Our good friend Travis, over at The Hog’s Head announced that his book, “Harry Potter and Imagination” is now available for pre-order!Please help support one of the great Potter intellectual minds by ordering what is bound to be a great book!
Also, Dave from the Hog’s Head asked me to post the following information about a Harry Potter survey:
A classmate of mine at Old Dominion University forwarded me a survey link to gather data about what drives Harry Potter fans to love the books, and to take part in communities like ours here at The Hog’s Head. The project is a pilot study for a course in research methods for PhD students — which might lead to a publication, if she so pursues it.
She’s asking that we help her out by sparing a few minutes to take the survey. As if we only spare a few minutes talking about all things Harry!
Obviously your participation is voluntary, and all information is collected under the strictest rules of confidentiality. I know — we had to gain approval for our research proposals through the same review board!
It was a shock to everyone when the newest international Teaser Trailer for Half Blood Prince leaked online this morning. Now that we have gotten over the initial shock of the unexpected gift, we have had sometime to look at and analyze the trailer. In this week’s episode Greg and I discussed our initial thoughts and impressions about this newest trailer. We don’t see eye to eye on everything- especially Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. However, there is a lot that we do agree on about this trailer. We look forward to hearing your impressions of both the trailer and our analysis of it.
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Hey everybody! We’re back for another exciting episode of HPProgs!
We don’t have much to talk about this week. It’s October which means we have to announce the winner of our September Beedle the Bard YouTube contest. And we do, in the podcast. So take a listen! Also, we were at the New York City Wizard Rock Festival (which, after typing that out, I now know why everyone referred to as NYCWRF). It was awesome, we got to hear lots of amazing bands, and meet lots of amazing people. If you were there, let us know what you thought of it!
And that’s about it! Stay tuned we’ve got some good stuff coming in the next few weeks. And make sure to check out HPProgs on YouTube, and enter the Beedle the Bard YouTube contest, if you haven’t alraedy (or even if you have, enter again!). You could win a copy of the deluxe edition of the new Beedle the Bard book coming out in December.
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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.
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).
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If you do, make sure to check out Travis’ latest post on The Hogs Head. He put up a new caption contest and the winner will receive a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Sorcerer’s Stone. Great prize if you ask me!
The fun part is that the photo that Travis is asking to caption is a picture of the two of us at Portus 2008. Now is your chance to make fun of me AND win a great prize all at the same time.
The Harry Potter Lexicon appears to have been taken down. Over the past few weeks when one visited the site, there was a 443 error. However; today, when I tried to access the page I was taken to a Go Daddy website with the message “This website is parked for free courtesy of GoDaddy.com”. So what does this mean? Time and time again, when we discussed the JKR/SVA trial, Greg expressed his confusion about why the website’s copyright status wasn’t called into question. Is it possible that part of the recent trial verdict required the site to be removed? Or perhaps, the amount of traffic the site was receiving was simply too much for the bandwidth SVA had planned for his site (note: I know NOTHING about bandwidth or anything like that now so stop laughing and I’ll just shut up now)? Interestingly enough, when checking out the ownership of the site, we found out that Melissa Anelli owns the domain. Take from that what you will.
In any event, the Harry Potter Lexicon has disapparated from the internet and I’m sad. If it truly is gone, not only does it nullify years and years of hard work on Steve Vander Ark’s part (not to mention his staff and contributors); but the resource that *was* the HP Lexicon is no longer available to the HP fans. As someone who has analyzed these books and has held hours and hours of discussion related to Harry Potter (89 of those recorded for all of you to hear ) I have used the Lexicon as a resource countless times.
It does seem that Steve is moving on though. Well sort of. He isn’t leaving the Harry Potter world but he is focusing on different ventures.
“I’ve always been a fan of Harry Potter and of Rowling and my hope all along was that we’d find an amicable way to settle this,” Vander Ark said from England this on Tuesday morning. “I’m disappointed, but this is the way it went and I don’t hold any ill will at all.
“It was a question of law over a difference of opinion and, in a way, I’m glad that it’s finally over.”
While the dispute simmered in court for nearly a year, Vander Ark has been focusing on publishing a different Potter-themed book.
This one, a travel memoir, has Vander Ark visiting sites referenced in the series, exploring and taking pictures of them. The 256-page book is set for release in October through Methuen Publishing, Vander Ark said.
“(The) book evokes the myths and magic of Harry Potter,” according to a release on the Methuen Web site. “It will be enjoyed by all fans of the boy wizard and will prove a useful guide for those bent on making discoveries of their own.”
Having heard Steve lecture on this topic, I don’t doubt that this will be a fantastic and entertaining book and I wish him the best of luck.
UPDATE: Steve read my note on facebook and here is what he wrote: “It’s not down. We’re in the process of transferring the domain and so that URL offline for a short time, but the site up as usual at www.hp-lexicon.info.”
PHEW:)
It has been almost 6 months coming, but Judge Robert Patterson finally handed down the verdict in the JK Rowling/WB vs. Steve Vander Ark/RDR lawsuit. And the winner is…..JK Rowling. In this week’s episode, we discussed the decision, the reactions of both sides, what this means for the Harry Potter fandom as well as the future of copyright law.
