Have at it.

[leftsockarchive]

No more caffeine or sugar for you people!  :)

Okay, seriously.  Honest questions.  All are welcome to comment.  All opinions are respected.

Should Rowling grant or not grant interviews?  Why or why not?

Should Rowling answer questions vaguely, or in detail?  What difference, if any, does it make to you personally?

Do you think Rowling is making things

Comments

[wm_law2003]

I honestly care about stuff that happened pre-books (i.e. about MWPP and Lily) and post-books (marriages, babies, etc.) My feeling is, if something happened during the books (or affected a character while in the books), and if it wasn't mentioned, it's not important. I.e. Dumbledore was gay. Really, if it was important and needed information to understand him as a character, she would have either mentioned it or provided a great big damn anvil so that the vast majority of readers would have picked up on it. otherwise to just mention it now, and as casually as she did, just cheapens it.

[leftsockarchive]

But she said that about DD in response to an honest question--from a young person who probably adores the books and won a ticket to see her and ask a question. If that was Rowling's truthful answer as far as how she pictured the character, how is that cheapened?

And as I asked in the post, would you rather she not give interviews, or that she not answer questions honestly?

I'm just trying to understand how people see it that way. :)

[alissomora]

I've already made a post about it and offered my opinion -- it doesn't bother me one way or the other what she shares and when. I think it's a mix of her having notes she's always had and making things up as she goes along. I don't really think it affects my rereading, although I'll likely pay more attention when I reread DH for the signs!

[leftsockarchive]

Heh, how much attention did you pay in that shop in Provincetown? ;) Sorry, not trivializing your valued comments, but I just had to say that.

[alissomora]

Which shop in particular are you referring to? The sex shop? What thing did I not pay attention to? I honestly don't remember! We went into so many shops there and I looked at lots of stuff :D

[fitzette]

I'll take all the information she gives out, and sort through it myself. They're her books, her characters, her world. She's allowed to do and say whatever she wants, and if people don't like it, well, that's their too bad.

I can't imagine why on earth she'd make anything up. It certainly isn't like she needs publicity or like she's ever bent to anyone's whims before.

Jo has never been anything but wonderful to her fans, generous enough to allow us to even write fanfic in the first place, and it actually infuriates me to see people badmouthing her now.

*climbs off soapbox*

[leftsockarchive]

Stand on your soapbox all you want! (And that is one cute kid you have.) :)

[fitzette]

thanks! I think so too.

[kp_mushu]

I don't have any problems with JKR granting interviews. I like discovering more layers to a favorite character in canon, so I never get sick of reading her interviews. :)

Similarly, detailed answers are my preference now that canon is "closed." I've kept the published books as "canon" in my head and any interview material as "footnotes" or maybe even "extra scenes that never made it." If there's a discrepancy between the two, then canon wins.

Another favorite author of mine has had several characters which she's later "outed" as gay during interviews. I admit when I first read them the thought never crossed my mind, but once she said, "Oh, those two are a couple" it all made sense. I'm not always the most careful reader and sometimes need to be hit over the head, which might be what JKR is doing with the recent revelation about DD.

[leftsockarchive]

I'm with you, M. ;)

[leftsockarchive]

So your impressions have changed? How so?

I do see your point, and it's just my opinion, but I think just about everything she has said makes sense when you look back into the books, except of course for some of the future lives (careers, marriages, etc.)--which are basically wild cards, like Neville hooking up with Hannah. But still, I can see, for example, Luna becoming a naturalist. And hello, purple crushed velvet suit, anyone? ;)

[leftsockarchive]

Thanks for saying that so eloquently. I understand what you're saying. But I also don't really see anything sexually provacative. Controversial, yes. And that says a lot about our society, I think. Anyway, your comments are appreciated. ;)