In The News
JKR/WB vs. RDR Books Trial: "Fan Feud", from The New Yorker
NewsTim Wu in an article for The New Yorker looks at the events leading up to the trial, speaks to Steve Vander Ark, and compares J.K. Rowling to the mythical Athena:
“Once upon a time, a talented weaver named Arachne declared herself superior in skill to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who also invented weaving. Whether Arachne was actually better we’ll never know, for Athena, in a jealous rage, destroyed her rival’s tapestry and turned her into a spider. Last summer, at a “Harry Potter” convention in Toronto, a fan named Steve Vander Ark made a similar mistake when he dared to compare himself to Joanne (J. K.) Rowling.”
Wu describes what led Vander Ark to create the Lexicon website, and notes that Vander Ark has suffered “cruel fates” as a result of the lawsuit:
“In the late nineties, while working as a children’s librarian in Byron Center, Michigan (pop. 3,777), he discovered the “Potter” series. He began to take notes and, by his own estimate, has read each of the books forty or fifty times. “Something about these detailed imaginative worlds just captivated me,” he said during a court recess.
In 2000, Vander Ark, who considers himself a Ravenclaw, turned his obsessive notes into a Web site, The Harry Potter Lexicon. Soon, he was a celebrity in the “Potter” community. But when he decided to turn his Web site into a book Rowling sued his publisher, effectively exiling him from the wizard community.”
Wu also notes Leaky webmistress Melissa Anelli’s presence in the court room:
Anelli is writing her own “Potter” book, with Rowling’s blessing, and during a break in the trial Rowling sought her out and gave her a warm embrace, a moment that might have been as difficult for Vander Ark as any part of the legal proceedings.
“Melissa has done more to hurt me than Rowling,” Vander Ark said during a recess. “I can’t blame her for liking her status.” After all, he said, Rowling “is God and Melissa is her prophet.” He went on, “I am an outcast now. But I still consider myself a ‘Harry Potter’ fan.”
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Editor’s Note: In the above-mentioned article, Mr. Wu attributed several statements made during a recent PotterCast (number 148) to Melissa Anelli (“He is vilified now”, “He has ruined his good standing.”). These remarks were instead made by Leaky Editor Sue Upton, who was commenting on the impact the decision to publish the book has made upon Vander Ark’s reputation.
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“You have to be fair and remember that we all probably frequented his site in its hey-day. Don’t kick him while he’s down – the lawsuit probably hit him as a total surprise and he’s got his reasons for defending it. He put a lot of work into what he did. An atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalogue everything in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rowling’s going to win, but don’t turn Steve into a villain just because in this one thing he’s in a disagreement with your favorite author.
Posted by DEEPIKA on May 07, 2008 @ 02:27 PM “
Um, didn’t someone already say this a while back? Is this the SVA supporter form comment?
“You have to be fair and remember that we all probably frequented his site in its hey-day. Don’t kick him while he’s down – the lawsuit probably hit him as a total surprise and he’s got his reasons for defending it. He put a lot of work into what he did. An atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalogue everything in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rowling’s going to win, but don’t turn Steve into a villain just because in this one thing he’s in a disagreement with your favorite author.
Posted by DEEPIKA on May 07, 2008 @ 02:27 PM “
The lawsuit could hardly have hit him by surprise – RDR and SVA got plenty of requests to cease and desist on the plan to publish the book prior to the case being taken to court. He’s hitting out at the very people that made his site a sucess in the first place – the fans.
The fact that Jo has given her blessing to Melissa’s book speaks volumes – Jo is quite happy for books to be written that discuss and review her original work and characters, but she objects to plagerism. And who can blame her?
This type of article is just infuriating. I literally just listed to the Pottercast discussing the trial last night, and Wu’s facts are so slanted. Some facts are just wrong. It’s a good thing the article wasn’t open to comments.
