Rowling outs Hogwarts head Dumbledore

[JJ Cooper]

Harry Potter fans, the rumours are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay.

JK Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series, outed the beloved character while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall in New York.

After reading briefly from the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she took questions from audience members.

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love".

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down".

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy".

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the internet have speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction.

Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character.

Rowling, finishing a brief "Open Book Tour" of the United States, her first tour there since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority".

Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.


Never read them myself, but thought you HP fans would like to know.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=267167

JJ

[MacAllister]

Interesting. Does that strange nonsequitur mean gay people can't find true love in the HP universe? Now I shall have to go and read the article.

ETA: Ah, he just has a troubled past, and an unrequited love.

[trumancoyote]

I almost wish she didn't come out with that.

Just gives more ammo for them homo activists to justify their choices.

[JJ Cooper]

:Shrug:

[trumancoyote]

:)

[SpookyWriter]

I almost wish she didn't come out with that.

Just gives more ammo for them homo activists to justify their choices.Don't tell me.

http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/pig-3.jpg

[MacAllister]

Zach, shhhhh!

They're not supposed to know about The Agenda.

[trumancoyote]

Heheh. With all our militant attempts to be subversive, Mac, they still find ways to drag our fiendish motives into the limelight.

[MacAllister]

The HP Initiative, though. That was better than Teletubbies, even, dammit.

[trumancoyote]

I know! Fooled those impressionable little kiddies throughout seven books. And when they all grew to know and love him -- BAM! Hit 'em with the gay card.

I bet they're all doubting their own sexuality as we speak.

[MacAllister]

"There's something so strangely...yummy...about Dumbledore. Rowrrr. Gonna grow up and be just like that! Not like that creepy Harry with the white picket fence and the mortgage payment...."

[Bartholomew]

*blink*

*blink*

[trumancoyote]

Don't forget that he's also rather fortunately bewanded.

[MacAllister]

Well, yeah. That's how they all are, isn't it?

[badducky]

I think something is even more interesting than this rather trivial detail about one character's sexuality:

J.K. admits to reading some of the more... Interesting... Fanfic.

;)

[Medievalist]

I heard teh gay agenda is tied to serif type faces.

That's what I heard. All that Palatino, and Garamond, and Book Antiqua . . .

[badducky]

Fonts with tails are clearly of demonic origin.

[trumancoyote]

I think something is even more interesting than this rather trivial detail about one character's sexuality:

J.K. admits to reading some of the more... Interesting... Fanfic.



That's because she's one of those lonely, unloved faghags that turn to sodomites for what might pass as a mere semblence of real-people love.

[Medievalist]

Don't forget that he's also rather fortunately bewanded.

Yeah but is it a Magic Wand (TM)?

[writingmom]

Ah Strange, Very Strange, and oddly enough at the time I was watching Harry Potter for the 100th time on the Disney channel. 'The Sorcerer's Stone. Oh well which one is gay now? the first Dumbledore or the second ? lol. Good - Nite and to all a good book :)

[MacAllister]

I think something is even more interesting than this rather trivial detail about one character's sexuality:

J.K. admits to reading some of the more... Interesting... Fanfic.

;)I caught that, too, and laughed. Of course, PNH said this week (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009474.html#009474) that, as an editor, he sorta wishes he did have time to cruise those sites for writers:“I do think that the idea that publishers ‘troll’ fanfic sites is more myth than not,” Patrick Nielsen Hayden, a senior editor at Tor Books in New York, wrote in an e-mail, “but I will say this: If I had lots more spare time, I would.”

There are several SF writers I can think of who developed their early chops writing fanfic.

[badducky]

Yeah *raises hand* totally what happened to me.

[louisgodwin]

Yeah but is it a Magic Wand (TM)?

Looking at his age, that probably depends on whether or not he has any Viagra on him.

[trumancoyote]

It's called Bertie Bott's Boost Your Frank and Beans in the Harry Potter world, thank you very much.

[MacAllister]

Anyone remember this? (http://www.cultureandfamily.org/articledisplay.asp?id=753&department=CFI&categoryid=cfreport)

[SpookyWriter]

Anyone remember this? (http://www.cultureandfamily.org/articledisplay.asp?id=753&department=CFI&categoryid=cfreport)No, I was in Holland and Harry Potter wasn't the talk of most men who I associated.

[louisgodwin]

“It wasn’t until after she opened her gift and started playing with it that I realized that the toy may offer a more than sensational experience."

:roll:

[trumancoyote]

Remember it? I'm flyin' on mine right now, babycheeks.

[badducky]

It sure comes in handy when I'm trying to get the full Potter experience and reading some fanfic about Dumbledore and...

Erm...

Nevermind.

[Queen of Swords]

There are Snape/Dumbledore and Hermione/Dumbledore categories on Adult Fan Fiction.

[trumancoyote]

Ew, Hermione's a dude?

[Devil Ledbetter]

"There's something so strangely...yummy...about Dumbledore. Rowrrr. Gonna grow up and be just like that! Not like that creepy Harry with the white picket fence and the mortgage payment...."Hey, I have I white picket fence and a mortgage payment. Shouldn't it at least get the automatic tolerance qualifier: not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

[Queen of Swords]

Ew, Hermione's a dude?

With some of the stories out there, one can't be sure of gender. For instance, I've seen two stories where Snape was a hermaphrodite. But I'l bet that most of the Hermbledore stuff features Hermione as a girl.

[Sassee]

I'm with Rowling on this one... dear lord, the fanfic... I sense an incoming rush of newly written material that will hit the intarwebz with a bang (ha ha, get it, a bang? :scared:)

[Medievalist]

Hey, I have I white picket fence and a mortgage payment. Shouldn't it at least get the automatic tolerance qualifier: not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

Well you know, we all have our own lifestyle choices . . . some of my best friends have . . .

[PattiTheWicked]

So I guess this means I'll have to put my hot Snape/Malfoy story on the back burner and get crackin' on GrindelDore stuff...

[Devil Ledbetter]

Well you know, we all have our own lifestyle choices . . . some of my best friends have . . .Exactly. I know I'm living the stereotype, but you'd think people would be less judgmental about my picket fence. It has nothing to do with being straight, really. I just happen to like picket fences. :D

[WittyandorIronic]

You are all hilarious.

[Jamesaritchie]

Never read them myself, but thought you HP fans would like to know.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=267167

JJ

The guy isn't even real, so if he wasn't gay in the stories, he can't be straight, gay, or anything else on stage. I think this is just Rowling trying to please more fans.

It's bullshit.

