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As a recent Harvard graduate who was disappointed in his University President (Larry Summers) and his commencement speaker (Tim Russert), I can say I was really

As a recent Harvard graduate who was disappointed in his University President (Larry Summers) and his commencement speaker (Tim Russert), I can say I was really thrilled to hear both Faust's and Rowling's speech. Both were truly excellent, but Rowling's was particularly relevant to her audience given the tendencies of Harvard seniors to view life as a race to the top of Goldman Sachs. Harry Potter aside, Rowling continues to impress me as an amazing person and a model for entrepreneurs. For example, want to know who gets good contract terms? Look at J.K. Rowling. Want to see someone who knows how to control the media? J.K. Rowling once more. She's very understated, hasn't destroyed anyone's livelihood, and yet she's immensely successful (and still down-to-earth). I hope to be like her one day.

huhtenberg 18y ago
If only she would've not turned poor Albus gay .. (edit) What I mean is that she should've not gone into elaborating on this subject at all. It would've been equally damaging if she would've called him a "ladies man" or a "sex bomb". It's a type of a character detail that I think is better not to be discussed explicitly. Not for this particular character. I don't know about other people, but this comment of hers did spoil the reading of the last book for me.
- ken 18y ago
  "It's like her stupid, self-serving claim that Dumbledore was gay. She wants credit for being very up-to-date and politically correct - but she didn't have the guts to put that supposed "fact" into the actual novels, knowing that it might hurt sales. What a pretentious, puffed-up coward. When I have a gay character in my fiction, I say so right in the book. I don't wait until after it has had all its initial sales to mention it." -- Orson Scott Card, <http://www.linearpublishing.com/RhinoStory.html&#62 http://www.linearpublishing.com/RhinoStory.html>
  - radu_floricica 18y ago
    Well... if you know a bit more about Card outside of Ender novels, you tend to take what he says as wrong by default. He's so opposite to what you'd expect him to be I often fantasize he's trolling.
  - gruseom 18y ago
    An acute and trenchant point. Something about that bothered me too, but I wasn't sure what. He put his finger on it - or rather, his foot.
    - huhtenberg 18y ago
      I'm not sure he's right though. Given Rowling's position I don't think she feels a need to prove anything to anyone. Especially about being "up-to-date" and "politically correct". This remark sounded more like something she'd said just to see how public would react. Or perhaps to intentionally annoy certain people (religious zaelots and such). I just can't imagine JKR sitting at home, bitting her fingernails and thinking "Damn, I am not politically correct enough .. I should really do something about it".
  - Xichekolas 18y ago
    The books in the Ender series are my favorite books, and I have never read the Harry Potter books, so I must ask those who have, is his description of the parallels between the two series correct? > "A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world." If so, that is both amusing and relieving. Since I know Ender backwords and forwards, I can save myself the time reading Harry Potter. Regardless of the lady and her tactics in the publishing business, you have to admit this is quite a good speech. When I first saw it at the top, I thought to myself: "holy crap why is this on HN?" But after watching it, I can't help thinking how nice it was to have my optimism needle bumped up a notch.
    - nostrademons 18y ago
      It's accurate, but he's cherry-picking events from both books to illustrate his points. The above description could be Ursula LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea series as well. Hell, Orson Scott Card stole the ansible from LeGuin's Hainish novels. Without the school aspect, it could be Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Without the flying in mid-air, it could be Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic books or Sherwood Smith's Wren's Quest series.
      - rory096 18y ago
        From the article: "It's true that we writers borrow words from each other ? but we're supposed to admit it and not pretend we're original when we're not. I took the word ansible from Ursula K. LeGuin, and have always said so. Rowling, however, denies everything."
    - 18y ago
  - deleted 18y ago
    [deleted]
- nostrademons 18y ago
  What, you couldn't tell Albus was gay from the first 6 books? It's not canon anyway, so you can go on pretending he's straight or asexual or caprasexual. Hell, I pretend the epilogue doesn't exist, and that is canon.

huhtenberg 18y ago

If only she would've not turned poor Albus gay .. (edit) What I mean is that she should've not gone into elaborating on this subject at all. It would've been equally damaging if she would've called him a "ladies man" or a "sex bomb". It's a type of a character detail that I think is better not to be discussed explicitly. Not for this particular character. I don't know about other people, but this comment of hers did spoil the reading of the last book for me.

ken 18y ago
"It's like her stupid, self-serving claim that Dumbledore was gay. She wants credit for being very up-to-date and politically correct - but she didn't have the guts to put that supposed "fact" into the actual novels, knowing that it might hurt sales. What a pretentious, puffed-up coward. When I have a gay character in my fiction, I say so right in the book. I don't wait until after it has had all its initial sales to mention it." -- Orson Scott Card, <http://www.linearpublishing.com/RhinoStory.html&#62 http://www.linearpublishing.com/RhinoStory.html>
- radu_floricica 18y ago
  Well... if you know a bit more about Card outside of Ender novels, you tend to take what he says as wrong by default. He's so opposite to what you'd expect him to be I often fantasize he's trolling.
- gruseom 18y ago
  An acute and trenchant point. Something about that bothered me too, but I wasn't sure what. He put his finger on it - or rather, his foot.
  - huhtenberg 18y ago
    I'm not sure he's right though. Given Rowling's position I don't think she feels a need to prove anything to anyone. Especially about being "up-to-date" and "politically correct". This remark sounded more like something she'd said just to see how public would react. Or perhaps to intentionally annoy certain people (religious zaelots and such). I just can't imagine JKR sitting at home, bitting her fingernails and thinking "Damn, I am not politically correct enough .. I should really do something about it".
- Xichekolas 18y ago
  The books in the Ender series are my favorite books, and I have never read the Harry Potter books, so I must ask those who have, is his description of the parallels between the two series correct? > "A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world." If so, that is both amusing and relieving. Since I know Ender backwords and forwards, I can save myself the time reading Harry Potter. Regardless of the lady and her tactics in the publishing business, you have to admit this is quite a good speech. When I first saw it at the top, I thought to myself: "holy crap why is this on HN?" But after watching it, I can't help thinking how nice it was to have my optimism needle bumped up a notch.
  - nostrademons 18y ago
    It's accurate, but he's cherry-picking events from both books to illustrate his points. The above description could be Ursula LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea series as well. Hell, Orson Scott Card stole the ansible from LeGuin's Hainish novels. Without the school aspect, it could be Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Without the flying in mid-air, it could be Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic books or Sherwood Smith's Wren's Quest series.
    - rory096 18y ago
      From the article: "It's true that we writers borrow words from each other ? but we're supposed to admit it and not pretend we're original when we're not. I took the word ansible from Ursula K. LeGuin, and have always said so. Rowling, however, denies everything."
  - 18y ago
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]
nostrademons 18y ago
What, you couldn't tell Albus was gay from the first 6 books? It's not canon anyway, so you can go on pretending he's straight or asexual or caprasexual. Hell, I pretend the epilogue doesn't exist, and that is canon.