book, is a stretch. And Skyhorse Publishing is not a Big Five publishing house. The openly leftist reporter for Kirkus Reviews felt obliged to throw some shade their way:
Skyhorse is one of the most controversial publishers in the U.S. It published a memoir by filmmaker Woody Allen, who has been accused of sexually abusing his daughter Dylan Farrow, after the book was dropped by Hachette. It has also published books by presidential candidate and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and through its recently acquired imprint Regnery, has released titles by right-wing U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
I’m going to be buying a copy for three reasons: (1) maybe Solomon Schmidt found Michael!, (2) the author wrote to me as he began this journey to ask if I’d be willing to answer questions he had while writing the book and we have corresponded off and on consequently (he seems like a nice guy); and (3) I need to learn as much as possible about Rowling’s history because the Fourth Generation of ‘Rowling Studies’ is going to be ‘Lake’ heavy compared to the first three. If I start saving now, I should be able to pay for it come February!
Post: Yes, I promised a post on Supper at Emmaus today. My keyboard failed on that longish post (no joke), which piece may wind up as a Substack site mailing to subscribers. Stay tuned!
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