Big Brain Book Group: Harry Potter VII by J.K. Rowling

Friday, August 31, 2007

We didn't read HPVII as a group, but many of us DID read it. I thought you might be interested in these articles about race and gender, as well as "what happens after the story ends," so I included the hyperlinks.

Harry Potter and the Imbalance of Race by Keith Woods

Harry Potter and Native Americans by Debbie Reese

Harry's the Star but Girlfriends Also Shine by Juliette Terzieff

Men in Cloaks and High-heeled Boots, Men Wielding Pink Umbrellas: Witchy Masculinities in the Harry Potter Novels by Annette Wannamaker

Harry Potter and Feminism an original editorial by Trixstar

Author Ties up Loose Ends by Lindsay Toler

OUR HISTORY

We began this book group in September, 2004 with a few parameters and goals. Our parameters began with a sense that, for the moment, the group would be all female. Folks could come and go, but we needed to have a "core" of at least four who came more regularly. As much as possible the core group needed to be diverse in their cultural background (ethnicity, religion, etc.). Ideally, the “core” needed to read A LOT on their own (not just for book group). They also needed to be willing to have high level intellectual conversations which included concepts of power and privilege and the ability to talk about oppression (personal experience, courses on the topic, familiarity with the language, etc.). We agreed as a group that people didn't need to have finished a book to be part of the discussion, but someone in the group needed to have read it. Logistically, the meetings would be a once a month potluck dinner. When we invited “new folks,” we needed to let them know our “parameters.”

Our goals included developing “themes” and then selecting four to six books at a time to read over the months the theme would stretch. The books could come from sources such as our own previous reading, current bestseller lists, or recommendations from others.

Our nickname "The Big Brain Book Group" evolved after one member shared this story - She belonged to two book groups and was heading out to ours one night when her partner asked, "Is it the big brain or the small brain group?" The answer was "big brain" and the name stuck.

Big Brain Book Group

Friday, August 31, 2007

Harry Potter VII by J.K. Rowling

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