Tim 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.”
*
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.
What you are about to read might sound negative and maybe hostile, but it’s my honest opinion…
Articles like this are deceiving and they frustrate me so much! Mr. Wu wouldn’t mention that Melissa’s book is not a bunch of plagiarized ripped-off quotes from JK Rowling! He doesn’t mention her book actually is a product of her creative mind for which reason she has Jo’s blessing! And of course Jo would hug her supporters, Melissa and any other supporter! She would hug Steve VA as well if he wasn’t acting like such a greedy git and having a law suit against her! This article is a bunch of crap yellow journalism! It’s deceiving and disgusting. Also, if SVA made that remark, I guess it’s his own opinion… An opinion based on God knows what, because I would bet ANYTHING that Melissa has done nothing to hurt him. And, if he is hurt by the dissolution of the Floo Network or people having negative feelings towards his stand, then he should know he brought that upon himself; it’s all consequences of his actions and he’s a coward for pinpointing anything on Melissa. He could have done the right thing, re-write the book abiding to the copyright laws and Jo’s rights, but no, he decided be stubborn and fight for what? I thought he had an analytical mind and he would be more intelligent than this. It disgusts me… I think this book is motivated by greed and I think that RDR Books and SVA are using the trial in (unlikely) hopes of winning and using it as marketing for his unlawful and corrupted piece of literature. That’s SAD!!! Why can’t he rely on his own creative work like the great example of Jo who CREATED Harry Potter herself, or Melissa who CREATED the narrative of her experience of the Harry Potter fandom and make rightful profit off that? What SVA wants to do is parasitical; he took Jo’s creation, chopped it up, put it in alphabetical order, repackaged it and expects to sell it. He did not give the due credit to Jo and he did not produce much creative literature of his own, so to sell it would be immoral and unfair to Jo. We’ll see if it is considered illegal in a court of law, but it’s definitely dishonest.
Melissa: HUGE props to you for doing your book the right way because YES, the right way is almost always the harder way, but it’s the one that in the end tastes the sweetest. You better do a tour! and I want a big hug and your autograph on my copy of your book.
Leaky staff: THANKS for the professionalism and the hard work! I have huge respect for this site and the staff. You all have my full loyalty. Just thought you ought to know =D Good Night now!
@diaperchangingdaddy:”The atlas maker didn’t create the world, but he can still describe it and catalog everything in it.” That’s all well and fine. However, this suit is not about “describing and cataloging” it is about SVA taking JKR’s work [WORD FOR WORD] and adding NOTHING to it….that is not “describing” it…that is plagerism!!!! Plain and simple. JMO
This is the media. Lie, lie, lie. It’s a rare and special thing when a journalist actually reports without bias. So far I haven’t seen one. Mr. Wu is supporting my theory that respected journalists are going extinct.
This whole ordeal is getting very childish and immature, at least on the side of RDR and Mr. Vander Ark. I’ve said it before and I’ll reiterate my gratitude toward The Leaky Cauldron for offering fair and balanced reporting. As a dedicated fan who has taken to reading every article about the case (unfortunately, instead of finishing my finals) it is refreshing to find a news source who is reporting the full story, not twisted interpretations of the story crafted for grabbing the headline. Sure, the mass media loves to root for the underdog but in this case the underdog is diseased and is biting at anyone close. I cannot feel sympathy for someone who attacks the only person in sight dedicated to accurate reporting. As for Leaky turning on Steve, I cannot think of a single instance where TLC has denounced Mr. Vander Ark. My hope is that we can put this hugely divisive case behind us and enjoy each other’s company again.
Arachne was weaving disrespectful scenes of the gods as well as being quite verbally abusive of them; when Athena ordered Arachne to stop, the weaver boasted that she was a better weaver than Athena, thus the weaving contest.
Usually when the truth is distorted, it becomes mythology. So now that Wu has mythology wrong, do we call it fact?
The only reason he’s saying this (other than because he’s an idiot who has his facts completely wrong!) is because news negative about JK Rowling gets more publicity, and thus, more profits. It may suck, but that’s journalism for you.
My sister almost walked out of his presentation when he started talking smack about the epilouge and I was seething. Steve’s always sort of rubbed me the wrong way and now I know why. It seems that he’s always been an arrogant, coniving little pretender and now the rest of the fandom sees him for who and what he is. I just wish the press could see that side too,
It does feel as though he’s “courting” journalists; feeding them this David and goliath line. Pulling Mellisa into this was increadibly low.
I just can not believe that so many people have bought into it. And if he wins...this could have massive repricussions for the fandom as a whole. So, when fansites are shut down, fanfiction is disbanded and companion books are no longer aloud to be published because JK Rowling can't afford to take anymore chances, we'll know who to thank!
Oh boo-freak’n-hoo for Steve Vander Ark. Where’s the story about the minor mythical being, who saw himself as the chose one, and tried to get himself a job as JK’s assistant in (co?)writing her encyclopedia?
This isn’t some brash teenager with aspirations, it’s a 50 year old librarian what can’t attribute quotations correctly. It’s not about creative freedom, it’s about cashing in.
With great gusto the man has shot himself in both feet on less and then laments the pain of being shunned by author and community.
Shame on Steve Vander Ark for belittling Melissa. Shame him for lashing out at those that doesn’t see the windmill he’s tilting at. These are the petty acts of a lesser man.
Well, this IS the Talk of the Town section of the New Yorker. For those not familiar, these are little pieces of “atmosphere” in a early section of the mag before the longer feature stories kick in. Everybody who reads the New Yorker at least reads this section. I usually enjoy these vignettes very much. This one … not so much.
I wonder how Tim Wu … copyright (I think) law professor at Columbia who was at the trial with his students…. came to write this piece? Not to be too meta about this, but did NYor approach him specifically for Talk of the Town?
He wrote pre-trial articles disagreeing with Jo/WB’s stand in this case. So, what did HE think of the trial and how each side presented their case? Are we going to see a longer article from him?
Let’s face it, the media thinks this is a big joke: Either a chance to bash Jo or a chance to make fun of fans. Ol’ mushroom-cropped fifty year old man Steve is like manna from heaven for this! Only the legal/business writers at Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg seemed to take this seriously.
Melissa, the next time your name appears in The New Yorker (after their correction, I mean) will be when they publish an exherpt from your book on the eve of its publication.
re: “As for SVA’s statements. Is anyone actually surprised?”
Posted by mollywobbles23 on May 05, 2008 @ 11:12 PM
molly, yeah, i am…and very disappointed in SVA. Let’s hope this is over soon.