Potterversity: A Potter Studies Podcast

Explore the whimsical, fantastical, compelling images in Jim Kay’s illustrated Harry Potter editions.

On this episode, Katy and Emily talk with artist and fantasy scholar Emily Austin (Signum University) and literary scholar Beatrice Groves (Trinity College, Oxford) about the rich, marvelous world depicted in Jim Kay’s gorgeous illustrations of the Potterverse. Looking at Books 1–4, we dissect Kay’s style and the range of his artistry and also decode some of the symbolic language in his visual storytelling. Emily Austin and Bea help us understand Kay’s artistic process and how we can see that coming through the books’ images. We talk about how art and design comingle in the “visual feast” provided by these editions and how much of his own sensibility Kay includes in his depictions. You’ll hear about our favorite images - the ones that amuse us and the ones that move us.

Bea and Emily share their thoughts on Kay’s artistic influences and visual references. He uses a lot of nature imagery and symbols from the natural world, which we analyze for their meaning. He brings in many elements from the history of magic that deepen the reader’s experience of the wizarding world. We also dish about where to find “Easter Eggs”: special references, intertextual allusions, and hidden jokes. From landscapes to portraits to depictions of particular scenes, we investigate and marvel at the wonderful imagery Kay brings to the Harry Potter series.

What are your favorite images from these books, and what are you excited to see in Kay’s illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix?

Discover how politics can be both Dark Arts and the defense against them in Harry Potter.

Katy and Emily talk to Dr. John S. Nelson, Professor of Political Theory and Communication at the University of Iowa and author of Defenses Against the Dark Arts: The Political Education of Harry Potter and His Friends, published by Lexington Books in 2021, about the politics of the series. John feels that the Harry Potter books “hit you over the head” with the interest in politics exhibited by Harry and his friends, even if it doesn’t seem quite as obvious until the later installments. He revels in the “glory” of political styles available in Potter, which perhaps offers even more options than the real world. Politics exist not only in the Ministry of Magic and other explicitly political environments but in how we interact with people on a daily basis.

The politics of Potter serves as a helpful teaching tool by providing examples that a large number of students will understand. The political applications of the series seem to extend beyond authorial intent, offering readers ways to approach current affairs. John explains how politics is a plural noun, encompassing many kinds that Harry and company learn to recognize. The Imperius Curse, for example, resembles nefarious propaganda, soothing the target and making them susceptible to suggestions rather than violently coercing them into following orders.

We discuss the role of “the fool” in the politics of the wizarding world and where folly borders on “chaotic anarchism” - where anarchic behavior, such as that of Peeves, can produce cascading events that turn small spaces for resistance into campaigns that can undo the accomplishments of a fascist regime, like the environment created by Umbridge at Hogwarts.

Touching on a frequently debated part of the series, we explore the political implications of the epilogue. Was all too well? Is there a sense of conformism rather than radical, and necessary, social reform? Does young Albus Potter’s fear of being Sorted into Slytherin indicate that the House has not undergone much-needed structural change?

Discover the transfiguring effects of reading the Harry Potter series on this month’s episode.

Emily and Katy talk with Dr. Anne Mamary (Monmouth College) about her anthology The Alchemical Harry Potter: Essays on Transfiguration in J.K. Rowling’s Novels (McFarland 2021). We talk about the power of the Potter books and films, and how they not only express alchemical themes but also work a kind of alchemical magic on readers and viewers.

Anne explains that alchemy is a way to transform not only metals but also the alchemist and our entire worldview. Although we could look at nature from a modernist perspective, requiring the neutrality of the experimenter and presuming a mechanical model of the universe, alchemy requires being open to the enchantment within nature and our deep connection to it. Not all historical alchemists were Christian, but often a notion of religious or metaphysical transformation emerges through alchemical explorations of nature. Anne explains that alchemy posits that the heavenly exists within the earthly, that the sacred can be found everywhere, and we live in an enchanted world that is not just a world of machines. She sees this approach pervading the Hogwarts curriculum and the Harry Potter novels as a whole.

