J.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.
I really wish people would take more notice over what was actually stated by Ms Rowling when she stated DD was gay. She did not answer a direct question – read the transcript.
She was asked “did DD ever love?” – she replied “I always thought of him as gay”
There is no corrolation between the answer and question, it was a deliberate set-up. If you ask someone if they have ever loved, they answer yes or no. Then you follow that up with, who did you love?, how did you love? If a person were to ask Ms Rowling, have you ever loved? Would you honestly expect her to answer, “well I’m straight?” No, it’s nonsensical.
It’s nothing to do with homophobia, it’s about an author trying to hold on and dictate her creation and fans of the books objecting to it.
“The Scottish Book” makes me smile. It reminds me of “The Scottish Play” and that-which-must-not-be-named. I’m pretty sure I’m stating the obvious, but I love making connections.
Is Cognitive Behavioral Thearpy related to BF Skinner’s ideas? I guess I’ll google it.
The continuing homophobia in society stems from religious and political influence. e.g. to accept homosexuality is to accept that the Bible is full of crap (to an extent…). It’s all about control.
They don’t want people to accept homosexuality because that would mean feeling a little more free and at ease in terms of attitudes to ALL sexuality. They want the repression, the conflict, the warring, it’s what keeps everything going. They want people to be ‘horrified’ and ‘sickened’ by certain things. They want people to feel bad about sex of any kind, even if it’s only a nagging feeling in the back of your mind.
We live in a world where we see young people harm themselves and commit suicide due to the retarded nature of society. I hate that.
Padfoot, if you’d been there that night like I was, you would know that it came very naturally and didn’t have any indication at all of being a set-up. She didn’t answer a single other question that night with just a simple “yes” or “no” and leave it at that; she was giving detailed answers, and it would have been very obvious once she started talking about Dumbledore falling for Grindelwald that she’d written Dumbledore as a character who had a homosexual relationship, so she just said it outright.
jkr is an amazing writer and i wish that someday i could be able to write as good as her. I wonder if her new book will top the Harry Potter series? No pressure though lol.
I also think that it doesn’t matter if jkr thought Dumbledore to be gay or straight, he would have most likely made the same choices in life, and probably have died the same. So whats more important: Harry saving the magical world or Dumbledore’s homosexuality? The world may never know…
I love JKR’s honesty – that’s definatley one thing I highly value, and I feel honoured and greatful that she is so open and honest with readers.
The books are about Harry. not Dumbledore. Yes, he’s a part of it, but the story focuses on Harry and his interactions with the world. Love is always tricky, and has many different fascets. If you take Love away from Dumbledore, what’s left to make him human?
I can already taste that Scottish book… * drools *
Jo always comes across as such a well-spoken, kind, intelligent woman. (And, I’m sorry, but to some people who still think she said Dumbledore was gay to get more publiclity, please open your eyes and stop kidding yourselves.) Also, it makes me so sad that people like Laura Mallory are so misguided in their faith. :( Jo stated her thoughts about that very nicely.
cool stuff! makes sense to me that she would be working on the “scottish book” she must have enough info to organize to fill up the room of hidden things at Hogwarts and i think those religious yahoos trying to ban HP were nuts all along
Yay!! She’s pittung the Scottish Book together! Gosh, I can’t wait, but take your time Jo, no rush!!
The interview was lovely! Wow, everytime I read a Jo Rowling interview, it just leaves me stunned, she is so so deep. And she has such wonderful strong views on so many issues, love you Jo! Funny about Laura Mallory though, “because God told me”!! I can’t believe there are still people like that in the world!
By the way, other than the Scottish Book, I’m almost as excited about her other book for children. For the life of me I don’t know what a “political fairytale” can be!
I have a couple of relatives who block their children from reading and seeing anything that has to do with the wonderful world of Harry Potter and myself and my mother (who also adores HP and keeps the books constantly in supply in her classroom) think its simply crazy. You have to take HP for what it is – a really great story that was written so wonderfully that you stay entranced in the story for seven novels. Very few stories can capture your attention beyond their single novel let alone a full seven.
As far as for Dumbledore’s sexuality, for me, it doesn’t matter if he’s gay, straight or a pumpkin. To me he will always be Albus Dumbledore, a man who did great things, whom I wish could be my grandfather cause he kicks some serious ass. His sexuality doesn’t change the stories. They don’t change what happened in them, what the outcome was, or his love for Harry. He loved Harry like a grandfather, and I was half hoping he would turn out to be his grandfather in the end (cause I’m a girl and I’m a sap like that). Dumbledore fell in love the same way that everyone else does in the world, the person he fell in love with just made him question what he wanted for the world and cause horrible disasters for his family. He more than made up for his mistakes with Grindewald in his adulthood. I think JKR put it best. He isn’t a gay character. He’s just a character who happens to be gay.
After all, if the question was never asked, and we never found out, he’d still be gay even if we knew or not.
I don’t think Dumbledore’s sexuality matters nearly as much as his other characteristics matter. However, his love matters hugely, in Rowling’s morality-laden fairlytale.
I am very saddened by the fact that her choice in writing this saga about the destructive and world-saving powers of love was to place only two examples of the former in the text, and that those two are an ugly and unworthy woman’s love for a beautiful yet lesser-abled man (which engendered Voldemort) and the only instance of gay love we’re given throughout the whole series (Dumbledore almost going with Grindelwald). Meanwhile we see at least two extremely prominent instances of heterosexual love helping World Salvation (Snape and James’ love for Lily).
Even if there were some aspects of DH that I felt could have been narrated better if she cared enough about them, I still think that Rowling is an absolutely amazing writer. Which is what makes me all the more upset about her choosing to imbue this beautiful story with such a disquieting message. If it all just “came to her” that’s fine, but I wish she had at least had the courtesy to reflect on what it all means and plant some cases that diffused this dichotomy among the many romances that she introduced.
"Dumbledore thinks that -- what was [br]it? -- 'to
the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"[br]
"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.
I really wish people would take more notice over what was actually stated by Ms Rowling when she stated DD was gay. She did not answer a direct question – read the transcript.
She was asked “did DD ever love?” – she replied “I always thought of him as gay”
There is no corrolation between the answer and question, it was a deliberate set-up. If you ask someone if they have ever loved, they answer yes or no. Then you follow that up with, who did you love?, how did you love? If a person were to ask Ms Rowling, have you ever loved? Would you honestly expect her to answer, “well I’m straight?” No, it’s nonsensical.
It’s nothing to do with homophobia, it’s about an author trying to hold on and dictate her creation and fans of the books objecting to it.