I am firmly on the side of SVA and RDR. While we all love the books and J.K.Rowling, we can’t delude ourselves into just believing whatever comes from her mouth. I am sick of the worship; she is a human being and has no right, currently, to stop SVA’s book being published. There is simply no chance she will win this case, and RDR is going to win by a landslide. Consider simular trials; most have been won by the “RDRs” of those cases.
People need to get a grip on reality with this case.
Oh, come one, Mollywobbles. “SVA supporter form”? All the bullying makes my stomach hurt, and what is it – ten? twenty? – comments supporting (or being neutral to) SVA/RDR out over 280?
I just wish that everyone would please try to remember that SVA is real, not fictional, and that he disagrees with one of your favourite authors on a couple of things. He hasn’t killed anyone, for Pete’s sake.
I sure hope he’s staying away from these pages. I can’t imagine how all these mean, spiteful comments would affect me, if I were in his position. Even if you have a disagreement with someone you thought you had reason to trust, even if you are right, and the other person is to blame, this is not the way to behave.
Bullying? Pointing out that they said almost exactly, if not exactly, what someone else said? What else am I supposed to think other than it’s a comment box form letter?
@ elvine,
you’re totally right, he “hasn’t killed anyone, for Pete’s sake.” ...but i look at what he’s doing as very petty, uncreative, and nothing short of stealing. you’re right to say that everyone ought to keep this in perspective, but if it were my work he was re-writing and publishing for profit, i’d feel incredibly violated. wouldn’t anyone?
Mollywobbles: It’s not as if the same arguments (for and against, mostly against, RDR/SVA) hasn’t been repeated over and over again in comments regarding this case. Why do you find it provoking now?
No, you weren’t bullying anyone by pointing that out, of course. What I meant was that there are severe bullying going on at this site at this moment, and that is wrong no matter how angry or let down anyone might feel.
Sean wrote:
if it were my work he was re-writing and publishing for profit, i’d feel incredibly violated. wouldn’t anyone?
No, I don’t think I would. Apparently not all authors would either, as we have seen in previous news posts. I understand that some people would, though. And that is their right, and it is also their right to defend those views.
I find bullying and destructive group mentality the lowest, worst kind of human social interaction. That is violating, to humanity. We are better than that.
Elvine,
It was the exact same thing as this (on the first page):
“You have to be fair and remember that we all probably frequented his site in its hey-day. Don’t kick him while he’s down – the lawsuit probably hit him as a total surprise and he’s got his reasons for defending it. He put a lot of work into what he did. An atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalogue everything in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rowling’s going to win, but don’t turn Steve into a villain just because in this one thing he’s in a disagreement with your favorite author.
Posted by Diaperchangindaddy on May 05, 2008 @ 09:26 PM “
“You have to be fair and remember that we all probably frequented his site in its hey-day. Don’t kick him while he’s down – the lawsuit probably hit him as a total surprise and he’s got his reasons for defending it. He put a lot of work into what he did. An atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalogue everything in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rowling’s going to win, but don’t turn Steve into a villain just because in this one thing he’s in a disagreement with your favorite author.
Posted by DEEPIKA on May 07, 2008 @ 02:27 PM “
Those aren’t just the same points. They’re the exact same words.
Elvine,
Bullying goes both ways. It seems to me everyone is so quick to point out any negative comments about Steve, but everyone has the right to say “JKR is just being greedy she has enough money.” Yes, I agree Steve is a real person and personal attacks on his appearance, family life, etc. are unwarranted. However, I feel this article has some pretty petty personal remarks about two real people Melissa and JKR made by Steve “Rowling is a God, and Melissa is her prophet.” That is a pretty degrading comment and it belittles JKR and espescially Melissa who he once called friend. When you make those types of comments you open yourself up to personal attacks. Its the Golden Rule “treat others as you would like to be treated.”
Re: Comment posted by mollywobbles23 on May 07, 2008 @ 5:15 p.m.