Pointing out the overt alchemical references in the books, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Anne also explains how the themes of immortality and personal transfiguration connect alchemy with the book series. Harry’s journey through the seven books helps him to transform worldly aims into more meaningful ones. For example, desire for money and immortality transforms into a desire for a “golden life.” Alchemical experiences change how Harry views power as well as self and the community. Anne gives us a glimpse of some of the essays in her anthology that explore these themes in more detail, including her own about the alchemical importance of stargazing in both Plato and Harry Potter. To highlight the intergenerational power of the novels, The Alchemical Harry Potter features essays by authors from the ages of 8 to 80. We also talk about rereading Harry Potter and how reading it at different points in one’s life can effect different transformations in the reader.

Wrock out on this episode about musical fan creations in the Potterverse.
We are all about fan culture in this month’s episode. Emily and Katy talk with Paul Thomas (University of Kansas) about his book I Wanna Wrock!: The World of Harry Potter-Inspired “Wizard Rock” and Its Fandom (McFarland 2019). Paul is himself a wrock musician in the band the 8th Horcrux. He first got involved in wrock as a way to impress his crush, who is now his wife and fellow bandmember, Trina. As a result, he’s a participant observer in the wrock phenomenon, fully qualified to discuss how, why, and where musically-minded fans have expressed their ideas and feelings about Harry Potter. He talks to us about the challenges of taking both insider and outsider perspectives and also the joys of being a wrocker.

Paul helps us understand the history of wrock, the songs at the foundation of the movement, and its many musical and literary influences. You will want to check out some of this early wrock music, including songs by Switchblade Kittens (“Ode to Harry Potter”) and (of course) Harry and the Potters. He explains how their popularity took off, the typical themes and characteristics of wrock groups, and what unites and divides these musicians and their work. He emphasizes the centrality of wrock lyrical content and its connections to filk, punk, and fan fiction. Most of all, wizard wrock brings Potter enthusiasts together and builds community.

We discuss the role of performativity as a vital, identity-affirming but also identity-bending feature of the wrock community - and its link to cosplay. As these bands put forth a set of shared beliefs, they welcome the audience in, potentially changing reality during those performances to allow full immersion in an alternate world. Paul talks about meeting the kind and funny members of Draco and the Malfoys, a contrast to their Malfoy-esque stage identity. Paul also shares with us his own personal influences as a wrock musician (including Weird Al Yankovic, They Might Be Giants, Green Day, and Weezer). He also gives tips for would-be wrockers out there. Definitely check out the 8th Horcrux’s music!

Stick around for Owl Post where we read listeners’ thoughts on our Secrets of Dumbledore episodes!

Eavesdrop on the Potterversity faculty in the staff lounge as we dish about Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore!

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers!
On this special episode, hear uncensored opinions and on-the-spot analysis about The Secrets of Dumbledore from some of our Potterversity regulars, Beatrice Groves, Emma Nicholson, Louise Freeman, and Lana Whited. We’ve pulled together outtakes from our technically off-the-record conversations for your listening pleasure. Some topics include:

Our new understanding of Dumbledore’s machinations also leads us to question whether Harry really saved the day in the Harry Potter series or whether it was all Dumbledore’s master plan. What do you think?

Join us for our deep dive into Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and its literary allusions, beastly lore, and continuation of the plot points in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

NOTE: This episode contains spoilers!
Dr. Beatrice Groves (Trinity College, Oxford) joins Katy and Emily to decode the symbolic elements of this story and help us understand where it fits within the Harry Potter series. Find out about Bea’s prediction-come-true and hear about how the central beasts in the film reference medieval mythological creatures featured in various bestiaries that Bea has kindly read for us so she can share her knowledge. From the Qilin to the Obscurus, Bea explains the importance of making beasts central to Grindelwald’s plan, which unites the Dumbledore plot with Newt Scamander’s. Grindelwald uses beasts for his own ends instead of appreciating them as they are, as Newt does, and this provides us key insights about his character – and echoes similar problematic aspects of Voldemort’s character. You can read about some of these theories in Bea’s column, Bathilda’s Notebook.

