The Harry Potter Inheritance
First, some quick updates: SCARLET is available on Amazon! Isn't that crazy? I think it's pretty nuts.
Well, tonight I'm pretty bummed that I'm working instead of reveling in a midnight showing of the Harry Potter movie, but I've had some pretty serious Harry Potter geek time earlier this week.
On my two days off, I flew down to Orlando to check out the Lit Day that was part of Leaky Con 2011. This was a pretty awesome event in it's inaugural year; headed up by Maureen Johnson (of awesomeness fame) authors Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), Libba Bray, John Green, David Levithan, Ally Carter, Scott Westerfeld and a whole bunch of others (including rock star agents and editors) comprised the faculty. Can you call it faculty for a convention? Sure, why not.
The hands down coolest thing about this was the excitement. Yes, I'm aware that Harry Potter is in fact a book that has spawned die hard fans and scream-worthy moments, but let's face it--on a daily basis, I don't really see people screaming about literature. Maybe its because I don't get to interact with a young audience all that often, but the cynic in me is eager to attribute it to the fact that while I'm geeky and excited about books, I don't think I'd faint at the sight of an author.
Partially, you know, because they tend to look different from their pictures and I don't want to faint over a random in the street.
Waiting in line for a registration badge (a circle of hell I won't get into here), John Green walked past. I heard the screams from far away and looked for like Daniel Radcliffe or something, but there he was. A young adult author getting fully screamed over. And teens were literally shaking as he walked by. He got tackle-hugged.
And in the actual event, these authors--and virtually any mention of any other young adult author--were met with wild cheers. Kids tried to run up to the authors during their presentations. They were mobbed before and afterward. During a presentation called "YA Saved My Sanity" (or something to that effect), one girl with bright pink hair stood up and just thanked John Green and David Levithan in particular for writing LGBT characters into their literature, saying that other books had gay characters, but their books had gay characters she could *be*. She kind of fumbled after that, and worried that no one knew what she meant, but the cool thing was that I'm pretty sure EVERYONE knew what she meant.
This was a crowd unlike any other. These weren't just kids who liked books, these were outrageous geeks that LOVED books (note: geek is not derogatory; I was sitting there too!). These were kids and adults that felt the tangible, specific ways that literature made a huge difference in their lives. From accepting them when no one else did to letting them work through issues, problems and heartache, literature meant something.
It seemed to me at first that this lit day was something separate from the experience of Leaky Con (which, hey, I'm a geek, but I can't quite handle a con). An afterthought, a side note, a bonus on the edges of the Harry Potter insanity.
Nope. That crowd LOVED books, and in a lot of ways, Harry Potter was the series that gave the world permission to get a little crazy over books again. It paved the way for Twilight Madness, for Hunger Games obsession, for teams and fanfic and a thousand outlets for fans to show their love.
For reading.
And I have to say, what a cool literary world to be inheriting. What a cool time to be published. What an honor it is to join this world with the hope that I will belong to these fans as much as one day, hopefully, they'll belong to me.
and now let me just see that Harry Potter movie, ok!??!