We also officially announced the rules for our Beedle the Bard YouTube Contest. Please make sure to enter, we want to be able to give out the books to some worthy winners!
Finally, take a look at the Wall Street Journal Article (page 1, baby!) that mentions our Hitler Half Blood Prince Delay video. The article only portrays us as only *slightly* crazy…:)
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“It seems Hogwarts-Chic, or the donning of Brit-style prep school uniforms (usually signifying the Hogwarts House one belongs to), has finally inspired the mainstream.
Complete with House-style scarves, House-style socks, a mixed variety of ties, Oxford shirts, and pleated skirts, it looks as though the RL designers have stolen a few of WB’s costumers right off the set.
Well, now more than ever the youth of America are affecting the changes in trends & fashion, especially by what we watch and read (like Harry Potter!). Also, doesn’t one of these looks resemble a sweater you’ve already seen on Emma Watson? (And yes, I know FairIsle is popular worldwide!)”
So, it’s been a week or so since the last episode of HPProgs; while you were waiting for the next show, and even larger wait was sprung upon you: Half Blood Prince, The Movie, was delayed from 2008 to 2000-and-freakin-9. Penny’s been covering developments on the HPProgs blog, and even managed to unearth one of the most ferverent reactions to the delay.
In this episode, we discuss the delay, assorted other goings-on, along with a tangential discussion on the recurring occurrences of eyes in Deathly Hallows (first spotted by John Granger – sorry I can’t find the exact link), and what this might (or mightn’t) mean.
Stay tuned for details on our Beedle the Bard contest, we will be putting out rules in the coming days.
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Digg This!
Many of you have asked us our opinions on the Half Blood Prince delay. We haven’t been able to emotionally pull ourselves together enough to address this issue but we have been scouring the net for some more famous reactions to the news. We were fortunate enough to find this footage in the archives of the German Museum. We think it sums up how many fans feel pretty well:
Please feel free to share and favorite this video.
*The above video was created by us. It should not be misconstrued as mocking the horrific tragedies that befell millions under Hitler’s regime.
We always get comments about how when they listen to our podcast, people feel like they’re getting a glimpse into our lives. They usually follow up with a statement about how they love the rapport the two of us have. Well, for those of you who like HPProgs for the intimate way we welcome you into our lives then this is the episode for you. After we discussed the new Twilight Book, “Breaking Dawn,” Greg and I proceeded to have a general potpourri episode with some content and a lot of personality (pseudonym for annoyance at each other). We also discussed an exciting new contest that is in the works!
NOTE: There are “Breaking Dawn” Spoilers on this episode so if you haven’t finished the book yet, you might want to listen to the first few minutes and then skip to minute 20 or so not to hear them.
As always we can’t wait to hear your thoughts: on the Breaking Dawn review, the Beedle the Bard News and contest, our short fandom discussion and everything else we talked about. You can leave comments here on the blog or call our voicemail at 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly.
Make sure to check out our channel on the new Odeo. Subscribe, rate, review, it’s all good, check it out.
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Hopefully by now, you’ve seen the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. We sat down immediately after watching to record out thoughts. What do you think of the trailer? Does the voice of the woman in the orphanage belong to J.K. Rowling?
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One of the over-arching meta-themes of the Harry Potter books is, without a doubt, choice. From early on the books the theme of choice is empasised, when the Sorting Hat defers to Harry’s wish to be in Gryffindor, or when Dumbledore makes it clear to Harry that it is his choices, far more than abilities that make him the wizard that he is. It’s clear that J.K. Rowling is a proponent of the idea that we make ourselves who we are and are ultimately responsible for who we become.
Putting aside a scientific discussion of free will and determinism, a greater question, from within the stories themselves, comes to light. With the conclusion of Book 7, and the revelation of Dumbledore’s less than altruistic motives, does J.K. Rowling’s position on free will and choice change? Did Harry, in fact, make all those choices of his own free will, or, perhaps, was he influenced by forces beyond his control? Despite Dumbledore’s protestations to the contrary, could Harry ever have avoided the final showdown with the Dark Lord, had he simply chosen to walk away?
In this week’s episode, we examine the nature of free will and choice as presented in the books after Book 7, and what J.K. Rowling might be saying about what it means to be free.
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As you may have read, we just got back from Portus 2008, a Harry Potter convention that took place July 10-13 in Dallas, Texas. And, guess what? We had a blast! From Jim Dale giving a live performance, to meeting lots of fun and interesting people, it was a great time. We sat right down as soon as we could after we got home to record some of our thoughts on what the Harry Potter fan-world is like one year after the release of Deathly Hallows, along with details on the all the great sessions we went to, movies watched, conversations had, etc. It really was a great time, and special thanks to the HPEF for going all out and putting together an amazing weekend.
If you were there, leave a comment or send us an email. And make sure to check out www.hp2009.org for Azkatraz, in San Francisco! Hope to see you there!
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Please help support one of the great Potter intellectual minds by ordering what is bound to be a great book! 
) I have used the Lexicon as a resource countless times. 
