[PDF] Working Paper Series The Ghost of J.K.

ISSN2253-4423 ©MFCOWorkingPaperSeries3ISN253-4©MFN4CFN5FO4SPECIALISSUE:REVISITINGAUDIENCES:RECEPTION,IDENTITY,TECHNOLOGYISN25S3-423©2MFM2C3OWorki2ISNN253-44©N2nrg24SN2Papenr22so3r2EALN3g2ProUNa-o4:23©2R3WW3rk3rk22IanUo-2V3WWnrg2TSnaWN-2G4Da42ProUNa-o4:222,Y-4anA4iThispaperisaspeculativeengagementwiththeHarryPotterfancommunity,whichincludesauthorJ.K.Rowlingasanactiveparticipant.WereconsiderRowling'spost-textualinterventionsinto(re)interpretationsofherworkinlightofRolandBarthes'rhetoricalquestioningofthedeathoftheauthorandsuggestaconceptualframeworktoconsiderauthorswhoenactthistypeoffannishbehaviour.Byparticipatinginthesecommunities,suchauthorsrepudiateBarthes'supposed"deathoftheauthor".InRowling'scase,theauthorialinterventionsoccurprimarilyonTwitter,anditistheimmediacyofsocialmediachannelsthatfacilitatestheirimpact.Wedrawontheconceptofthe"ur-text"todevelopadescriptionofthe"ur-fan"toaccountforthisfannishpractice,suggestingthatRowlingisthearchetypalur-fan.Ur-fansstraddletworolesthatareoftenartificiallydemarcated:expertandfan.Whilefanshaveimmersedthemselvesintheirrespectivestoryworldsfordecades,Rowling'shyper-activemediapresences(especiallyonTwitter)positionherinthisroleandsetstheHarryPotterfandomapartfrommanyotherfancommunities.2

MFCOWorkingPaperSeries201722Hr4a3gDA4o3r2InDecember2015,theproducersofthethen-forthcomingWestEndplayWNNo4©SrrFN43k4riF4ngNOFk4ni5PkannouncedviaTwitter(HPPlayLDN2015)thethreeactorswhowouldplaytheeponymousHarryPotter,andhisfriendsRonWeasleyandHermioneGranger.HermionewastobeplayedbyblackactressNomaDumezweni,afactthatcausedcontroversyamongstsomesectionsofthefancommunitygivenHermionehasbeenportrayedineightfilmsbywhiteactressEmmaWatson(seeRatcliffe2016;Percival2016).Fourhoursaftertheoriginalannouncement,WNNo4©SrrFN(W©4hereafter)authorJ.K.Rowling(jk_rowling2015f)respondedtoafan'squery,onTwitter,aboutherviewonthematter:Canon:browneyes,frizzyhairandveryclever.Whiteskinwasneverspecified.RowlinglovesblackHermione.Rowling'sstatementofHermione'scanonicalappearanceintervenesinthecontroversytosuchanextentthatiteffectivelyalters,oratleastopenstoreinterpretation,assumptionscommonto(some)fansofthelong-publishednovels.AlthoughshearguedthatHermione'sracewasneverspecified - onlycertainaspectsofherappearance - Rowling'sresponsetothefan'squestionhadtheeffectofrepudiatingwhatcertainaudiencesthoughttheyknewaboutthecharacter.ThusRowling'sinterventionbecomescanonicalinitsownright.DiscussionsofraceinW©werealreadychargedwithinitsfandom.WhileJackieC.Horne(2010,p.98)describedRowling's'antiracistpedagogy'embeddedinthebookseries,iDavidL.WallaceandTisonPugh(2006,p.277)suggestedthepresenceofminornon-whitecharacterswas"tokenism"andargued'itdoeslittletooffsettheoverwhelmingwhitenessofthebooks'.InresponsetoRowling'stweet,manyfansquotedWNNo4©SrrFN43k4aiF4©N5OS3FN4Sp4es2E3,whichdescribed'Hermione'swhiteface...stickingoutfrombehindatree'(Rowling1999,p.455).OtherspointedoutRowlingcouldsimplyhavewrittenHermioneasblackwithoutrelyingoncodesorguessworkfromthefanstoreadanon-whitecharacter.EnteringthediscussionaboutHermione'sraceisnotthefirstinstanceofRowling'spost-textualauthorialinsertionintointerpretationsoftheW©4texts.AnotherfamousexampleisherrevelationthatAlbusDumbledore,HeadmasterofHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardry,isgay.Whenposedthequestion'DidDumbledore,whobelievedintheprevailingpoweroflove,everfallinlovehimself?'(Smith2007),Rowlingreplied,'My

MFCOWorkingPaperSeries201718 - - 2007,'TransmediaStorytelling101',nS3pFOO5S3O4Sp434eLhA3G4aiF4Ypp5L5P4IFEPS-4Sp4WF3No4tF3253O,viewed5October,2015,http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.htmljk_rowling2014,'.@claraoswiinButofcourse,'Twitterpost,17December,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/544998416414412801 - - 2015a,'.@EowynlilyFredwasbornfirst.Ialwaysthoughtthatwasobvious!',Twitterpost,23May,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/602105708511961091 - - 2015b,'Itwouldbebrutalandveryclose,butCrookshanks'Kneazleancestrywouldbringhimoutontop',Twitterpost,17September,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/644197707939213312 - - 2015c,'OfftoNewcastlefor#SAMvSCOandiflotsofyoutweet#AsOnetosupportScotland,youcanhaveSirius'sbirthday!#RugbyWorldCup',Twitterpost,10October,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/652808279995904000 - - 2015d,'WEWON!!!!!!AndSiriusBlackwasbornonthe3rdofNovember',Twitterpost,11October,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/652868162703237120 - - 2015e,'Apoffle',Twitterpost,1December,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/671363814110208001 - - 2015f,'Canon:browneyes,frizzyhairandveryclever.Whiteskinwasneverspecified.RowlinglovesblackHermione',Twitterpost,21December,viewed26July,2016,https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/678888094339366914Lee,J2016,'JKRowlinghintsatopenlygayDumbledoreinupcoming"FantasticBeasts"films,'err5rgkF,viewed11November,2016,http://attitude.co.uk/j-k-rowling-hints-at-openly-gay-dumbledore-in-upcoming-fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-films/LIVEFROMNEWYORK[previouslyclaraoswiin]2014,'@jk_rowlingit'ssafetoassumethatHogwartshadavarietyofpeopleandIliketothinkit'sasafeplaceforLGBTstudents',