“The Death of the Author” is a 1967 essay by French literary critic, Roland Barthes, that “emphasizes the primacy of each individual reader's interpretation of the work over any "definitive" meaning intended by the author”. It also sounds like a Harry Potter book title, and in this episode Dylan and Phil tackle the tangled web of being in a fandom with a toxic, bigoted creator. This conversation isn’t about the Harry Potter franchise content, but rather the challenge of separating the artist from the work and navigating the next generation towards a more compassionate tomorrow. WE PROMISE THERE ARE STILL FUNNY PARTS!