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New J.K. Rowling Interview: Confirms Working on "Scottish Book," Reflects on Dumbledore, Homophobia, Fundamentalism, Future Writing Projects and More
JKR InterviewsJ.K. Rowling has given a new interview with the Edinburgh "Student" newspaper, where the Harry Potter author gives her thoughts on future writing projects, the reaction to the news on Dumbledore's sexuality, religious fundamentalists, and much more. In this lengthy interview, Jo confirms she is indeed compiling information on the "Scottish book," or the encyclopedia involving the world of Harry Potter as she says "...I am working on it in fact. I just don't want to have to work to a deadline, but I am slowly piecing it together." The article mentions that the children's book that Jo is currently working on as well is still not finished and one that is for adults "may never see the light of day at all." Jo declined to elaborate further on these books noting "The minute I say anything, immediately my life becomes more complicated." She does go on to say that she "aways wanted to write a novel about a stand-up comedian. That is not what I am writing though, so if something comes out next week, that's not me, I'm not doing it! But for ages, I've had a real thing about it."
In a wide ranging conversation, Jo gives her thoughts on such things as dealing with depression and the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ("I would recommend it highly"), fame and recognition by her readers ("people coming up to me in Starbucks are always charming, Always") and whether she reads her own books ("The only one I've gone back and re-read since publication is the seventh book which is my favorite.") Jo Rowling also discusses at length two subjects which have generated much conversation among her fans: the repeated attempts of Laura Mallory to have the Harry Potter books banned in Georgia, and the large reaction to the news last October that Jo always felt her character of Professor Dumbledore was a gay man.
Regarding the Harry Potter book banning issue Jo says quote:
"I can cope with a bad review. No one loves a bad review but a useful review is one that teaches you something. But to be honest the Christian Fundamentalist thing was bad. I would have been quite happy to sit there and debate with one of the critics who were taking on Harry Potter from a moral perspective. In a sense we have traded arguments through the media. I've tried to be rational about it. There's a woman in North Carolina or Alabama who's been trying to get the books banned-she's a mother of four and never read them. And then- I'm not lying, I'm not even making fun, this is the truth of what she said-quite recently she was asked [why] and she said 'Well I prayed whether or not I should read them, and God told me no.' Rowling pauses to reflect on the weight of that statement, and her expression one of utter disbelief.
"You see, that is where I absolutely part company with people on that side of the fence, because that is fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is, 'I will not open my mind to look on your side of the argument at all. I won't read it, I won't look at it, I'm too frightened.' That's what's dangerous about it, whether it be politically extreme, religiously extreme...In fact, fundamentalists across all the major religions, if you put them in a room, they'd have bags in common!" she laughs loudly before sobering. "They hate all the same things, it's such an ironic thing."
On the matter of Dumbledore, Jo candidly states the following:
"I had always seen Dumbledore as gay, but in a sense that's not a big deal. The book wasn't about Dumbledore being gay. It was just that from the outset obviously I knew he had this big, hidden secret, and that he flirted with the idea of exactly what Voldemort goes on to do, he flirted with the idea of racial domination, that he was going to subjugate the Muggles. So that was Dumbledore's big secret.
Why did did he flirt with that?" she asks. "He's an innately good man, what would make him do that. I didnt even think it through that way, it just seemed to come to me, I thought 'I know why he did it, he fell in love.' And whether they physically consummated this infatuation or not is not the issue. The issue is love. It's not about sex. So that's what I knew about Dumbledore. And it's relevant only in so much as he fell in love and was made an utter fool of by love. He lost his moral compass completely when he fell in love and I think subsequently became very mistrusting of his own judgment in those matters so became quite asexual. He led a celibate and bookish life."
Clearly some people didn't see it that way. How does she react to those who disagree with a homosexual character in a children's novel? "So what?" she retorts immediately "It is a very interesting question because I think homophobia is a fear of people loving, more than it is of the sexual act. There seems to be an innate distaste for the love involved, which I find absolutely extraordinary. There were people who thought, well why haven't we seen Dumbledore's angst about being gay?" Rowling is clearly amused by this and rightly so. "Where was that going to come in? And then the other thing was-and I had letters saying this-that, as a gay man, he would never be safe to teach in a school."
An air of incredulity descends on the room as if Rowling herself still can not believe this statement. She continues: "He's a very old single man. You have to ask: why is it so interesting? People have to examine their own attitudes. It's a shade of character. Is it the most important thing about him? No, it's Dumbledore for God's sake. There are 20 things that are relavant to the story before his sexuality." Bottom line then: he isn't a gay character; he's a character that just happens to be gay. Rowling concurs wholeheartedly.
You can see scans of this long new interview here in our galleries. Many thanks to Catherine for sending this in! UPDATE The author Adeel Amini let us know he has the article now available on his website in a very clear pdf format- here. Thanks Adeel!
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I think I’m in love with Jo(but not in a gay way : )) She changed my life with Potter books and I just can’t wait for something new. I can already smell the Scottish book!
I would give my soul to dementors for just 5 minutes talking with Jo…
you know what is most disgusting. RDR books forced jk rowling to start working on the encylopedia. she was writing something else for her enjoyment, and a small, vanity press created to publish the unpublishable books of the CEO is twisting her arm, forcing her now to work on the encylopedia.
good interview, but honestly, it will be wonderful when jk rowling can refer to it as the encylopedia, and not the scottish book. we will hopefully know on the 13th. of course the judge no doubt understands he can be disbarred for ruling in RDR’s favor against the law, but that is a whole nother issue.
Matea- I’m the same =)
Can someone pleeeease get a full transcript of this? I tried reading it from the scans but the bottom of the page is missing and I don’t want to read it without being able to read it properly =)
The power of love is amazing… the power of the Dumbledore/Grindlewald relationship is that 1. It caused Dumbledore to lose sight of what was important, and lose his own beliefs if only briefly 2. It cause Grindlewald to surrender to Dumbledore in the most public way possible… bu handing over his wand in front of all sorts of witnesses
I think one of the issues that the public has with Dumbledore’s sexuality is that they wonder how Jo came up with the idea in the first place. Did she sit down and consciously say “I’m going to write a gay character”? If so, they wonder “why?” Or did it just come out of the story?...which, then, brings up the question, “how? What MADE her decide that he was gay?”
Posted by Corey on March 08, 2008 @ 07:51 PM
Sometimes characters just fit together. What made her decide that harry was heterosexual?
The only problem I have is that she said Dumbledore was gay and not just Dumbledore loved Grindelwald.
LMB3-EXCELLENT answer! You hit the nail on the head. :)
Wht can i say man. She’s just so likeable. And im still laughin on that woman in NC
GOD told her, GOD wont give a damn about any stupid, overtly conservative, nut-shelled woman worrying about reading or not reading the book. She probably thought, these books’re so popular, let oppose ‘em n get a teeny weeny bit of fame.
she’s wise, thinks deeply, clever, and she’s pretty too. Who won’t love her???
I don’t, actually, for exactly those reasons: she’s wise, thinks very deeply, and is clever. (I don’t really care one way or the other if she’s pretty, because I’m interested in buying her story and not her nude album.)
I feel that the HP series sends a very disturbing message—or two or three actually, in several different areas of morality including views on sexual minority. A person sending such messages out of ignorance or carelessness, or even bigoted belief is somewhat excusable. Someone as clevery thoughtful as she demonstratively is committing the same offense is another matter entirely. I think it signifies either she meant it or did not care enough to think long and hard about the moral implications of her story in those aspects (in a children’s book no less), both of which strike me as deeply troubling and makes me skeptical of the kind of a person she truly is, despite the joy and admiration I feel in hearing/reading her words. Especially when I see her so vocally present herself as anti-homophobic, or completely fails to get the point of an interviewer when she asks her “why did you closet Dumbledore in your final book?” as she did in a Canadian (I think?) interview.
Raisin_gal, what are you trying to say about JK? It’s just that if you wanna say something, say it outright instead of saying something vague so that nobody can say anything back. What did she do wrong?
@performingmonkey – I agree with everything you said but could never write it as well as you did. Thank you for expressing that opinion! What I like about this fansite is that there are so many open minded people with free wills. It makes me feel like there is hope after all. If only I could meet these people in person rather than just online.
Can’t wait for the Scottish book, really sorry she went through the book banning craziness, good publicity, but just really sad all the same if you think about the fact that there are people being led about by reactionary impulses to the whims of popular culture. That’s not how you’re supposed to do it, you know? :)
How can anyone object to such a fantastic series? Especially one that drops such lovely literary breadcrumbs?
Hmm, she represents the British Labour party and Policy. Well, now Mr Gordon Brown has got a big fish for his own political career.
Raisin_gal, I think I see where you are coming from with this (even though you are being very vaque), but I don’t think that it’s Rowlings job to give an image on how the world should be. Things like this happen. Dumbledore was born somewhere in the 19’th century. I don’t think people responded to kindly to homosexuality in those days. (Often, they still don’t by the way)
Rowling the expert of religious fundamentalism? Finally, we got one. Yeah,yeah, yeah.
Well Yes. If Mr Gordon Brown does not need her any more he will do what each man and politician will do with a useful and naive woman:he will drop her.
She is absolutely right about the fundementalists, they dont read the books they assume that because it has to do with witches and wizards that its witchcraft. And those of us who HAVE read it know perfectly well that they are not pulling us into some cult, we like them because they bring out problems and issues that everyone can relate to and they are very interesting. Its sad that they have to think that way, and pull the word Catholic along with it to make us all look bad.Im catholic and Im sure there are alot of HP fans that are catholic. Im sorry but in my own mind I still dont see Dumbledore as gay, he may have had an infatuation with Grindlewald but I dont think he is gay, I never got that inclination so I just dont think he is a gay man- besides what difference does it make, it has nothing to do with the story of Harry Potter. To tell the Truth I always thought McGonagall and Dumbledore secretly loved each other.
YAY JO!
I always love hwat she says. She’s very articulate and thoughtful. Oh, and I can’t wait for the Scottish Book! Well, I actually CAN wait =). She’s been writing seven books for more than a decade! I think this woman has every right to take her time on the encyclopedia.
More power to you, Jo!
ps: happy bday to mee! LOL
Excellent! Any interview is good. Particularly her comments about fundamentalism. Quite frankly, I think that is one of the roots of the world’s problems. Wish I could read the article in full. Unfortunately one (maybe more) of the scans cut off the bottom line, so my weird detail-obsessed sense of interest drops due to potential and definite confusion over wheteher or not I understand what I’m reading. That make enough sense for ya’?
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Leaky Poll
Who should win the JKR/WB vs RDR lawsuit?
- JKR and WB: The HPL takes too much and adds too little5883 (79%)
- RDR: Lexicons are fair use1222 (16%)
- I'll answer in the comments338 (4%)
excellent interview!