Bea connects the beasts to T.H. White’s The Once and Future King and The Book of Beasts – both strong influences on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series – as well as the work of Neil Gaiman and Lev Grossman. The Fantastic Beasts films also draw from P.G. Wodehouse and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The prison (and its beasts) in Secrets of Dumbledore evokes mythology and other sources, layering stories upon stories to create rich intertextual meaning. We talk about Rappaport’s Law banning Wizard/No-Maj marriages, seemingly abandoned at the end of the film, and the Dumbledore-Grindelwald blood troth and its significance.

How does this story inform our understanding of Albus Dumbledore’s youth and the whole Dumbledore family? Bea points out clever inversions of the Aberforth-Albus-Ariana scene in the last Harry Potter book and the revelations about Albus and Gellert’s relationship in the film – and whether those feelings continue. You’ll also hear much of interest about the mirror dimension experienced by Albus, Gellert, and Credence and additional functions of the Deluminator that echo Deathly Hallows moments. Secrets abound in this story and among the Dumbledores themselves, and their revelation drives the plot of the film.  

David Martin, one of the winners of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses, talks about his amazing experience on the show.
On this episode, Katy and Emily talk with our friend David Martin about being on the victorious Hufflepuff team on the Tournament of Houses quiz show, which aired on TBS November to December 2021. He tells us how the auditions went, what it was like to be on the show, which questions most stumped him, what it’s like to have become a social media star, and why he is a lifelong Hufflepuff. Be warned: There are spoilers!

David also shares with us some of his scholarly analysis on why the wizarding world seems stuck back in time, the cultural significance of Mr. Weasley's love of plugs, wizard dating tips, and the significance of particular trees in the Harry Potter series. Whether you're a Harry Potter trivia whiz or not, you will love the good humor, sharp insights, and behind-the-scenes dishing of this episode.

In our special segment, David sticks around to talk with us about books Potter readers might enjoy after finishing the series. You'll definitely want to try some of these fiction and nonfiction works. And you can add to your list David’s new book Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches and Other Thoughts about Harry Potter, which is out now and available for purchase.

Understand the ties that bind – blood and otherwise – in Arthurian legend and the wizarding world in this episode.

Emily and Katy discuss with Dr. Carol Jamison (Georgia Southern University) the links between Arthurian literature and Harry Potter through the concepts of blood lines, noble (or “pure”) blood, and blood feud. Author of Chivalry in Westeros(McFarland, 2018), Carol examines medievalism in popular culture, not only in the Potterverse but also Game of Thrones. She explains both medievalism and neo-medievalism in pop culture and how the Harry Potter stories play with Arthurian themes that fit these categories. We learn about how views of chivalry and heroism connect the characters and themes of the two literary sources, including the values of generosity, loyalty, and sacrifice, along with the notion of noble-bearing or birthright that distinguishes heroes in both. But the two series actually test the assumption that heroism comes automatically from bloodline, pointing out that virtue does not, in fact, come from blood or heritage.

We talk about Harry’s connection with Voldemort as a kind of blood tie that also has corollaries in Arthurian legend. This unwanted blood connection parallels the connection between Arthur and his son/nephew Mordred, leading to similar peril and self-sacrifice. Blood feud also drives the action in the two series, as desire for revenge and restitution motivates major events in each, creating alliances as well as rivalries. Analysis of the Malfoys and Gaunts, in addition to Snape, demonstrates the importance of medieval feuding to the Harry Potter story.

Carol shows how these links to Arthurian legend allow the Potter books to challenge contemporary ideas about racial purity that lead to profound injustice (Dolores Umbridge, we’re looking at you). This emphasis, too, presents a parallel particularly to Thomas Malory’s collection of Arthurian tales. Both the late 15th century and today evince the effects of social and political upheaval as old ideals about the link between virtue and blood are challenged. How much do we still esteem bloodline and elect “dynasties” to positions of power? These issues continue to resonate with us today. You can read more about Dr. Jamison’s analysis in “Blood Ties, Blood Sacrifice, and the Blood Feud in Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series” in Children’s Literature Quarterly (2021).