[joetrain]

i remember at fifteen when i started asking my parents questions about picket fences and mortgage rates. at the time i didn't understand their whispers and sighs, but at least they saw it coming.

[Medievalist]

The guy isn't even real, so if he wasn't gay in the stories, he can't be straight, gay, or anything else on stage. I think this is just Rowling trying to please more fans.

It's bullshit.

Err, no, it's not if you read the story carefully, it's pretty clear Rowling had thought about it before the need to make a script change came up.

And frankly, this is going to piss of more fans that it will "please."

[Esopha]

I'm torn between being righteously annoyed that she had to reveal it in such an avant-garde manner or cracking open my copy of DH and giggling at all the homoerotic innuendo.

...gah. Choices.

[Rolling Thunder]

Oddly enough, if the question had never come up, I would have missed it. But, it doesn't really make any difference to me. I like the character.

[Soccer Mom]

Well, as I said in the bookclub, it actually makes sense in context of the character and the intensity of his relationship with his friend (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1741523&postcount=2).

Looking back, I can see the hints.


But now I'm going to giggle everytime he talks about "taking the wand by force" cause I'm so mature that way.




BTW: :e2cry: I have a white picket and mortgage, but I did ditch the minivan.

[Voyager]

Great, now my kids are gonna be gay!

[InfinityGoddess]

Ah, this is what I get for not paying attention. Someone beats me to it.

[Queen of Swords]

Quick! Someone register the domain name www.godhatesdumbledore.com before Fred Phelps gets to it!

[Medievalist]

Great, now my kids are gonna be gay!

You might not be so lucky; they might end up only happy. Or they could be festive, or even, greatly to be feared, acerbic.

It's every parent's nightmare, but acerbic children turn up even in our very best families.

[Azraelsbane]

The guy isn't even real, so if he wasn't gay in the stories, he can't be straight, gay, or anything else on stage. I think this is just Rowling trying to please more fans.

It's bullshit.

OMG, I'm agreeing with JAR on something. Where the Hell are the Horsemen? ;)

Also, there's a thread about this in the book club that's older. It's not as popular because strangely enough the writerly types tend to avoid the book club. :D

[InfinityGoddess]

OMG, I'm agreeing with JAR on something. Where the Hell are the Horsemen? ;)

Actually, according to The Leaky Cauldron (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more), she went further by saying that she wrote on the script for HBP that Dumbledore was gay when they tried to write in about him being with a girl once.

[Azraelsbane]

Actually, according to The Leaky Cauldron (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more), she went further by saying that she wrote on the script for HBP that Dumbledore was gay when they tried to write in about him being with a girl once.

Good backup, that. However, it still doesn't justify the lacking Horsemen.

[Voyager]

My fourteen-year old is an avid HP fan. If she ever drags her butt out of bed, I'm going to ask her take on Dumbledore's sexuality. She's a pretty intuitive and intelligent, albeit lazy (it's almost 10a.m.) kid.

[Jean Marie]

The best conversations happen in the middle of the night :D

Hysterical stuff!

[trumancoyote]

The guy isn't even real, so if he wasn't gay in the stories, he can't be straight, gay, or anything else on stage. I think this is just Rowling trying to please more fans.

It's bullshit.

That's the stupidest thing ever, James.

Does he have to have detailed anal sex in Chapter Five to make 'im count?

Just because Rowling didn't give him a tattoo saying "I Like Men" doesn't mean that he's not gay and, moreover, that there aren't related cause-and-effect relationships constructed in his personal history throughout the books.

Read Confessions of a Mask by Mishima. He didn't outright say it, but people knew what he was getting at and what implications it'd have on his life. But Gee, Golly... I suppose if he didn't spell it out for the readers in explicit detail... well, then I suppose he's not gay.

Same with Fried Green Tomatoes, too. They didn't lick each other up on the page, so it's okay to assume their relationship was purely platonic, right?

You're just a cranky, opinionated old man who's probably mad 'cause he liked Dumbledore before Rowling came out and spoiled him with what you percieve to be a publicity stunt.

As if she needs to please her fans any more than she already has.

[Devil Ledbetter]

I agree with TrumanCoyote. It says a lot about Rowling that she created a gay character without using any of the obvious stereotypes. Besides, his sexual orientation wasn't particularly important to his role in the story, so why should she have drawn attention to it in the text?

[Medievalist]

I agree with TrumanCoyote. It says a lot about Rowling that she created a gay character without using any of the obvious stereotypes. Besides, his sexual orientation wasn't particularly important to his role in the story, so why should she have drawn attention to it in the text?

Exactly.

[Jean Marie]

I agree with TrumanCoyote. It says a lot about Rowling that she created a gay character without using any of the obvious stereotypes. Besides, his sexual orientation wasn't particularly important to his role in the story, so why should she have drawn attention to it in the text?
I agree w/ Zach, too.

And w/ you too, Devil.

[Voyager]

That's the stupidest thing ever, James.

Does he have to have detailed anal sex in Chapter Five to make 'im count?



Okay, THAT would make me a JKR fan. I don't know what it is about nekkid boys....

[Voyager]

You know, now that I think of it though, if I were gay, I might be a little bit hacked off at JKR for making it an issue now and not dealing with it on any level whatsoever in the book. How do the gay people feel about that? Maybe an opportunity missed to educate kids, teach a little tolerance and bring a gay character into mainstream literature?

[MacAllister]

You know, now that I think of it though, if I were gay, I might be a little bit hacked off at JKR for making it an issue now and not dealing with it on any level whatsoever in the book. How do the gay people feel about that? Maybe an opportunity missed to educate kids, teach a little tolerance and bring a gay character into mainstream literature?

This gay person hates it when stories get didactic about anything. Teh Queers, or anything else. :)

[Voyager]

I'm just wondering though, why she never mentioned it before. Part of me thinks it's a little cowardly to out Dumbledore now, but then, here in these United States, I can imagine that the uproar among the uptight would have affected her sales.

[Azraelsbane]

This gay person hates it when stories get didactic about anything. Teh Queers, or anything else. :)

***Book 6/7 spoiler alert***

So you must have hated every last Dumbledore scene where he explains the meaning of life to Harry. Don't worry if so, I hated them too. I was soo pissed that she actually fit it in book 7 too, even though he was already dead. It was one of those "Oh for cryin' out loud!" moments for me. ;) I read the first three pages of that chapter and skipped to the end of it.


