JKR, interview with TLC, Mar 08, 2008

New J.K. Rowling Interview: Confirms Working on “Scottish Book,” Reflects on Dumbledore, Homophobia, Fundamentalism, Future Writing Projects and More

 

Mar 08, 2008

 

(x: http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2008/3/8/new-j-k-rowling-interview-confirms-working-on-scottish-book-reflects-on-dumbledore-homophobia-fundamentalism-future-writing-projects-and-more/) 

"전 언제나 덤블도어를 게이라고 생각해왔고, 그렇게 엄청난 문제가 아니었어요. 이 책은 덤블도어가 게이의 삶을 살아온 것에 대한 내용이 아니니까요. 명백하게, 애초부터 설정되어있었던 사실이예요. 그가 엄청난 비밀을 숨기고 있다는 것, 볼드모트가 실행하려던 것과 똑같은 아이디어에 매혹된 적이 있었다는 것, 우생학적인 아이디어에 매료되었었다는 것, 그가 머글들을 지배하려고 했었다는 것(subjugate) 말이예요. 그게 덤블도어의 큰 비밀이죠.  왜 그런 아이디어에 매혹되었을까요? 그는 근본적으로는 선한 사람이에요, 그러니까 무엇이 그를 그렇게 만들었을까요. 전 그렇게 생각해본적도 없어요, 그냥 저에게 던져진 아이디어였어요. 전 생각했죠, "난 왜 그랬는지 알아. 그는 사랑에 빠졌던 거지." 그들이 이 열병(this infatuation)을 성적인 관계로 만들었었는지는 여부는 중요한 게 아니예요. 중요한건 사랑 그 자체죠. 섹스에 관한 것이 아니예요. 이게 제가 덤블도어에 관해 알고있는 사실이예요. 이건 단지, 그가 사랑에 빠졌었고 사랑때문에 완전히 바보가 되었었다는 그 사실과만 관련이 있는거예요. 사랑에 빠졌을 때, 그는 도덕의 기준(moral compass)을 완전히 상실했었고 제 생각엔 그 때문에 이후 여생에서, 이런 문제와 관련해서는 자신의 판단을 불신하게 되고, 거의 에이섹슈얼이 된 거예요. 굉장히 수도승같이, 책에 파묻힌 삶을 살았죠."

“I had always seen Dumbledore as gay, but in a sense that’s not a big deal. The book wasn’t about Dumbledore being gay. It was just that from the outset obviously I knew he had this big, hidden secret, and that he flirted with the idea of exactly what Voldemort goes on to do, he flirted with the idea of racial domination, that he was going to subjugate the Muggles. So that was Dumbledore’s big secret. Why did did he flirt with that?” she asks. “He’s an innately good man, what would make him do that. I didnt even think it through that way, it just seemed to come to me, I thought ‘I know why he did it, he fell in love.’ And whether they physically consummated this infatuation or not is not the issue. The issue is love. It’s not about sex. So that’s what I knew about Dumbledore. And it’s relevant only in so much as he fell in love and was made an utter fool of by love. He lost his moral compass completely when he fell in love and I think subsequently became very mistrusting of his own judgment in those matters so became quite asexual. He led a celibate and bookish life.”

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전문

J.K. Rowling has given a new interview with the Edinburgh “Student” newspaper, where the Harry Potter author gives her thoughts on future writing projects, the 

reaction to the news on Dumbledore’s sexuality, religious fundamentalists, and much more. In this lengthy interview, Jo confirms she is indeed compiling information on the “Scottish book,” or the encyclopedia involving the world of Harry Potter as she says “…I am working on it in fact. I just don’t want to have to work to a deadline, but I am slowly piecing it together.” The article mentions that the children’s book that Jo is currently working on as well is still not finished and one that is for adults “may never see the light of day at all.” Jo declined to elaborate further on these books noting “The minute I say anything, immediately my life becomes more complicated.” She does go on to say that she “aways wanted to write a novel about a stand-up comedian. That is not what I am writing though, so if something comes out next week, that’s not me, I’m not doing it! But for ages, I’ve had a real thing about it.”

 

In a wide ranging conversation, Jo gives her thoughts on such things as dealing with depression and the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (“I would recommend it highly”), fame and recognition by her readers (“people coming up to me in Starbucks are always charming, Always”) and whether she reads her own books (“The only one I’ve gone back and re-read since publication is the seventh book which is my favorite.”) Jo Rowling also discusses at length two subjects which have generated much conversation among her fans: the repeated attempts of Laura Mallory to have the Harry Potter books banned in Georgia, and the large reaction to the news last October that Jo always felt her character of Professor Dumbledore was a gay man.

