<
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/03/the-metamorphosis-of-j-k-rowling-00043835>
"When it comes to J.K. Rowling, even some of the children’s author’s biggest
fans are finding it increasingly necessary to separate the work from the
creator.
Join the Potter Trail walking tour in her adopted hometown of Edinburgh, and
you’ll learn that Rowling wrote much of the first
Harry Potter novel at
Nicolsons Cafe. The establishment was co-owned by her brother-in-law — so as a
broke, recently divorced single mother, she could nurse cheap espresso all day
without guilt for taking up a table.
You’ll also be told how, as a bestselling author 12 years later, Rowling
treated herself to exclusive luxury while finishing her last novel, at a suite
in the five-star Balmoral Hotel just half a mile up the road. On a cold,
blustery Wednesday in February, a Potter Trail guide named Alex recounted how
Rowling downed a bottle of champagne by herself to celebrate the triumphant
moment, “because she’s a legend.”
The tour is free, but wizarding fans are encouraged to provide an optional
“donation” (£10 to £20 recommended, cards accepted). A proportion goes to the
Scottish Trans Alliance, an activist group promoting rights for transgender
people.
“Many of you may be aware of JK Rowling’s recent tweets concerning transgender
issues,” reads an explanation on the tour group’s website. “It’s a difficult
time to be a
Harry Potter fan for many but we sincerely wish JK Rowling’s
views not to diminish our appreciation of the books and their messages of
inclusion and tolerance.”
The disclaimer is a quiet but unambiguous protest against Rowling’s buzziest
body of work since her blockbuster series of schoolboy sorcery. It’s also a
tiny but telling example of how, in a few short years, the author has gone from
being an unobjectionable matron of the political left to one of its most hated
villains."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