ETA: About Voyager's post. I think the group she would have offended with this is about the same as the group she offended with magic in general. They run in packs, literally. Come visit my neck of the woods and see for yourself. ;)

[DamaNegra]

You know, now that I think of it though, if I were gay, I might be a little bit hacked off at JKR for making it an issue now and not dealing with it on any level whatsoever in the book. How do the gay people feel about that? Maybe an opportunity missed to educate kids, teach a little tolerance and bring a gay character into mainstream literature?

Uh... she did, didn't she?

Dumbledore was gay. Nothing happened. It didn't matter. That's the way life is, isn't it? Wether you're gay or not shouldn't really matter. Your actions matter. Your personality matters. That's all that mattered with Dumbledore. Dumbledore was a great character. He was a great person. Wether he was gay or not didn't matter at all. That's what people need to learn.

[sandyn]

Was there some really good reason why she felt it necessary to come up with this explanation. Wouldn't a simple 'no' have sufficed? Too much.

[Voyager]

If that's the case, then why bring it up now?

[Devil Ledbetter]

If that's the case, then why bring it up now?She was asked the question.

[Voyager]

Me to daughter: What do you think about Dumbledore now?

Daughter: I don't know what to think about him after book 6. I mean, he's not as nice as I thought he was, but that's probably because of his past history. His family was kind of messed up.

Me: JKR did an interview and said that he's gay.

Emily: You're kidding.

Me: No. What do you think about that?

Emily: Nothing really. Still doesn't explain why he's so frustrated and cranky sometimes.


LOL, there you have it folks. Out of the mouths of babes.

[maestrowork]

I for one am glad she had gay characters in the book even though she didn't explicitly stated so. I was beginning to wonder if only heteros can be wizards or witches. :)

[Wraith]

Me to daughter: What do you think about Dumbledore now?

Daughter: I don't know what to think about him after book 6. I mean, he's not as nice as I thought he was, but that's probably because of his past history. His family was kind of messed up.

Me: JKR did an interview and said that he's gay.

Emily: You're kidding.

Me: No. What do you think about that?

Emily: Nothing really. Still doesn't explain why he's so frustrated and cranky sometimes.


LOL, there you have it folks. Out of the mouths of babes.

Haha! :D

I don't know what to think, really. If she had this in mind the whole time it should have played a part in the story. The books have made perfect sense without that info, so why should she tell it now if it adds nothing to the story? (Ok, she was asked, but still.) If she wanted to make a point, it should have been in the book. Interviews don't count. Now she probably managed to completely change the image of Dumbledore for lots of people, which is a strange thing to do after you wrote The End.

Then again, it's just an interview. Future generation won't even know. Which is why I'd rather she had clues in the books. Oh well.

[maestrowork]

Remember it? I'm flyin' on mine right now, babycheeks.

Can't wait for the ride at the new WB theme park.

[DamaNegra]

But does it really matter? What's the point in including gays and heteros just for the sake of doing so? Really, do we have to discuss the sexuality of every character in a book? People make too big an issue of small things like these.... sexuality's an individual thing. People have preferences, and those preferences are their own. That's the way they are. Just leave them alone.

[Rolling Thunder]

Haha! :D


Then again, it's just an interview. Future generation won't even know. Which is why I'd rather she had clues in the books. Oh well.

Sure they will. The HP series has more movies coming out and a strong reader fan base, just like LoTR.

Plus, teachers will bring the subject up as long as HP is used in the future for edumacation. :)

[Medievalist]

She didn't include the fact of Dubledore's orientation in the book because as it was finally produced it wasn't germane--but it was part of his backstory, the information she knew about him that shaped him.

[Shady Lane]

Haha! :D

I don't know what to think, really. If she had this in mind the whole time it should have played a part in the story. The books have made perfect sense without that info, so why should she tell it now if it adds nothing to the story? (Ok, she was asked, but still.) If she wanted to make a point, it should have been in the book. Interviews don't count. Now she probably managed to completely change the image of Dumbledore for lots of people, which is a strange thing to do after you wrote The End.

Then again, it's just an interview. Future generation won't even know. Which is why I'd rather she had clues in the books. Oh well.

My feelings exactly.

[Voyager]

After my daughter's response, it just dawned on me that she's not growing up in an environment where sexual preference matters. We live in So. California, an arguably more sexually/racially tolerant place (if you don't count the OC) than many. Her best friend's mom is a lesbian and I never even knew until I met her and her partner. Not because it was a big secret, it simply doesn't matter to her. It doesn't matter to her that Dumbledore is gay and adding that to the book probably would have been irrelevant to her view of him as well. I'd like to think that maybe someday, everyone will feel this way.

[PeeDee]

I read that article this morning on the news and thought "Ah, now everyone's going to be aflutter."

Mostly, I don't care one way or the other. It doesn't affect the story in any way. I told my wife, this morning, that I found it interesting in that it adds back detail to the story of Dumbledore and Grimwald.

(spoiler alert? Gimme a break. IF you're in this thread, you're doomed anyway.)

I can think of loads of books with characters who were subtly gay and no one noticed or cared till the author said so. It's silly.

(Okay, actually, I quietly applaud her for it, but shhh!)

[brokenfingers]

I for one am glad she had gay characters in the book even though she didn't explicit stated so. I was beginning to wonder if only heteros can be wizards or witches. George RR Martin has a few gay characters in his highly acclaimed series: A Song of Ice and Fire

He treats them the same way, a few casual references and allusions. Their sexual preference isn't a deciding factor but only a part of the characterization - like a large nose or a fondness for sweet wine. Just like in real life.

[maestrowork]

That's the stupidest thing ever, James.

Does he have to have detailed anal sex in Chapter Five to make 'im count?


OMG, Zach said a dirty word: stupid.

Anyway, I do think the point of fiction is that these characters can be "REAL." Isn't that what we writers strive for? To say "these characters are not real and they can't be straight or gay or a doctor or a President or a fish" is to say we writers are just bunch of fools and readers are even worse fools. I'm kind of surprised to hear it from a writer's mouth. I mean, are we saying, Oh, Hermione and Ron aren't straight even though they got married and have kids because, guess, what, they aren't real.

My characters happen to have full lives and they happen to be all kinds of people, gay or straight or whatever. They're real enough to me. And that's why the movie Stranger than Fiction speaks to me as a novelist. What if my characters actually are alive in an alternate universe?

[Devil Ledbetter]

If she wanted to make a point, it should have been in the book. I think the whole point is, she didn't want to make a point. She was simply asked the question, and because this "fact" about the character had shaped him in her mind, she shared it.

It seems to me we're getting somewhere, finally, when we can have a children's book with a gay character and not have it be about making points or teaching lessons. He's gay because he's gay, and it's not relevant to the plot.

