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.
And this is why I take any press…be it newspapers, tv news or magazines with a grain of salt. How much is the ‘truth’, how much was taken ‘out-of-context’ from the interview to put a ‘front-page’ spin on a not so newsworthy item.
I’m waiting until the final results are in from the Judgement.
I wonder when any of the writers of articles that vilify JK will remember that it is not Jo that is suing Steve, but WB suing RDR books. I am sure that if Jo & Steve could have sat down in a room, just the two of them, at the beginning of this mess there would not be a trial now. Journalists and people submitting editorial stating incorrect information about the case just makes me so angry. Keep your chin up Melissa. Great reporting on the story too by Leaky.
Melissa, I’m really sorry about what he said. That is pretty disturbing. What respect I had left for Steve has all but dissipated. I hope you’re doing okay. We support you.
Once again the journalists are not checking their facts, and are just trying to stir things up. Well done to Leaky for reporting the trial so balanced, despite it hitting so close to home.
Sorry about the comment about the 2×4. What I was trying to get across was that SVA needs to get a grip on reality. I wasn’t really awake when I made that comment. Been in fandom in general too long and seen things like this happen before but never on this scale where it reached the public eye. It’s sad.
Steve is a knob. His arrogance, narcissism and notions of self-grandeur were uncomfortably apparent during his presentation at Prophecy in Toronto, as was his lack of gratitude for Rowling and HER intellectual property. At that point, with the series only just officially ended, he came off as eager to kick JKR off the stage in order for the other actors in the fandom to play- where, of course, he would re-cast himself as a lead. He was completely irreverent. Melissa, sadly, has now become the new target of his enlarged and whiny ego. Sour grapes indeed…it is too bad he couldn’t be satisfied with the fantastic website he did create and leave it at that.
Steve is a knob. His arrogance, narcissism and notions of self-grandeur were uncomfortably apparent during his presentation at Prophecy in Toronto, as was his lack of gratitude for Rowling and HER intellectual property. At that point, with the series only just officially ended, he came off as eager to kick JKR off the stage in order for the other actors in the fandom to play- where, of course, he would re-cast himself as a lead. He was completely irreverent. Melissa, sadly, has now become the new target of his enlarged and whiny ego. Sour grapes indeed…it is too bad he couldn’t be satisfied with the fantastic website he did create and leave it at that.
Since I was here, last night, there have been two more pages of comments added. I have spend my morning, reading every single one, something I don’t normally do. In the vastness of support for Melissa, and JKR, I found one or two [out of 135 to this point ] that made reference to the comments, of Mr Wu, regarding Ms Anneli’s book {Melissa, I hope I spelled that right] The idea that JKR is favoring Ms A, over SVA, is ludicrous, at best. Let us look at the facts: Ms A is writing [has written] a book, of her OWN thoughts, regarding HP. [Fandom, as I understand it, is her main topic] What ever her topic, it is her thoughts and opinions. Not so with this gentleman [I’ll use the term loosely, here] He has taken someone else’s work [word for word] and placed it as his own. As was already stated, many times: no commentary, no personal views, no scholarly opinion. It is NOT [as some would have fans believe], a “scholarly tome”. SVA, being a Librarian and self-proclaimed scholar, has proven, [once again] that he is neither a scholar nor an honourable person.
Ms A.,I applaud you and the entire Leaky Staff. As so many have pointed out, for your unbiased reporting of the facts, here. Even to posting the bad as well as the good. “His view vs Her view” if you will. It is not an easy task, given the scope and magnitude of this situation. Thank you, once again, for your hard work. You are to be commended. This may be redundant, but despite what others think, SVA is WRONG. Sadly, but truthfully, as I see it. Shame on you, SVA. Just my 50 cents….
Ick HP Politics. He didn’t need to bring Melissa into this.
& I’m fed up of people saying that we see Jo as God. That is ridiculous & offensive to religious people, though you’d think he’d be trying to get people on his side.
Asside, to Ms A: When all this is calmer [if there ever is such a time] can we know when your book will be released? Again, echoing the sentiments of many, many here: Thank you for all your hard work….stay “on track” and don’t let petty jealousy detract from YOUR HARD WORK!
To ‘Linny’...someone [like SVA] who claims someone else, [in this case Ms JKR], has a set him/herself up as a God, is ludicrous too. Unfortunately, SVA has proven [beyond a shadow of a doubt] that HE is the one with the “God complex”. How sad…don’t feel as you have done an disservice to anyone, Ms A. You have proven yourself to be an honourable person. I commend you.
Thinking more about it, SVA is in a really difficult place right now. From what I understand, he doesn’t have a real job, and regardless of the trial outcome the book is going to tank because the fandom is not behind him. I can see where financial stress like this would cause one to lash out in such a manner.
The really sad thing, though, is that he has not only alienated himself from this fandom, but an entire community of helpful, literature lovers. Leaky membership includes many a librarian, writer, etc. If Steve had only come to this community and said he was down on his luck instead of lashing out and trying to make a quick buck off our Jo, I’m sure the fandom would have given him all the support it could muster. It makes me feel sorry for him that, at the ripe old age of 50, he still hasn’t learned the basic lesson that in hard times one should rely on ones friends.
For someone who has read the Harry Potter books so many times, it seems he never caught onto the fact that through everything Harry faced, his main sources of strength were Ron and Hermione. After the battle in DH, Harry dons the invisibility cloak and does not seek out his lover (Ginny), but his two best friends.
He also didn’t seem to catch on to the theme in DH that the “god-like” figures in our lives have flaws too. Harry learned to love Dumbledore for the man he is, flaws and all, rather than the man he thought he was at the beginning of DH. Steve’s idol-like worship of Jo, plus his recent comment, makes me wonder if he realizes that Jo is indeed just another human being. He’s really not treating her like one. Of course Jo was shaking her head at him, he did something very wrong. She doesn’t have to be like God and forgive everyone immediately for sinning, especially when that person never said sorry and continues to do the wrong thing.
What I’d like to see, is for Steve to show some true Gryffindor bravery and apologize and stop trying to print his Lexicon. If I know this fandom at all, we are all softies and would take him back; Not that he wouldn’t have to do a little repenting for his sins first, but in the end I know that even the ones he has hurt the most, like our Melissa, would forgive him.
Hey, here’s ONE journalist who at least attempted to do some research….Wu even listened to PotterCast! (And the transcripts probably weren’t up by that point, and if he hadn’t listened to PotterCast before, he might not have been able to tell the difference between Sue and Melis – long shot, I know, but I think this reporter deserves a pat on the back for an article well-written and researched!)
And this is why I take any press…be it newspapers, tv news or magazines with a grain of salt. How much is the ‘truth’, how much was taken ‘out-of-context’ from the interview to put a ‘front-page’ spin on a not so newsworthy item.
I’m waiting until the final results are in from the Judgement.