It’s finally time. It’s been several months since Deathly Hallows came out, we’ve discussed most of what there is to discuss relating to the characters, the themes, the news that came out after the book was released. It’s time to move on. But don’t worry, by move on, we don’t mean stop talking about Harry Potter! No, it’s time to go back, back to the beginning…where it all…began. It’s time to start talking about, what I humbly have dubbed (and have been hinting at for a while): Patterns in Potter (can you hear the echo of ominousness?). In this episode, we introduce the Patterns in Potter theory, and give some examples. For the next few weeks we’re going to be discussing the books, in order, using the Patterns in Potter pattern. So make sure to listen, because this stuff will be on the final exam.
And: we want your help! For each episode, we want your thoughts, comments and ideas. Either email them to us (harrypotterprogs AT yahoo DOT com) or record your thoughts on an mp3 and email them to us. We’ll incorporate them into the show.
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What makes a leader? For centuries, philosophers have debated the essential qualities of a leader (the differences in what a culture values in it’s leaders is often a good indication of the values of said culture). When looking at Harry Potter, what are the qualities that J.K. Rowling seems to show as making a good leader? How do the characters in leadership roles respond to the power and authority they are given? In this podcast, we discuss all these issues. Many thanks to Greg from Toronto for joining us for this discussion.
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From the beginning, Ron has played second fiddle to Harry Potter…or has he? Perhaps Ron’s perception that he was simply there as Harry’s backup was just that: perception. Ron was, in fact, more of an individual and a complement to Harry than just a sidekick. Finally, in Book 7, Ron comes to realize this. In this week’s episode, we look back at Ron’s past and his coming-of-age/growing up in Book 7 and the Epilogue.
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There comes a time in a person’s life when they realize, for the first time, that the world is not actually the way they thought it was. That the picture they had in their mind about how the world works, the rules of the game, are suddenly gone. It is the end of innocence. When does this end of innocence occur for Harry, and for the series? In this week’s show, we discuss when Harry Potter first comes face to face with a picture of the wizarding world that is not what he thought he knew.
As mentioned before on HP Progs, JK Rowling came in 3rd for Time’s Person of the Year. Better luck next time you finish writing the world’s most popular book series that turned a generation back on to reading and inspired millions of people, Jo.
We are happy to announce that we will be attending Portus 2008, the Harry Potter symposium which will be held in Dallas, TX from July 10-13, 2008. We will also be taking part in the Portus Podcast Palooza while we are there. You may remember what a fantastic time we had at Prophecy 2007- we hope you can join us this year!!
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Late last night, via BlogTalkRadio, we had the first ever HPProgs live call-in show. We were really nervous on a number of accounts: that no one would be listening, that no one would call in, and that it would be difficult. But, in the end, thanks to all you guys, it went really well! There was some great discussion, great ideas and we really hope to do it again soon. Thank you so much to everyone who called in, listened or joined us in the chat room (except for those two guys at the end…whatever).
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The top bidder in the auction for the seventh handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been announced. It’s Amazon.com! Amazon has always been one of my favorite companies and web sites (I do all my online shopping there, if I can help it), but this makes them even more awesome. Not only are they going to take the book on tour so that everyone can get a chance to see it, they are posting copious amounts of information on their web site. It’s so amazing that Amazon has chosen to share this with so many Potter fans. Thanks Amazon.
So…we preordered a copy of the Order of the Phoenix DVD, but it didn’t arrive yet…so, we borrowed a copy so that we could watch the extra features and review them for the podcast but…there were no extras on the copy we borrowed….so instead we just watch a few scenes and offer our comments. Hope you like it.
Mark you calendars: the first ever HPProgs call-in show is set to kick off at 11PM EST this Saturday, December 15. Call in and talk to us about whatever you like! It’s going to be awesome. In case you’re too shy (or chicken) to verbally engage us, we’re pretty sure you can listen live. The call in number is 646.595.4635, check out the call-in page for more details.
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J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has reinvigorated a generation and turned them on to reading. But what to read when the battle against Lord Voldemort is at an end? One of the more popular answers is Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy; the first installment, The Golden Compass, has been adapted to film and hits theaters this month. In this week’s episode, we take a closer look at Pullman’s series, and how it compares to Rowling’s novels, as well as other novels geared towards youths and placed in a fantastic setting.
Joining us on this week’s episode is Travis Prinzi, proprietor of SwordOfGryffindor.com. Travis’ background in philosophy and literature were especially enlightening in this discussion.
Here is a link to the interview that Travis mentioned on the show: Phillip Pullman and Peter Chataway, an award-winning Christian film critic.
In the news:
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Was it just us, or was Draco’s finale just a bit disappointing? By the end of Book 6, it looked like Draco was prime for some kind of glorious and game-changing redemption. His failure to off Dumbledore left him in a bad place, but it was clear that there was still some good left in him. Along with the hints that, in order to prevail, Hogwarts would have to unite against a common threat, we had all the signs that Draco was going to turn coats at a crucial moment, a la Darth Vader, and help Harry save the day. But alas, all we get is a mopey blond kid, more scared than anything else. What happened? How did Draco lose his mojo?
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The more interviews J.K. Rowling gives, the more show topics we get. This time, J.K. Rowling spoke with the Dutch newspaper Volksrant (not to be confused with Volkswagon or Voltron) and discussed many topics. Amongst them were the issues of life after death in the Harry Potter books, as well as more details on Nazi parallels and her religious background. In this week’s episode, we explore and plumb the depths opened by these recent comments.
UPDATE: We appreciate everyone’s patience with this week’s podcast. Unfortunately the podcast hosting service we were using was a bit messed up so the podcast wasn’t working- but we think it is fixed now. Please let us know if you have any more difficulty with it!
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Last week we discussed love, and focused on the distinctly maternal focus taken by J.K. Rowling. This week, we examine the father figures in Harry’s life. From his actual, albeit ephermeral father James, to surrogates in Lupin, Sirius and even, to some extent Snape, we take a look at Harry’s bevy or male role models, how they shaped his character and how they contributed to his being what appears to be, for all that we can tell, a good father to his children as well.
There’s news this week, but we’re on the road, so we can’t provide links. Suffice it to say, Penny, at least, will be traveling to New York when Equus comes to town.
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Although in English we have one basic term for love, there’s really all different kinds of love: brotherly love, selfless love, erotic love, and all make some kind of appearance in the Harry Potter novels. In this week’s show, we take a look at love in Harry Potter and how the various relationships are expressed, and what the nature of those loves might be. Are all loves good? Can love in fact be bad?
Plus: the Top 5 tear-jerker moments from Deathly Hallows. Vote for yours below.
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The top bidder in the auction for the seventh handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been announced. It’s Amazon.com! Amazon has always been one of my favorite companies and web sites (I do all my online shopping there, if I can help it), but this makes them even more awesome. Not only are they going to take the book on tour so that everyone can get a chance to see it, they are posting copious amounts of information on their web site. It’s so amazing that Amazon has chosen to share this with so many Potter fans. Thanks Amazon.
; the first installment, 
, has been adapted to film and hits theaters this month. In this week’s episode, we take a closer look at Pullman’s series, and how it compares to Rowling’s novels, as well as other novels geared towards youths and placed in a fantastic setting.