I’m trying to pull a constructive argument out of this train of thought that relates to the Articles, so bear with me. It would be okay, if “DEEPIKA” and “Diaperchangindaddy” were the same person? Otherwise, “DEEPIKA” should have cited “Diaperchangindaddy” properly.
Deepika must surely be a dedicated SVA fan, as he’s even taken to imitating SVA’s cut-and-paste writing style!
Sorry, just found that funny, and I couldn’t help myself. :-P
I am firmly in the belief that SVA and RDR are in the wrong here. In regards to this particular article, however, I still haven’t made my mind up on how valid it is. Commenters have pointed out some of the errors in Mr. Wu’s article, so it’s quite possible that he misrepresented what SVA was saying. Or at least I hope so. Wu is the one who mentions that the embrace between Rowling and Melissa might have stung SVA, SVA never claims that. I don’t know, just seems like the whole thing should be taken with a grain of salt.
I guess I’m surprised, because I felt that SVA came across as likeable during the trial transcripts (though I disagree with what he said, and I think he seemed confused on a lot of basic points about his own book, I mean that he didn’t come across as someone being malicious or intending harm, and who sincerely wishes that none of this had happened), and the feeling I get from this article is the absolute opposite. Though I suppose that it’s possible SVA was actively trying to come across well in court for the judge’s sake, but…. Like I said, I just don’t know. Too inconsistent.
“Yeah, it’s kind of like teaching but teaching has to deal with the consequences of what they did yesterday.”
Posted by Cat on May 07, 2008 @ 12:22 PM
Ouch! You know, I’m finishing school now, and I decided in the past month or so to pursue a career in teaching rather than journalism. Your assessment of the two careers makes me think I made the right choice.
One thing I’ve learned as a Potter fan is how commonplace it is for respectable newspapers and magazines to get their facts wrong. This most recent example from the New Yorker is particularly egregious, with its misattributed quotations and its unquestioning acceptance of a highly questionable explanation of the lawsuit. (Namely, that Jo sued RDR because she was angry over Steve’s criticisms of the epilogue, etc., and that Melissa’s book was spared a similar fate because she kisses up to Jo.) But frankly I don’t know if I’ve EVER read an article about Potter that doesn’t get at least SOMETHING wrong. And that makes me wonder how many other false things I read every day without knowing any better. I’m certainly a more skeptical consumer of news and commentary than I used to be.
Dumledweed:
Yes, if those comments by SVA are true, they are rather nasty. He is one person, however, and he is clearly under great pressure. His statements, true or not, are no excuse for hundreds of comments about how disgusting he and/or his statements are, how he has no talent, how his work could have been done by anyone etc.
One of the major justifications for bullying is that a group decides that a certain individual deserves what s/he gets. That s/he is below them. Very ugly mechanisms indeed.
Yeah that’s it Steve, don’t just go against Jo, go against Melissa too. That will REALLY get the fandom on your side…
Elvine dear, you have to understand that the “group mentality” argument has some flaws when one forms the basis of the theory on a web site DEVOTED to Harry Potter. Of course the majority of people here are going to side with Jo. That is obvious. It is also incorrect of you to assume that because the majority of us have the same opinion, that we have also lost common sense. No one is going to be stoned here. No one is being bullied. Steve is not being forced to do anything. He is an adult (though I have yet to see actual evidence of it) and he has to realize that he may be unpopular because of his actions. I have the right not to have pity on him and the right to say that I am GREATLY disappointed in him. I am not going to hurt to him (only jokingly- dry humor is a curse, you know), but the last time I checked, it was o.k. to form an opinion about things and then gasp say them.
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You have to be fair and remember that we all probably frequented his site in its hey-day. Don’t kick him while he’s down – the lawsuit probably hit him as a total surprise and he’s got his reasons for defending it. He put a lot of work into what he did. An atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalogue everything in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rowling’s going to win, but don’t turn Steve into a villain just because in this one thing he’s in a disagreement with your favorite author.