Take a closer look at the Harry Potter fandom in this month's episode!
What aspects of the fandom are your favorites: festivals, online communities, cosplay, fan fiction, or something else? On this episode, Emily and Katy talk with Dr. Marianne Martens (Kent State University), author of The Forever Fandom of Harry Potter (Cambridge University Press), about what makes Harry Potter fan communities unique and persistent.

The first Harry Potter book was published at about the same time that online communication and social media became more popular. Marianne explains how digital platforms have helped researchers understand what appeals to readers in addition to facilitating readers connecting with each other online, circulating theories and creative reflections on the series. The Potter fandom has a strong participatory aspect, especially among young people, and significantly higher engagement than many other fan communities built around young adult novels.

A lot of Harry Potter fan participation happens outside of official commercial channels, which fuels fan engagement but also creates challenges with copyright and trademark restrictions, as the many renamed wizard fests attest. Marianne explains what it means to be a "branded author" and "branded readers" and how that influences Harry Potter fan experiences by making room for the emotionally inspired, affective labor of fans but also raises questions about who "owns" the Harry Potter stories. Active participation leads fans to feel a sense of ownership that can be in conflict with the original author and the film production company. We also talk about the joys and struggles of the festival experience and where these events might be headed in the future. Marianne points out the significant power that Potter fans have had to protest the commercialized elements of the Potterverse, like the activism to protect independent fan sites and to end support of the exploitative labor systems used to produce Potter candy products.

Does Harry Potter have a "forever fandom"? Marianne tells us why she characterized the fandom that way for her book in 2018, and we discuss directly the impact of more recent developments that have created tension in the community and turned away previous fans of the series. We talk about how fans have responded and the possibility of separating the series from its creator.

We at Potterversity love house-elves! Join us for our valentine to Dobby, Winky, Kreacher, and Hokey and their persistent relevance for understanding injustice.
House-elf fans Emily and Katy talk with Dr. Christine Schott (Erskine College) about how the house-elves keep Harry Potter relevant to social issues today. Given the upheaval this new generation of readers sees in our world, Christine tells us, the Harry Potter stories give us a "training ground" for figuring out how to respond to those problems and complexities. The unsatisfying, unresolved issue of house-elf enslavement leads us to continue thinking about this wizarding world oppression in ways that help us consider persistent injustices in our world.

The house-elves can be related to all kinds of oppressed peoples, including those bound in chattel slavery, house-wives (as Katy has argued), immigrant communities, and even artificial intelligence (as Emily has explored). Yet the house-elves' ambivalent portrayal in the Harry Potter series as "happy slaves" makes us uneasy and requires us to examine them more closely. We talk about how the individual house-elves - Dobby, Winky, Kreacher, and Hokey - invite theoretical but also empathetic consideration from us. How do we understand Dobby's sacrifice in the war against Voldemort? How should we feel about Harry hoping Kreacher will bring him a sandwich at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts?

Structural attempts at house-elf liberation in the wizarding world seem ineffective. What lessons can we gain about anti-racism and other social justice movements from such attempts as SPEW? Christine helps us see that there are insights to be gained about allyship and social change from how the characters struggle with the abolition of house-elf slavery. This is the value of a story that does not provide easy answers, she explains. We also talk about "cancel culture" and how to keep the study of literature relevant to both students and society at large.

Read Katy's chapter on "The Real House-Elves of J.K. Rowling," Emily's essay analyzing "Dobby the Robot," Christine's essay on "The House Elf Problem," and more scholarly perspectives on house-elves in Muggle Studies. Which approach do you find the most compelling?

In this episode's special Owl Post segment, we discuss one listener's question about how to understand Harry and Professor McGonagall's troubling use of Unforgivable Curses. Should we...forgive them? What do you think?