Just like in life.

[PeeDee]

In a lot of Neil Gaiman's works, there are all manner of gay and lesbian characters and sometimes, you don't really notice (because it's not part of the story, it's detail, like "blonde hair"). I appreciated it there, I appreciate more or less the same thing here.

[DamaNegra]

After my daughter's response, it just dawned on me that she's not growing up in an environment where sexual preference matters. We live in So. California, an arguably more sexually/racially tolerant place (if you don't count the OC) than many. Her best friend's mom is a lesbian and I never even knew until I met her and her partner. Not because it was a big secret, it simply doesn't matter to her. It doesn't matter to her that Dumbledore is gay and adding that to the book probably would have been irrelevant to her view of him as well. I'd like to think that maybe someday, everyone will feel this way.

Exactly!!! That's what I've been trying to say. People make a huge deal out of sexuality when it really isn't. Especially for the younger generations, who cares wether you like boys or girls? Just yesterday I went to a gay bar with a straight friend, a lesbian friend and a gay friend. We had a blast! Sexuality doesn't matter; personality does.

[maestrowork]

But does it really matter? What's the point in including gays and heteros just for the sake of doing so? Really, do we have to discuss the sexuality of every character in a book? People make too big an issue of small things like these.... sexuality's an individual thing. People have preferences, and those preferences are their own. That's the way they are. Just leave them alone.

I don't think it matters but most people would automatically assume people are "straight" by default and that make a work less "authentic" given the fact that heterosexuality is featured prominently in her books without a counterbalance, for example, to include two wizards or witches falling in love... But I agree it shouldn't matter, thus my feeling is that so what if she did indeed put it in that Dumbledore is gay and two student wizards fall in love along side Hermione and Ron (if the plot matters)? You don't have to flaunt this social commentary, but you also don't have to hide it because: it doesn't matter.

[maestrowork]

After my daughter's response, it just dawned on me that she's not growing up in an environment where sexual preference matters. We live in So. California, an arguably more sexually/racially tolerant place (if you don't count the OC) than many. ...I'd like to think that maybe someday, everyone will feel this way.

It's happening. Unless you're living in an ultra conservative place, kids nowadays, by and large, really don't care. Sure, you still have bullies and people who pick on others because they're gay but my observation is that once you go to college, it really doesn't matter at all. And many of the first HP fans are now in college, so to them, this is probably one of those: "Ah, that makes so much sense, but why didn't she just say so? But whatever." moment. :)

[PeeDee]

Honestly, I don't think one way or the other about what sort of sex they're keen to have, until it's brought up. I would never have thought about Dumbledore one way or the other.

I don't think it matters but most people would automatically assume people are "straight" by default and that make a work less "authentic" given the fact that heterosexuality is featured prominently in her books without a counterbalance, for example, to include two wizards or witches falling in love... But I agree it shouldn't matter, thus my feeling is that so what if she did indeed put it in that Dumbledore is gay and two student wizards fall in love along side Hermione and Ron (if the plot matters)? You don't have to flaunt this social commentary, but you also don't have to hide it because: it doesn't matter.

[InfinityGoddess]

Exactly!!! That's what I've been trying to say. People make a huge deal out of sexuality when it really isn't. Especially for the younger generations, who cares wether you like boys or girls? Just yesterday I went to a gay bar with a straight friend, a lesbian friend and a gay friend. We had a blast! Sexuality doesn't matter; personality does.

Unfortunately, people do make a big deal of it. Sad.

[Shadow_Ferret]

OK, I just wonder why it was necessary to out him? I mean, obviously she never WROTE about him being gay. So why is it even necessary to say, "Oh, yeah, that character is gay."

What is the point if it was never an issue within the stories themselves?

[maestrowork]

Exactly!!! That's what I've been trying to say. People make a huge deal out of sexuality when it really isn't. Especially for the younger generations, who cares wether you like boys or girls? Just yesterday I went to a gay bar with a straight friend, a lesbian friend and a gay friend. We had a blast! Sexuality doesn't matter; personality does.

Hey you youngsters are not the first. :) Back in my days, I went to a gay bar with my girlfriend, a friend and his boyfriend, and a bunch of other friends (whose orientations we didn't know or care) and we had fun. Guys flirted with me and I thought it was flattering.

[Voyager]

OK, I just wonder why it was necessary to out him? I mean, obviously she never WROTE about him being gay. So why is it even necessary to say, "Oh, yeah, that character is gay."

What is the point if it was never an issue within the stories themselves?

And this goes back to my initial reaction. I can't say what JKR was thinking or how she mapped her characters, but to me it just seems like she wrote the books with no specific sexuality in mind for much of anyone aside from the kids and now she's coming out and saying, oh yeah, Dumbledore was gay, aren't I bold and daring? Uhm, how does that work? But like I said, in the long run, the kids don't care either way, and that's as it should be.

[PattiTheWicked]

Because it tells you more about the character himself. She was asked if he ever found love. While she could have answered that he had a decades-long tawdry affair with Minerva McGonagall, that wasnt the case at all. It was never an issue within the stories -- and still isn't, really -- but it reveals some of Dumbeldore's backstory.

[PeeDee]

Someone asked her a question, at the signing, probably with specific names about Dumbledore's "true love," and so she answered. Anyone who's watched her answer questions (witness: Harry, Carrie & Garp) will note that she works really hard to give a really proper and satisfying answer to the questions. That's where this came from.

[Devil Ledbetter]

Interesting that if Rowling had answered that he'd once been involved with McGonagal, no one would react with suspicion as to her intent, or demand to know why this wasn't made more clear throughout the series. The belief of some people that his orientation should have warranted some note or special treatment just shows how far we, as a culture, have to go in truly accepting homosexuality.

Sad, isn't it?

[maestrowork]

I think Sirius Black is gay, too. At least that's the vibe I get from Gary Oldman. :D

[PeeDee]

Gary Oldman transcends sexual orientations. Much like Christian Bale. Just so we're clear. :D

[DamaNegra]

Honestly, I don't think one way or the other about what sort of sex they're keen to have, until it's brought up. I would never have thought about Dumbledore one way or the other.

Yup yup. I never give a thought to character's sexuality until it becomes apparent. For me, everyone's asexual until they demonstrate otherwise :D

[maestrowork]

And why is it news then? :) It shouldn't matter at all, it's like saying "OMG, Harry Potter is left handed." Wow, big deal.

