Episode #90: Interview with Steve Vander Ark of the Harry Potter Lexicon
If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter books and J.K. Rowling, and were alive during the month of April of 2008, you probably heard about a little law suit over a book called “The Harry Potter Lexicon.” The author of that book, Steve Vander Ark, is also the creator and editor of the Harry Potter Lexicon website. We got a chance to talk with Steve about the lawsuit, the fan reactions, his new book and, of course, we talked a bit about Harry Potter (you know, the books about this boy wizard…oh never mind). It’s a fascinating interview, hope you enjoy it. We here at HPProgs believe in hearing all points of view, and hope that you will feel free to voice your opinions in the comments, while remaining respectful and rational in the process.
A big thanks to Steve for taking the time to talk with us.
Check out Steve’s new book entitled In Search of Harry Potter.
This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.
Don’t forget to get your entries in for the Harry Potter/Beedle the Bard/YouTube Contest! You can win a free copy of the Deluxe edition of the new Beedle the Bard book (that’s the $100 fancy version).
You can listen to the episode with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.
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Tags: Beedle the Bard, contest, Harry Potter, Harry Potter Lexicon, in search of harry potter, JK Rowling, rdr books, scottish book, Steve Vander Ark, Trial
September 16th, 2008 at 7:05 am
great episode. well done interview.
(without going into the whole issue again – i just think that the most unnecessary HP moment was the trial. while i do believe that Jo had the right to stop the printed lexicon, i also think that she missed a great opportunity to recognize it for the great tribute it could have become)
while he is no competition to the all-knowing Greg and the lovely Penny (my two hands down favorites) Steve is certainly at his best when in front of an audience and I do suggest you try to engage him in discussion every now and then.
back to unnecessary moments and the challenge. I think you need to give your audience some time… i personally have never done anything like this before (and it seems i’m not alone).
I do intend to submit please be patient. (you should also factor into your algorithm the first-time-making-a-video factor)
September 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Greg & Penny, I can’t begin to say how excellent this interview was & also how helpful in understanding this whole situation. I’m glad Steve was willing to come on the show, & I wish him best as he moves on from this.
Just goes to show how little one can believe things in the press & also how complicated things become when things enter the legal system. Again the saddest thing about this has been the division in the fandom. And also the fact that so many fans seemed to have taken this personally & somehow see SVA as an enemy & now not worthy of having anything to do with fandom.
I just looked at some of the comments on Mugglenet regarding the decision re: RDR vs WB et al & the appeal of the decision & regarding Steve’s new book. I always have to remind myself when I go over there to take a deep breath & remember that most of the people commenting are teenagers. But talk about people who don’t bother to figure out what’s going on!
Which gets me to this point: I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in parts of the fandom to consider Jo to be the God of the Harry Potter world & thus whatever she says about HP is true & good & right, & she & only she may decide every aspect of the HP phenomenon. And if anyone appears to cross her, they are evil & should be banned from having anything to do with the fandom. I saw some comments on Mugglenet from people who think SVA shouldn’t even be allowed to write ANY books on Potter related themes! I can’t even begin to say how misguided & absolutely uninformed such thinking is.
So, hopefully as time goes on, such attitudes will become tempered by some sense & understanding of the situation. I think Steve’s interview is helpful in dispelling some of these questions about the case. So, again thanks for the interview & also congratulations on reaching two years of podcasting! Great job!
September 16th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Shimon- Point taken on the contest . We look forward to your entry
revgeorge- I have to agree with you on the reactions of people. I liken the reactions that *some* HP fans have had about Steve Vander Ark and Harry Potter to the way people treat pedophiles and children. I think the two are obviously NOT comparable AT ALL and overzealous and angry fans have taken their reactions a bit too far in my opinion.
I am not saying that as a HP fan I wish this whole thing hadn’t happened. I think it hurt all parts of the fandom, including and especially JK Rowling and SVA. I also hate that creative effort of fans in the future might be stifled because they are scared, not of lawsuits or JK Rowling, but of the reactions of other fans.
I appreciated what SVA said about the court case being about the law. I personally don’t think he was out to hurt JKR in any way and I think his honest and candid responses in the interview are a testament to this. Just my opinion. I hope that people can take their anger and blind hero worship (which in many cases is not for JKR or HP, but for others in the fandom who have put themselves in positions of power) and not use it to divide the fandom anymore.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
As you can see from this comment, I am not going to join in the very interesting and lengthly discussion, because I don’t have much time.
