The Valve - A Literary Organ | J.K. Rowling and the Cubicle of Mournfulness

<< Some Solid Pieces of Stone? | Front Page | The Functioning Little Magazines >>

Friday, September 09, 2005

J.K. Rowling and the Cubicle of Mournfulness

Posted by John Holbo on 09/09/05 at 03:48 AM

Eh? Bit less snug and cozy than the books.

Here are other works by the artist.

Alternative caption: JK Rowling and the Aloe Vera of Mild Claustrophobia.

Comments

At the risk of pedantic: I think the point of the painting is that it’s a lot less snug and cozy than the books. This is supposed to be JKR *before* Harry Potter was published—at least, that’s what JKR says on her website. So I think the idea is that here was this single mother, living on the dole, her horizons seemingly narrow to the point of claustrophobia—and yet from this dismal existence sprang a whole world of delightful invention. So when you look at the painting you’re supposed to think that this woman’s *internal* world is infinitely more bright and varied and expansive than her physical circumstances.

Yeah, that was pretty pedantic. But I think basically correct.

By on 09/09/05 at 07:43 PM | Permanent link to this comment

*being* pedantic. At the risk of *being* pedantic. (No risk of being careful, I suppose.)

By on 09/09/05 at 07:44 PM | Permanent link to this comment

Thanks, Alan, that makes sense and - since I know a bit about Rowling’s hardships early on - I probably should have guessed. But unless the scan just doesn’t do justice, which is quite likely, the expression on the face still seems incongruously DEEPLY depressive.

By John Holbo on 09/11/05 at 02:33 PM | Permanent link to this comment

That’s because the artist is capturing the moment when Rowling discovered that her preferred name for her villain—“Vin Diesel”—was already taken.

By on 09/11/05 at 08:41 PM | Permanent link to this comment

Alan--it’s a little off-topic, but I just saw your talk on CSPAN-2. How long did it take you to read the entire Britannica?

By Jonathan on 09/11/05 at 09:07 PM | Permanent link to this comment

Alan, you did WHAT??

By John Holbo on 09/12/05 at 04:43 AM | Permanent link to this comment

Ah, that’s A. J. Jacobs, the would-be “smartest man in the world.” Is his first name also Alan? If so, then I must distinguish myself from him as well as from the Alan Jacobs who is a therapist and takes photos of Auschwitz, from the Alan Jacobs who writes about and edits books of mystical verse, and from the Alan Jacobs who owns several automobile dealerships in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Think of me by contrast as the extraordinarily *handsome* Alan Jacobs.

By on 09/12/05 at 09:06 AM | Permanent link to this comment

I should add that, unlike A.J. J., while I have read the entire Britannica—several times—I just don’t think I have to make such a big DEAL out of it.

By on 09/12/05 at 09:07 AM | Permanent link to this comment

Name:
Email:
Location:
URL:

Valve Links

Current Authors

Past Authors

Most recent articles

Most recent comments

Search:

Archives

Syndication

Validation

Credits

Blogroll

Friday, September 09, 2005

J.K. Rowling and the Cubicle of Mournfulness

Comments

Add a comment: