Lectures on Tolkien and Harry Potter at Fandemonium 2010
The "Fandemonium" programming track of the 2010 Red Stick Animation Festival will feature two of my lectures on Christian themes in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Both presentations will be given on November 13, 2010 at the Hilton Capitol Center, located at 201 Lafayette St. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You can read more about this exciting event and view a programming schedule at http://www.redstickfestival.org/events_schedule.asp?Day=Saturday.
The presentations that I am giving are at 12:00 noon and at 3:00 p.m. I'll also have copies of my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter to sign if you are interested in obtaining a copy. The book is also available at www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows if you wish to purchase it online.
Here are some of the rave reviews that the book has gotten so far:
"Roper is a talented writer that obviously double checks all her facts, and she writes her literary criticism in a very professional and scholarly way. I'm glad to have a copy and enjoyed every page."—J. W. Braun, author of The Lord of the Films: The Unofficial Guide to Tolkien's Middle Earth on the Big Screen
"There is a danger in being friends with John Granger, and that is in assuming that all the symbolism in the Potter books has already been discovered. One of my chief criteria for a book examining the Harry Potter series is that it add something new to our collective knowledge of them. This book met and surpassed that criteria."—A.T. Ross, Literary Scholar
"This wonderful book will delight not only Christians, but all students of spirituality and mythology. It is filled with fascinating arcane information, yet the author's engaging and descriptive style results in a text that never feels weighed down by its rich content matter…. Anyone interested in literature and religion will find this volume to be a valuable addition to their library."—Logospilgrim, author of Bring Forth the Best Robes: A Spiritual Understanding of Severus Snape
"She has produced an extremely well-researched scholarly work that will appeal equally to fans of epic fantasy and those interested in modern religious literary studies. I enjoyed the book very much, and found her arguments compelling."—Rob Hermanowski at www.goodreads.com
"This slim volume, which belongs on the shelf beside John Granger's The Hidden Key to Harry Potter and Connie Neal's The Gospel According to Harry Potter, endeavors to prove that, like C.S. Lewis in the Narnia books, Rowling has successfully managed to sneak an explicitly Christian message ―past watchful dragons. While this is, of course, not the only way the Harry Potter books can be read, Roper convincingly argues that Rowling demonstrates an impressive command of Christian symbolism and themes, and that the books tell a story not only compatible with, but deliberately echoing and reinforcing, the story of Christ. Roper's own knowledge is extensive, and I learned a number of new things myself."—Janet Brennan Croft, University of Oklahoma; Editor of Mythlore, the scholarly journal of the Mythopoeic Society.