[PeeDee]

Because everyone needs something to bitch and moan about, and now that Harry Potter is done, we need to wring out every little detail and moan about that.

(by "we" I mean "John Q. Public")

And why is it news then? :) It shouldn't matter at all, it's like saying "OMG, Harry Potter is left handed." Wow, big deal.

[Devil Ledbetter]

And why is it news then? :) It shouldn't matter at all, it's like saying "OMG, Harry Potter is left handed." Wow, big deal.OMGz really? *faints*

[larocca]

If I was still teaching, or perhaps I should say "teaching," in China, I have no doubt some bold-hearted red-haired young man would lisp "My English name is Dumbledore." And I'd immediately give him an A for the semester, because there is nothing wrong with that.

[badducky]

I'd like to take a moment to "out" another beloved character from children's literature.

You know the Sneetches with stars on their bellies? All gay. Every single last one of them.

[Medievalist]

Interesting that if Rowling had answered that he'd once been involved with McGonagal, no one would react with suspicion as to her intent, or demand to know why this wasn't made more clear throughout the series. The belief of some people that his orientation should have warranted some note or special treatment just shows how far we, as a culture, have to go in truly accepting homosexuality.

Sad, isn't it?

Sorta odd, really, especially the extreme reactions -- OMG, how wonderful, that completely makes me adore Dumbledore

or the

OMG I'm deeply squicked how dare she.

[clockwatcher]

Is this the first time anyone ever asked her about Dumbledore's love life?

[PeeDee]

Is this the first time anyone ever asked her about Dumbledore's love life?

Since this is the first real tour she's done in years and years, I would think so. And it's certainly the first time when she can say things without fearing about giving away something from an upcoming book (since there are no more)

[maestrowork]

She's also working on an HP encyclopedia so I bet she's fielding questions of what may be included...

[PeeDee]

That'll be a big help for Ray's Harry Potter live-action-role-playing game.

[Shades of Humanity]

blah

[badducky]

As long as Hermione's not gay, I'm still happy.

And Luna.

Also, I can say that because they all grew up now.

[maestrowork]

That'll be a big help for Ray's Harry Potter live-action-role-playing game.

You be Dumbledore and I be Sirius. But I'll have a bigger wand.

[PeeDee]

that's fine. I'll use my levitating spell.

...

Well. This thread has gone downhill, thanks to the mods.:D

[badducky]

I also think Star Trek's Scotty is gay.

He always seemed a little too attached to his young, male engineers.

[maestrowork]

While we're at it, Luke Skywalker is definitely gay.

[badducky]

Luke Skywalker is the gayest action hero of all time.

And, he's awesome. There's nothing wrong with that at all.

[PattiTheWicked]

As long as no one starts writing Skywalker/Boba Fett fanfic, we're ok.

[PeeDee]

Luke Skywalker was "whiny emo" before emo existed. He was a pioneer.

Luke Skywalker is the gayest action hero of all time.

And, he's awesome. There's nothing wrong with that at all.

[maestrowork]

I do wonder now whether it would affect how Gambon plays Dumbledore in the last two movies. Reminding me of a story about Sparticus -- Kirk Douglas had no idea the other actor (John Ireland, I think) was playing it gay as coached by Stanley Kurbrick.

[InfinityGoddess]

I do wonder now whether it would affect how Gambon plays Dumbledore in the last two movies. Reminding me of a story about Sparticus -- Kirk Douglas had no idea the other actor (John Ireland, I think) was playing it gay as coached by Stanley Kurbrick.

They would have gone with Sir Ian McKellen, but he turned it down in favor of Gandalf in LOTR.

That would have definitely been interesting, that.

[Toothpaste]

Why on earth should Dumbledore be played any differently? Why does being gay suddenly have to "mean" something to the state of HP, but being straight is just "normal"?

These kind of ancient wizard types are always considered asexual. Sex rarely comes into the conversation or backstory for either the character or the actor playing the character. JK Rowling is like any author, she knows everything about her characters, and had in the back of her mind that he was gay, that's all. It wasn't important really to the plot, except maybe to book 7. But who cares? It doesn't matter. It doesn't change who he was or how he behaved in the books. It's cool to know, but isn't necessary for this kind of character.

JAR - wow, you so don't have any clue about JK do you? I just have to say something about that, because I really don't know where this money grubbing rumour mongering personality associated with her has come from. She seems to me to be actually one of the few people in her kind of position who truly appreciates where she is and gives back to people. To say something so mean, is to fall into the trap the media have set for you, that is anyone who is successful must not be genuine or lacking in character. The fact that you can say she just called Dumbledore gay for the PR is just BS. This is a woman who has thought a heck of a lot through with her series. Whether you like it or not, like her writing or not, you can't deny she has road mapped almost everything about her world. And come on, surely there are things you have thought about your characters that in the end you never wrote down.

Le sigh. We are just so cynical in this day and age, and it just makes me sad when someone who is genuinely lovely like JK gets such ire towards her.

Ehem.

End rant.

[PeeDee]

I agree with you, Toothpaste, on all points.

(I don't get the idea of J.K. Rowling money-grabbing. Why would she need to? She's worth eleventy million trillion dollars or something, for heaven's sake.)

[InfinityGoddess]

Why on earth should Dumbledore be played any differently? Why does being gay suddenly have to "mean" something to the state of HP, but being straight is just "normal"?




Well, speaking as a gay person myself, I agree that it shouldn't make that much of a difference in how Gambon plays him in the movies. Dumbledore never let on what his preferences were in the books, after all.

[maestrowork]

What I mean is that now that Gambon knows his character is gay, would it affect the way he portrays a character more fully. Not that he has to, but I'm speaking as an actor -- the more information you know about a character, the more fully you play the role. It doesn't mean you have to start playing it stereotypically or even differently at all, but for movie 7, for example, you can't say the thing between him and Grindelwald won't make a difference at all... it does, now that we know he was in love with Grindelwald. As another poster said in another thread:

It didn't make a lot of sense for Dumbledore to be friends with Gellert Grindelwald in the book, but the fact that he was secretly in love with him adds a whole new layer to the character, and makes everything fit in place.

As an actor, that's the kind of motivation you crave.

Like I said about Sparticus, Kubrick instructed the actor to play it as someone in love with Kirk Douglas but there was nothing "gay" about the plot or even how the characters interacted; Kirk Douglas didn't have to know, and the audiences didn't have to know. But the actor and Kubrick knew. And that added a different layer to the actor's portrayal/subtext, even if it was not obvious.

[Toothpaste]

I know what you mean, and of course as an actor it totally informs the background knowledge of the character. But I was more responding in fact to the people who ask if it changes anything that he's gay. I just don't see how it would.

