Before we start, a Christmas story to pull you out of the post-feast ennui: the reason for the season.
Okay, back to the usual stuff.
I think we’ve had enough end-of-year recognition from other sources that Harry Potter was a big part of the cultural landscape this year. How about we end our year here with a list of what we thought the biggest Potter stories of 2007 were?
My nominations, in rough order of media frenzy and with links to our discussions of each, are:
(1) Publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows;
(2) Release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the movie;
(3) The Open Book Tour with its Carnegie Hall Revelations;
(4) Tales of Beadle the Bard auctioned for charity;
(4) Ms. Rowling cum aliis blocks publication of The Harry Potter Lexicon;
(5) Spoiler Texts released the week before Deathly Hallows officially published;
(6) Ms. Rowling announces title of seventh book;
(7) Bloomsbury/Scholastic release Cover Art for Deathly Hallows;
(8) Publication Date for Deathly Hallows made public; and
(10) Ms. Rowling discusses Christian content of novels.
#10, alas, really wasn’t a media splash at all, as you know, except here where we had a small but private celebration. Another HogPro All-Pro ‘Members Only’ media event was #37 on the real media event list (just after something about Rupert Grint’s feelings about taking exams):
(37) Ms. Rowling’s 1998 ‘alchemy interview’ discovered.
Please re-arrange that list as you like and add the news stories that have slipped my mind in my end of year mental fog…
Tomorrow, to commemorate our first anniversary, my list of the Best Posts and Conversations at HogwartsProfessor in 2007. Stay tuned!
John, please ignore the first send, I accidentally clicked send.
Dang Fullatricks…Now for the complete answer:
John, I think you got it very well,; here are my adjustments below:
(1) Publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows;
(2) Release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the movie;
(3) Deathly Hallows sells 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours of release, breaking all publishing records.
(4) Rowling discusses Christian content of novels
(It might not have made a big media splash, but MTV covered it and their youth audience is huge; also she’s spoken and is speaking quite frankly about it in other interviews, including Time magazine, after years of silence. Therefore, to me, this is a top story.)
(5) The Open Book Tour with its Carnegie Hall Revelations;
(6) Tales of Beadle the Bard auctioned for charity;
(7) Spoiler Texts released the week before Deathly Hallows officially published; major Potter websites refuse to release spoilers.
(7) Deathly Hallows is reviewed before publication, infuriating fans.
(8) Ms. Rowling announces title of seventh book;
(9) Bloomsbury/Scholastic release Cover Art for Deathly Hallows;
(10) Publication Date for Deathly Hallows made public;
(11) Ms. Rowling cum aliis blocks publication of The Harry Potter Lexicon; (I just don’t think this had the rabid fan impact or import of the others.)
(12) Lev Grossman proved wrong AGAIN
(True, not a news story, but he represents all those “nothing Christian about HP” Anton Egos with egg on their faces, whose swas WAS published.)
(12) John Granger proved right about alchemy and Christian content; (this should be a news story!)
(13) Deathly Hallows published in 64 (I think) languages.
Kitties speak a secret language, but they never provide lexicons…