Comments | savageland: The Observer's Lumos "Article" -- a clarification

savageland

The Observer's Lumos "Article" -- a clarification

Aug 07, 2006 19:53

I've been buried lately in boxes--trying during my one week of vacation-time to finish all the unpacking and sorting and storing left over from my move in early July! ... when I plunged immediately into my new job ... then worked on finishing my paper for Lumos ... But today I received a most interesting e-mail from my friend junewilliams7 letting me know about ( Read more... )

snape-thoughts, fanfic, lumos, rants

Comments 30

waxbean August 8 2006, 05:04:01 UTC

was this your panel? I didn't get to go because I was interviewing folks about male preg! I am so so sorry that I missed it now!

I would love to read a PDF- my email is mary.research@gmail.com

I'm going to go and have a closer look at that news article - this is the first I've heard of it.

Mary

savageland August 9 2006, 06:05:14 UTC

Hi Mary,

I wish I'd met you at Lumos! MPreg, hm? Now, that might have also shocked our intrepid Observer reporter ... ;- )

If you're asking whether my paper was part of the panel about Sycophant Hex and Canon on Saturday--no, this wasn't. It was a stand-alone presentation on Friday afternoon.

I've now sent a PDF copy your way.

junewilliams7 August 8 2006, 05:14:39 UTC

GRRRR!!!! Rotten reporter to not even show up for appointment... and then to misrepresent you and SS-HG fanfic writers and fans!! Nervy so-and-so... trying to make us all look like nitwits... Make Hagrid sit on her... :=(

Yes, I'd love to have a PDF! Forget Ms. Cadwalladr, I'd like to read something intelligent.

savageland August 9 2006, 06:12:43 UTC

A PDF copy of the paper is on its way to you, June!

And now I'm second-guessing myself a bit about that appointment, wondering if Carol was waiting around somewhere, oh, about 100 yards away or so ... standing behind a large potted palm or Hagrid-look-alike or something ... and I *just* missed her ...

Hmmph. Right.

ex_greythist387 August 8 2006, 06:15:06 UTC

Thanks for posting this! I wasn't able to go to Lumos (I'm waiting for Phoenix Rising), but I'm eagerly reading about Lumos where I can. I thought I recognized in the Guardian article a twisted version of the thoughts you posted awhile ago.... It's good to have the presentation's final version to read.

savageland August 9 2006, 06:16:14 UTC

My pleasure, and thanks for this quick bit of feedback! I had to read the Observer/Guardian excerpt twice to see if it resembled in any way, shape, or form what I'd talked about. Still can't see much of a resemblance.

If Phoenix Rising is anything like Lumos, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time there.

ex_greythist387 August 9 2006, 07:25:15 UTC

You might find this post interesting as well....

savageland August 11 2006, 00:13:08 UTC

Indeed. I read this posting just before uploading my paper here, but didn't keep the link ... so many thanks!

novin_ha August 8 2006, 09:10:52 UTC

Thanks, this was a great read! I'm annoyed about the article ever so slightly - because of the tone it takes. Nothing like feeling morally and inteleectually superior, yeah.

I've not seen the Riley debacle, but I've been there during the other two, so it was particularly interesting to read.

I feel bad now - I think I need some gay wizard porn, preferably without the animagi to lift my spirits up, to fit in and be female. ::makes a face to prove maturity::

savageland August 9 2006, 06:20:06 UTC

You've put your finger on one of the problems with the article: the condescending tone. Strange coming from a writer who professes to know almost nothing about the HP books; you'd think the Observer might have sent a reporter with a bit more background!

The Lumos attendees come across as eccentric, lunatic, or downright perverted. Yes, indeed ... bring on that gay wizard porn!

sophierom August 8 2006, 12:47:58 UTC

Sorry about the reporter. But I suppose it's to be expected. (I've become incredibly jaded about journalists. Probably because I once wanted to be one. ;-D) Her job is easier if she doesn't interview you. Far better to have a judgmental snippet about the wackos at the convention than to get at the complexity of the situation! (BAHHH!)

Loved your essay! I particularly enjoyed your analysis of the three fics. I've only read WETiP (a favorite ... probably because it didn't transgress my HG/SS boundaries! And because deeble is a fantastic author). I also appreciated your distinction between "safe" and "supportive." It was very interesting that you compared the communities to consciousness-raising groups. I think the major limitation of WIKTT and other SS/HG groups is that, by focusing on the pairing, we often ignore the individual characters. If I were to continue your consciousness-raising analogy (badly continue it, mind you), I'd say that we were only talking about ourselves in relation to men. So, we might use HG/SS groups as a ( ... )

savageland August 11 2006, 00:32:29 UTC

Dear sophierom ... many thanks for the encouraging feedback! I especially appreciate your comments about the comparison with CR groups. I didn't go as far with that analogy as I'd have liked, so I found your extension of that idea very thought-provoking. I agree about the limitations of the SS/HG community: though quite a range of ideas about gender and power relations could arise, in reality most writers and readers are comfortable with only certain patterns. That's why I found it so fascinating to examine these three stories, for they helped "stake out" the boundaries of trangression, at least from my perspective.