BUT, I wanted to say that I have loved the last few episodes, and hope that the awesome episodes keep coming. I have really been enjoying the interview with Steve Vander Ark (I am part way through), and find it very interesting to understand what some of the words meant, and how it worked.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I enjoyed this episode – actually put off listening for a day or so because I was afraid it would be upsetting. (It wasn’t.) I am glad that SVA has landed on his feet – and agree with the reasonable responses of your commentators so far.
With regards to the contest – maybe a topic a little more straight forward to start?
See you Sunday!
September 16th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
This interview was very good. I felt that Steve was very honest about everything that has happened. This is one fan that still thinks Steve is one great guy that has done more for this fandom than most people in it.I am ashamed by fans that attack him and say extreme things without knowing fully both sides of the story. Some people are childish and cannot look past themselves. I have used the lexicon countless times for checking facts or just for something to have fun with. Keep up your hard work!
Thanks Steve for such an honest interview.
September 17th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Thank you for the interview with Steve. It was very interesting, and I’m glad to hear that he seems to be doing okay–personally, I’d be a basket case if I’d gone through the trial and all the fandom backlash he’s dealt with. It also provides a reminder not to automatically believe everything we read in the press–something HP fans should have learned from Rita Skeeter, ironically.
And I’d also like to thank you guys for remaining level-headed and unbiased in your coverage of the trial. It’s a great relief compared to the heated emotions and outright flaming I’ve encountered on some other HP fansites.
September 17th, 2008 at 6:22 am
I have finished the episode, and the second half of the interview is even better that the first!!!!!! I just wanted to comment on something that you guys have been talking about a lot, the room of requirement and Tom, and I think that Tom would have been arrogant enough to think that all the stuff was just there to help him, and was just produced by the room.
September 17th, 2008 at 6:31 am
I don’t think it would necessarily be arrogant for Tommy to think that all the junk was there just to help him – it is not entirely irrational. I do think that it is also likely that he realized that the great mess could work to his advantage and was actually an even better solution than he first imagined.
Sometimes hiding the data inside noise on an open channel is more efficient than hiding pure data on an encrypted one.
September 17th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hey guys, I appreciated the interview with Steve. He just seems like such a nice, down-to-earth guy. It’s really true that you have to take a step back and recognize that the media’s portrayal of just about anything isn’t necessarily consistent with reality. Good thing to remember in this crazy political season, as well!
September 17th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hey Greg and Penny, this episode was awesome and i never really understood how much of a fan he really really is. I also think that its awesome how he is still a fan even though he has been through all of this. I cannot wait for his books to come out!! I think that he and Jk should team up and create a series of HP encyclopedias that are beyond imagination!! That would be awesome. Keep up the good work guys!!!!
September 18th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Greg/Penny, thank you so much for this interview. I was saddened that we only got news bytes about this trial and was glad to hear Steve speak about this. I have enjoyed hearing Steve in the past and it’s nice to come out and hear him talk about what a fan he is.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I whole heartedly agree with everyone here.
Thanks so much for this refresher !!! – It has been disheartening to see how some fans did react but this has made my day.
I’m hoping that the we can all unite and focus on the lessons of the Harry Potter books, friendship, loyalty, etc….
September 21st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Really enjoyed the interview. Steve came across as a kind, reasonable, forgiving man. Your interview questions were spot on! My only impressions of Steve (before your interview) came from disparaging remarks made about him on another website’s podcast (the “drippy kettle” one) and I now don’t believe they were fair to him at all.
Good job, you two!
September 21st, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Great interview guys! I also agree with everyone here, other media has given everyone bad impressions of Steve and your interview definitely shows what a nice guy he really is.
By the way I listened to this while on the Jersey turnpike and I found no such rest stop!
September 24th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Well done. Very well done.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:43 am
I also was very surprised at Steve’s reaction to this whole situation. The way he explained everything made it sound more like he wasn’t as involved as the media made it out to be. Of course, I realize this must have been pretty emotionally draining, he didnt sound like a guy on the verge of a nervous breakdown so thats good!
I’m very impressed you got this interview. Just think– First Steve Vander Ark… next J.K. Rowling!
September 29th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Outstanding. I was delighted to hear Steve’s voice on this subject, his sobriety, his peace with the decision and the process, and the HP Progs crew’s evident regard for him as an expert and just as a person.
Thank you for this refreshing interview.
March 21st, 2009 at 5:01 pm
How do you download previous episodes to your ipod? Only the last 5 come up in the itunes store and when I went to odeo it keeps giving you the option of downloading to mp3. Is there a way to download previous episodes to my ipod? I would appreciate any information you can give me.
Thanks !