[HPforGrownups] Re: idiotic letter in todays paper

[China Chick]

No: HPFGUIDX 16052

*laughing hysterically*  I haven't read that specific letter, but have read many like it. It is the comic relief of my day when some pathetically ignorant "child*" forms a half-baked idea from speculation and rumors and decides to "remove all doubt^" of his stupidity by publishing the written form.  I agree, many good books/pieces of literature are extensions or rip-offs of another work.  Even outside the Magical Genre I see evidence of it.  For our Choir University Interscholastic League(UIL) Competition we sang a piece that was the basic "Romeo & Juliet" story.  Not only that, but one of the members had said that she read the something like the lyrics a while before in one of her poetry books.  It happens all the time, but only becomes a big issue when the spin-off becomes phenomenal and the "original" (if there is such a thing) writer is extremely greedy.  
Notations: 
    ^ "It is better to be thought a fool  than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."  ~Thomas Jefferson~
    * I'm using "child" in the sense of one who is naive and not learned in the goings on of the world.  Not as an age group adjective.  If you still don't get what I'm saying, e-mail me:
        chinachick1616 at hotmail.com

~Adrienne~

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rainy_lilac at yahoo.com 
  To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 4:55 PM
  Subject: [HPforGrownups] Re: idiotic letter in todays paper



  Of course the obvious question is why aren't the writers named by the letter writer sueing JKR?

  The answer is that like Neil Gaimen they very likely don't believe that the similarities are such a big deal. JKR is not the first writer to write about young wizards or to send them to school. Her style and the shape of her stories is verrrryyyy different from Jane Yolen's.

  I happen to know Jane Yolen. I studied with her at Smith. She is a very cool lady who has herself borrowed heavily from fairy tales and 
  mythology and took much inspiration from other fine writers. John Crowley's book "Little Big" in particular had a huge effect on her, and a number of her stories show his inspiration, and yes, even rip off details (which Crowley himself ripped off from Tolkien). The works are completely different. Crowley and Yolen are neighbors 
  and play poker regularly. It's not a problem because Jane has her vision and it is all hers, and nobody but nobody is another John Crowley.

  A true writer with a great story to tell about another witch or wizard is not going to feel threatened by JKR-- more likely he or she will feel inspired, charged up, and encouraged and be happy for her success. They are also goingnto realize that our fascination with witches and wizards and coming of age are literally as old as the 
  hills.

  *Shrug* That's my take.  I don't think this letter really supports Stouffer. It is however naive and shows little understanding of creativity. I also wonder if she has actually read Jane Yolen. The work cited really is nothing like Harry Potter. I suspect she is repeating stories she has heard elsewhere.

  --Suzanne




  --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Dai Evans" <dwe199 at s...> wrote:
  > Joywitch wrote:
  Todays Washington Post has a letter from a reader in Arlington, VA, in response to the Post article last week about Nancy Stouffer.  The URL is:

  http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46988-2001Apr5.html

  This letter is sooo lame. I wondered for a moment or two if it was supposed to be sarcastic; it's that pathetic. Talk about tenuous parallels...Didn't this woman read the letter over before mailing it, and realize? It defies belief. I can imagine that she had a point all worked out in her head and decided to put it into words, but, good  Lord. It's just dreadfully weak.

  Dai



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