As an actor myself, and especially for movie 7, I could see it being a good bit of info to know. At the same time, no one reading book 7 knew that info, and the info was released as just a side note. I can only imagine that if it mattered to the book, JK would have written it into to the book. We know Dumbledore can be blinded by love, we've seen it before, but it doesn't have to be romantic love necessarily.

Actors prep in different ways. Some read all the HPs, some have no idea what happens the next chapter, let alone the next book. It doesn't really matter so long as they give a convincing performance. I have seen acting colleagues do tons of research and "method" acting and not see one iota of difference when they are onstage between them and others who work outside in.

My point, I would hate to see Dumbledore's sexuality inform a performance because, to me at least, the archtypal character he is meant to be has no sexuality in the first place. So I can't see why it would matter if he was gay or not. But of course if Mr. Gambon finds it helpful, which I am sure he does, then that's great too.

Argh. I am agreeing with you Maestro in a weird way. Not even sure why I wrote all this really . . .

[maestrowork]

Because you're secretly in love with me. ;)

[Toothpaste]

Shh! Maestro! What part of "secretly" do you not understand?!

[maestrowork]

Oops.

[badducky]

I've never quite been able to figure out how people can "act gay".

I guess I've known too many GLB individuals so I was able to notice how most of the time, unless they actually tell you (a.k.a. come out of the closet) you'd never know, and any guess you make is about fifty-fifty.

Gayest acting person I ever met was married with many kids, and I'm quite certain he wasn't on the down low. And, the fact that one could never be sure about him unless he told one is precisely the point.

[InfinityGoddess]

I've never quite been able to figure out how people can "act gay".


Heheh. My family still hasn't figured it out; they just figure I'm a tomboy (although my mother is still a bit in denial of the fact that I didn't end up being the "girly-girl" she thought she was going to get when she had me; boy did I fool her) and leave it at that.

In some ways, I guess I can understand; I have tried to date men before. Never worked out.

[DamaNegra]

I've never quite been able to figure out how people can "act gay".

Me neither, but all the gays I've ever met seem to have this radar thingie that allows them to spot other gays with a 99.99% accuracy rate. Amazing.

[Wraith]

You guys are right. I just don't like having so much info after the series have ended - but that's not her fault, it's the readers' most of all. I guess it's just the fact that her books are so influential. I wish announcing one of my characters was gay would stir such a response :tongue

Of course it doesn't matter at all. Book 7 came so close, it could have said it, but she decided not to and that's fine, it leaves more to the reader. I really admired JK for how she handles this huge thing she's started, so that isn't gonna change now.

[san_remo_ave]

Wow. There is an lolcat for EVERYTHING....

http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/dumbledore-is-gay-lolcat.jpg

[maestrowork]

Where is the lolcat of "Big Deal"?

[Sassee]

Me neither, but all the gays I've ever met seem to have this radar thingie that allows them to spot other gays with a 99.99% accuracy rate. Amazing.

It's called a "gaydar." Yes, I'm serious.

And the thing is amazing. In World of Warcraft we have our own little gay community within the guild. They have an in game chat channel and everything (I hang out in there because it's ridiculously fun!). So... not only does the gaydar work in real life, it works in the virtual world, too. Mull that one over for a while.

Coincidentally, for a while there most of the gay peeps in the guild were female gnome mages... go figure. :e2shrug:

Anyways, I have no idea why this is such a big deal. Yeah it adds character depth, but honestly... does it matter?

[maestrowork]

Me neither, but all the gays I've ever met seem to have this radar thingie that allows them to spot other gays with a 99.99% accuracy rate. Amazing.

I am a guy with no gaydar (just like the SNL skit).

The thing is, there are all kinds of people so unless they tell you or if you see them kissing someone there's really no way to know for sure. I have a friend who divorced his wife a few years ago, and he has two teenage children and I just recently saw him out with his partner, and I was like, "When did this happen?" He jokingly said I was probably one of the last people to figure it out. It's amazing because I have gay friends and you'd have thought my gaydar would start working better.

[san_remo_ave]

Where is the lolcat of "Big Deal"?

Uh huh. And if you don't find what you want they now have an image generator.

http://www.thecheezburgerfactory.com//completestore/128374584934420000Bigdeal.jpg

[Wraith]

The two go together perfectly!

Oh my, lolcats are taking over the world.

[Christine N.]

Hey, up until the last book I thought more than once Lupin was gay. Don't ask me why, just the impression I got.

Then he went and got married and had a baby...

[maestrowork]

Then [Lupin] went and got married and had a baby...

These days it doesn't really mean anything. ;)

[DamaNegra]

I am a guy with no gaydar (just like the SNL skit).

Yeah but are you gay?? I've yet to meet a gay guy without a gaydar, and I've never met a straight guy with a gaydar. I don't have one. I can't tell a straight guy from a gay guy. Maybe because I don't have a need to, I've never bothered and I'm not sure I ever will.

[Penguin Queen]

It's called a "gaydar." Yes, I'm serious.


Yah, but not everybody has it. I'm queer & bi, my gaydar is rubbish. Most of my lesbian friends do have it though, they just spot it from miles off, while I have to have things pointed out to me. Meh.

Anyways, I have no idea why this is such a big deal. Yeah it adds character depth, but honestly... does it matter?

I dont think it's a big deal. I like that he is incidentally gay, that it is exactly not a big deal, but there'll be a few gay kids living in the back of beyond who will think theyre the only one and have never ever met any gay/lesbian poeple, who suddenly have a positive role model. That's cool.

I just wish Rowling had pulled a similarly high-profiled lesbian out of her sleeve. Gay women are so bloody invisible.

[maestrowork]

I've yet to meet a gay guy without a gaydar, and I've never met a straight guy with a gaydar. I don't have one. I can't tell a straight guy from a gay guy. Maybe because I don't have a need to, I've never bothered and I'm not sure I ever will.

My ex has the best gaydar, and she's 100% straight. She would tell me "so and so is gay" and I would go, "no way. Really?" and it turned out she was always right. Amazing.

[Shady Lane]

My lesbian sister completely envies my gaydar. She always has to check with me.

Gay best friend (m), on the other hand, is spot-on.

[maestrowork]

Y
I just wish Rowling had pulled a similarly high-profiled lesbian out of her sleeve. Gay women are so bloody invisible.

Don't be surprised if she dropped a few more bombs about her lesbian characters in HP...

[Christine N.]

I wonder about Professor McGonagall...

