Pondering Potter
| When |
Feb 18, 2011
from 06:00 PM to 07:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Where | Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville |
| Contact Name | GlyptusAnn Grider Jones |
| Contact Phone | 502-852-8811 |
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Harry Potter is considered a "shared text” of the young 21st century, sparking a common story vocabulary for readers everywhere as well as a collective imaginative experience.
John Granger, who has lectured on Harry Potter as literature at schools like Yale, Princeton and the University of Chicago, explains how Harry’s adventures with Ron and Hermione provide the tools serious readers need to open up their understanding of English literature.
Granger will discuss literary alchemy, story setting and genre, postmodern themes, the hero’s journey, ring composition, Christian symbolism and narrative misdirection to reveal the mechanics of J.K. Rowling’s literary magic, why her themes and symbols resonate within and why knowing these details are useful in interpreting other books.
About the Lecturer
John Granger is a speaker and writer whose principal focus is the intersection of literature, faith and culture. He maintains a blog called "Hogwarts Professor." TIME Magazine dubbed him the "Dean of Harry Potter Scholars."
Granger was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey. He attended prep school at Philips Exeter Academy and holds an honors degree from the University of Chicago, where he studied classical languages and literature. He previously taught Latin and English at The Asheville School, Peninsula College and Valley Forge Military Academy.
In addition to Unlocking Harry Potter: Seven Keys for the Serious Reader (Zossima 2007; revised 2009), Granger is the author of How Harry Cast His Spell: The Meaning Behind the Mania for J. K. Rowling's Bestselling Books (Tyndale, 2008), The Deathly Hallows Lectures: The Hogwarts Professor Explains Harry's Last Adventure (Zossima, 2008) and Harry Potter's Bookshelf:The Great Books Behind the Hogwarts Adventures (Penguin, 2009). He is currently writing Spotlight: A Close-Up Look at the Artistry and Meaning of Stephenie Meyer's Twilght Saga.