February 15, 2011
“Is Dumbledore Gay? Who’s to Say?” reprinted in The Philosophers’ Magazine
Tamar Szabó Gendler’s chapter in The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy, “Is Dumbledore Gay? Who’s to Say?” was reprinted in The Philosophers’ Magazine.
On October 19, 2007, before a packed audience at Carnegie Hall in New York City, J. K. Rowling made a remarkable announcement. In response to a question about whether Dumbledore had ever been in love, she announced that she had “always thought of Dumbledore as gay.”
Responses fell into three categories. Some readers were delighted by the news. Others were dismayed. But the most interesting type of response was the third. These readers responded to the declaration by challenging Rowling’s authorial authority. “Unless she decides to write Book Eight, Ms. Rowling has missed her chance to impart any new information about any of the Harry Potter characters. If the series is truly at an end, then the author no longer possesses the authority to create new thoughts, feelings, and realities for those characters,” wrote one reader.
What we face here is a version of what philosophers call the problem of truth in fiction. Are there facts about what is true in the world of a story, and if so, what determines those facts? We can start with a simple two-part proposal: what’s true in the world of Harry Potter are (a) all and (b) only those things that appear on 4,100 pages that together compose the Harry Potter volumes.
Read the full chapter at The Philosophers’ Magazine.
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November 19, 2010
Deathly Hallows and Ron’s insecurity on ABC News
Jealousy is an emotion Ron knows well. “For years, Ron has been chronically jealous of Harry. who’s famous, rich and glamorous, with all the girls crazy about him,” said [Gregory] Bassham. “We’ve seen, over several books, that Ron lacks confidence. And he’s always suspected that Harry has this thing for Hermione.”
“There’s also the issue of inferiority,” said Anne Collins Smith, a professor of philosophy and classical studies at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. “Ron is the middle child, overshadowed by his older brothers, and by Harry, who’s The Boy Who Lived.”
Smith, whose essays in “The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy” explore feminism and the power of love, also said Ron may feel that Hermione sees Harry as more attractive.
Read the whole article at ABC News / Entertainment.
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November 18, 2010
RIDIKULUS: Review of The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy
Calm yourself, young Muggle! This is not just a simple children’s tale! You can’t just saunter in, clueless and innocent! Petrificus Totalus! Now that I’ve petrified your body, you must know that there is a deeper message and questions to be answered. Is death something to be mastered? Is love the most powerful magic of all? Is it legal yet to think that Ron Weasley is a sexy ginger beast? Thankfully, an elite team of philosophers explains it all, exploring the philosophy behind all seven Potter books.
Read the whole review at the Montreal Mirror.
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November 9, 2010
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy contests
Over on Twitter, we’re giving away four copies of The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy to celebrate the release of the first Deathly Hallows movie! We’ll have four trivia questions, and chose the winners from among those who give the correct answers.
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy also made a list of Christmas Gifts for the Wizard or Witch in Your Home.
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September 27, 2010
Express Night Out reviews The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy
J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series raises a lot of weighty questions: Is death truly the end? Is love the most powerful force of all? What does violence do to your soul? If the answers eluded you, however, The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles has your back.
Read the full review at the Washington Post’s Express Night Out.
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August 26, 2010
Magical Menagerie on The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy
[The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy] explores many of the themes that are present in the Harry Potter books, such as morality, choice, freedom, racism, love and the soul in a fun way by relating them to Harry Potter. [...] The book even pointed out a few things that I, a Harry Potter encyclopedia as some friends call me, had never noticed before. So that is definitely a bonus! Most of the contributors for this book definitely know their Potter and it shows in their understanding and love of JK Rowling’s wonderful world.
Read the full review on Magical Menagerie.
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