But other than that, what does this do to the actor who now has to make it through two more movies with this knowledge? I mean, will it color his performance? Make it more difficult to play a character he's played through three movies already the same as before, because there's another layer added that he never knew about, but that was part of the character's backstory all along?

Yes, I wonder about weird things like that. I mean, the books are over and done, but there's two movies left to shoot. Or at least finish. Although there's not much "Dumbledore" in the last one.

[maestrowork]

We talked about that already and I don't think Michael Gambon needs to do anything different, but certainly he would have more background and motivation and layers for his portrayal. Gambon has played gay characters before (e.g. in Good Shepherd). What I wonder though, is the fans' reaction to Dumbledore in the next two movies, knowing now that he's gay. Not that it should matter, but people are just people... Especially since Dumbledore was more of a peripheral figure in the first few movies but his role is getting more and more central to the plot...

[Christine N.]

Well, there's six pages to this thread already. I must have missed that previous discussion :tongue

Thanks. And I think Michael Gambon is doing a fine job, although I miss Richard Harris terribly, because he was a perfect fit. I wonder what he would have thought? Anyway, DD is still a strong, amazing character, and I think it only enhances him to be gay. Not that he needed enhancing.

[maestrowork]

Richard Harris was an outstanding actor and he wouldn't have blinked.

[mscelina]

LOL--an actor wouldn't have to change his portrayal of a character just because he's gay. Dumbledore is a richly deeply layered character and his homosexuality is just a nice texture to add to those layers.

Now Aberforce Dumbeldore and his goat thing...that might be problematic. :D

[DamaNegra]

LOL--an actor wouldn't have to change his portrayal of a character just because he's gay. Dumbledore is a richly deeply layered character and his homosexuality is just a nice texture to add to those layers.

Now Aberforce Dumbeldore and his goat thing...that might be problematic. :D
Aberforth :)

Damn... I'm now officially a Harry Potter geek aside from a Star Wars and LOTR geek. Way to go.

[Christine N.]

LOL!

Quick! Write out the Black family tree and tell me exactly how Sirius is related to Draco Malfoy AND what is Nymphodora Tonk's mother's FIRST name.

Yes, both actors are/were terrific. I wonder if they think they should have had the information earlier though. If there's anything, any way they would have potrayed the character differently.

I suppose not, since it's not really about DD's being gay, and everything about the story of Harry Potter. So it's moot, huh.


Actually I think the whole thing's moot, but, there you are.

Okay back to my twenty page rewrite. Ack.

[maestrowork]

Actually I love the fact that they didn't know and the notion that Gambon wouldn't change his portrayal one bit -- that tells everyone "gay or straight, it really doesn't matter." You love Dumbledore before, and you love him now, nothing changes.

[Penguin Queen]

LOL--an actor wouldn't have to change his portrayal of a character just because he's gay. Dumbledore is a richly deeply layered character and his homosexuality is just a nice texture to add to those layers.

Exactly. A gay person doesnt act differently from a straight one, other than their choice of partner.

[Christine N.]

Well... Penguin Queen, we both know that's not TOTALLY true. I'm not buying into that stereotype at all, but we do know that there is a certain TYPE of gay man that does act differently. I've known more than a few very effeminate gay men. There's a reason behind those stereotypes (and I'm SO looking forward to a gay couple living on Wisteria Lane - tonight's Desperate Housewives! That doesn't have anything to do with anything.) it's just not the way the ALL act.

DD just isn't 'that kind' of gay man. I can dig it. Like I said, it doesn't really matter and I wonder if we ever would have known if that one person hadn't asked the question. Prolly not.

On that note, funny story. Couple weeks back I was at a book festival, sharing a booth with another fantasy author. She had a book called "Bad-Ass Faeries". Mythological faeries, but you'll see how funny that is later.

So my friend sees this really stocky, biker looking guy in the crowd. Red do-rag, goatee, tattoos. She says "you look like you need a copy of BAF". Her reasoning was that he looked...bad-ass. He kind of got upset over it...because he was gay. How could she know, right? I never would have guessed in a hundred years.

My friend was SO embarassed, but she explained it wasn't 'that kind' of faery, and everything was fine again.

Funny story, true story. We were laughing about that for an hour. Just goes to show...

[maestrowork]

I know enough effeminate straight men and men who don't subscribe to the socially conditioned masculinity (sports, beer, chasing women, rock n roll, etc. -- instead they like to read, play board games, listen to classical music, do gardening...) to know that none of these "traits" mean anything, really, as far as sexuality is concerned.

p.s. the actor who plays one half of the gay couple, Tuc Watkins, used to date a friend of mine in LA.

[mscelina]

Aberforth :)

Damn... I'm now officially a Harry Potter geek aside from a Star Wars and LOTR geek. Way to go.

don't you get it...AberFORCE....goats....

yeah it was a typo. I'm distracted by actually trying to work while keeping an internet window open.

*sigh*

goats....

[mscelina]

I've worked in gay bars and for gay charities for years (my older brother is gay) so it's hard for me to buy into the 'gay' stereotype. That's just me.

I mean seriously: I've dressed drag queens for pageants. Until you've zipped a six foot four dude into a bugle beaded evening gown you don't know the meaning of irony. Especially when he asks to borrow your shoes.

True story: my brother, who wore six inch dragon lady fingernails to perform in our annual AIDS charity event, once picked up a guy by the throat and slammed him into the wall when we were in a bar in Cincinnati for being RUDE to me. They won't put Gambon in pink robes and he won't start to lisp. Dumbledore's sexual preference is peripheral and not important to the story. It was just a case of Rowling letting the audience know something that she has known for a long time.

[Christine N.]

No, I don't absolutely buy into any stereotype, just saying that there are some that do actually act the way the sterotype portrays them. We all know people that don't, but there are some that do. We've all come across them, I'm sure.

I lived with a bisexual man for two years, as a roomate. I wouldn't think anyone would have pegged him as gay right off the bat. And during that same period worked with a man who I would have called (and he would have too) flaming. I've been to gay bars. I've been picked up, by men, in gay bars. My twenties were a strange time. But anyway...

I don't expect the character to change at all - just replying to Penguin Queen's statement. You can't generalize one way or the other, for any person.

[Penguin Queen]

I don't expect the character to change at all - just replying to Penguin Queen's statement. You can't generalize one way or the other, for any person.


No, that's what I mean: some gay poeple will be closer to the stereotype, but then -as MW & others have pointed out -, there are camp straight men and butch straight women. So yeah - some gay poeple will behave differently to most straight poeple. And so will some straight people. :)

[Christine N.]

