Literature (was HP on Sparknotes.com)

[Amy Z]

Cindy wrote:

> >I suppose that it is certainly possible for a newspaper 
> > or magazine to print something that is literature (New Yorker 
does 
> > this, IMO)

Sure--in the case of literary magazines, it's their raison d'etre.  
And plenty of the works that are now deemed not only fine fiction, 
nay literature <g>, but even classics, were first published in 
magazines (in the case of The New Yorker, e.g., J.D. Salinger and 
James Thurber both published there regularly).  It's the way most 
short fiction writers get their stuff read.  

Re: the "literature" section in bookstores, this always bugs me.  
It's a very odd use of the term--as if "fiction" is just fiction, 
but "literature" is GOOD fiction.  Or something.  Bookstores, of all 
places, should have a more sophisticated approach to literature.
 
David wrote:

> Again, I am waiting for the rise of the word Muggle to describe 
> those not in the know or not able to follow a technical subject, 
> e.g. for civil servants to describe the public as 'the Muggles'.  I 
> haven't heard it yet, but it's so obvious I feel it's got to happen.

Let's start a movement.  I bet if every one of us makes sure to use 
the term "Muggles" this way once a week, it will catch on all over 
the globe within a few months.

But isn't it a bit . . . you know . . . anti-Muggle?  I mean, it's 
not very nice to malign a population just for not being magical.  
Some of us are very nice and not stupid at all, even though when we 
wave our wands nothing happens.  <sniff!>

Amy
who *does* quote HP regularly in order to make a point, and only gets 
odd looks about half the time