:tongue

LOL

[maestrowork]

Yeah, the point is, pick any "category" of people (men, women, gays, straights, firefighters, presidents, school teachers...) and you will find many adhering to the "stereotypes" and many don't and a whole lot in between. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but exactly because of this wide spectrum they also don't mean crap. To speculate someone's sexuality by way of stereotypes is futile. But people still do that. I'd be rich if I get a dollar for every "he's into operas and classic literature and he drinks tea and watches foreign films and he doesn't play any sports and his best friend is a woman -- he must be gay."

[mscelina]

you know, it actually amazes me that this is such a hot-button topic right now. When I read the article (yes--I keep up with Mugglenet--STOP LAUGHING) I just kind of shrugged and laughed and forgot about it.

Each one of my major characters has their own file: appearance, backstory, likes, dislikes, hobbies and so forth--everything I need to write them convincingly and to make them REAL people to me. My philosophy has always been that in order for someone else to find a character credible, it's vital that I do that first. I looked back into some of my character files tonight just out of curiosity and I don't think that a quarter of the work I do on each character ever makes it into the story. The notes help me remember who they were BEFORE they made it into the story and it colors how I write them in context with the story I'm telling now. I have a feeling that's probably what this was for Rowling: a character note she made about Dumbledore at some point that helped her determine his reactions to things. That's just a guess.

Of course, I could just be a Rowling pseudonym and I'm telling you this in the utmost confidence. sssssssssssh---don't spread it around. ;)

[jodiodi]

I'm kinda with mscelina on this. I heard about it and just thought, OK.

I did know, however, there would be tons of people who would be all atwitter about it. I just don't understand why.

I hope, however, that my characters can inspire such discussion on such a level.

[InfinityGoddess]

you know, it actually amazes me that this is such a hot-button topic right now. When I read the article (yes--I keep up with Mugglenet--STOP LAUGHING) I just kind of shrugged and laughed and forgot about it.



I keep up with The Leaky Cauldron and occasionally Mugglenet. ;) Just sayin' so you don't feel alone.

[Toothpaste]

I'm a Leaky Cauldron girl myself.

And I was there at midnight for book 7. And lined up opening day for each movie.

And went to see JK talk at Radio City Music Hall (along with Stephen King and John Irving).

Just adding to the not alone thing!

[maestrowork]

Does reading Harry Potter make me gay?

[mscelina]

only if you're in a dress you swiped from your sister's closet.

[maestrowork]

I don't have a sister. But what if it were my girlfriend's Victoria's Secret?

[badducky]

Maestrowork, using a cat for an avatar makes you gay. Reading Harry Potter just means you have fashionable taste.

[althrasher]

So I live in kind of a conservative area, and it, unfortunatly, IS a big deal. So my reaction when I heard it was not "Oh. Ok. That's cool." My reaction was more along the lines of: "Are you serious?!?! That's awesome!" and I immedietly called my mother to relay the news. It doesn't so much change the way I think about Dumbledore, but it DEFINETELY changes the way I feel about JK and give her mad props for sticking to her guns.

And as an aside, I don't think Michael Gambon can screw up Dumbledore any more than he already has.

[larocca]

Maestrowork, using a cat for an avatar makes you gay.

Meow?

[Danger Jane]

dumbledore = asexual wizened old dude

[mscelina]

I don't have a sister. But what if it were my girlfriend's Victoria's Secret?

that's a difficult question. I'd have to say no: it doesn't.

It does however mean you're dating a gal with expensive taste.

[SpookyWriter]

Maestrowork, using a cat for an avatar makes you gay. Reading Harry Potter just means you have fashionable taste.And for those of us who never read Harry Potter or have a cat avatar?

[maestrowork]

deprived.

[SpookyWriter]

deprived.Yes, I'm deprived of a few bucks for the chance to read about wizards and such. Now if they could make this into a Texas Chain Saw type story I'd bite. ;)

[badducky]

Spooky, using Jimi as your avatar just makes you a poseur.

Unless you, too, can belt out purple haze while juiced on enough substances to make you believe you were gay.

Also, Jimi's gayness kept him out of the Vietnam war. Hooray for gay Jimi!

[Medievalist]

deprived.

Depraved?

[larocca]

Dear Michael,

My life was a disaster. My husband left me for another man and took my truck. With four-wheel drive. My dog bit me. The bank repossessed my house. I was illiterate and unemployable. My husband had always been my sole source of income before. What oh what could I do?

I lived in a cardboard box in an alley, my only friend a rusty battered shopping cart with one wheel missing. When I could, I slept in the lobby of the local library, but only on shifts when the old lady with no sense of smell was working. No one else could stand to be in my presence. I ate leftovers from dumpsters. I learned how to make a lovely drink by swishing tap water around in an empty bottle of HP Sauce.

One day I walked into the library for a nice long nap, but there were winos on every couch. So I walked over to a computer terminal, resigned to sleeping in a chair. Again. But there on the screen was WILL EDIT FOR FOOD. I like food.

It was like a revelation to me. Writing? I'd never thought of it before. But I gave it a shot, following your advice and clinging onto every precious word. I learned about spelling, grammar and punctuation. I learned the difference between verbs and verbiage. I learned about dialogue, plot, dangling modifiers, misplaced modifiers, characterization, descriptive passages, narrative, exposition, active voice and Tom Swifties.

Writing and publishing were my tickets out of the cardboard box in the alley. A way to quit pushing that squeaky shopping cart. To sleep in an honest-to-goodness bed again. To bathe. To buy new clothes. To learn how to live again! I got a better husband, a bigger truck, a new dog, and a mansion.

This is all because of your unparalleled generosity in writing such a wonderful newsletter, and I will be forever in your debt. Not financially -- these billions are mine -- but in my heart.

With warmest regards,
$$ Rowling

[SpookyWriter]

Depraved?Tomato, tomato?

[SpookyWriter]

Spooky, using Jimi as your avatar just makes you a poseur.

Unless you, too, can belt out purple haze while juiced on enough substances to make you believe you were gay.

Also, Jimi's gayness kept him out of the Vietnam war. Hooray for gay Jimi!Jimi reflects my mood about life, work, family, and writing.

[badducky]

Get really stoned and stomp yer fuzzbox?

[SpookyWriter]

Get really stoned and stomp yer fuzzbox?Stoned is a issue with perception. I have no such issues.

[MacAllister]

And with that, I think this topic has blown itself out.

Guys, please try to keep the OP chit-chat in OP, okay?

Thanks.