 

Regarding the Harry Potter book banning issue Jo says quote:

 

“I can cope with a bad review. No one loves a bad review but a useful review is one that teaches you something. But to be honest the Christian Fundamentalist thing was bad. I would have been quite happy to sit there and debate with one of the critics who were taking on Harry Potter from a moral perspective. In a sense we have traded arguments through the media. I’ve tried to be rational about it. There’s a woman in North Carolina or Alabama who’s been trying to get the books banned-she’s a mother of four and never read them. And then- I’m not lying, I’m not even making fun, this is the truth of what she said-quite recently she was asked [why] and she said ‘Well I prayed whether or not I should read them, and God told me no.’ Rowling pauses to reflect on the weight of that statement, and her expression one of utter disbelief.

 

“You see, that is where I absolutely part company with people on that side of the fence, because that is fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is, ‘I will not open my mind to look on your side of the argument at all. I won’t read it, I won’t look at it, I’m too frightened.’ That’s what’s dangerous about it, whether it be politically extreme, religiously extreme…In fact, fundamentalists across all the major religions, if you put them in a room, they’d have bags in common!” she laughs loudly before sobering. “They hate all the same things, it’s such an ironic thing.”

 

On the matter of Dumbledore, Jo candidly states the following:

 

“I had always seen Dumbledore as gay, but in a sense that’s not a big deal. The book wasn’t about Dumbledore being gay. It was just that from the outset obviously I knew he had this big, hidden secret, and that he flirted with the idea of exactly what Voldemort goes on to do, he flirted with the idea of racial domination, that he was going to subjugate the Muggles. So that was Dumbledore’s big secret.

 

Why did did he flirt with that?” she asks. “He’s an innately good man, what would make him do that. I didnt even think it through that way, it just seemed to come to me, I thought ‘I know why he did it, he fell in love.’ And whether they physically consummated this infatuation or not is not the issue. The issue is love. It’s not about sex. So that’s what I knew about Dumbledore. And it’s relevant only in so much as he fell in love and was made an utter fool of by love. He lost his moral compass completely when he fell in love and I think subsequently became very mistrusting of his own judgment in those matters so became quite asexual. He led a celibate and bookish life.”

 

Clearly some people didn’t see it that way. How does she react to those who disagree with a homosexual character in a children’s novel? “So what?” she retorts immediately “It is a very interesting question because I think homophobia is a fear of people loving, more than it is of the sexual act. There seems to be an innate distaste for the love involved, which I find absolutely extraordinary. There were people who thought, well why haven’t we seen Dumbledore’s angst about being gay?” Rowling is clearly amused by this and rightly so. “Where was that going to come in? And then the other thing was-and I had letters saying this-that, as a gay man, he would never be safe to teach in a school.”

명백히 사람들은 그런 면을 보지 않는다. 아동문학의 호모섹슈얼 캐릭터에 반대하는 사람들에 대해 그녀는 어떻게 반응할까? "어쩌라구여?" 그녀는 즉각 대답한다. "재미있어요 왜냐면 전 호모포비아들을 사랑을 두려워하는 사람이라고 생각하거든요, 그 성적인 행동보다도요. 그들은 그냥.. 그 사랑이 관련되어 있는 것에 대해 본능적인 거부감을 가지고 있는거예요. 전 그걸 완벽하게 이상하다고 보고요. 음 왜 우리는 덤블도어가 게이이기에 갖는 앵스트를 보지 않았을까요? 어떻게 보여졌어야하나요? 그럼 다른 것들은--이 건에 대해서 얘기하는 편지들을 받았는데, 게이였다면, 학교에서 가르치기엔 안전하지 않았을 거라구요."

 

"그녀는 아주 나이 많은, 싱글맨이예요. 이런 질문을 할 수 있겠죠: 왜 이게 흥미롭나요? 자기 태도를 측정하려고 하니까요. 캐릭터가 가진 측면이죠. 그게 그에게 가장 중요한 점인가요? 아니요, 그는-덤블도어예요. 그의 성정체성 말고 이 이야기와 관련된 그의 특성은 20가지는 된다구요. 핵심은 그는 게이 캐릭터라는 거죠. 그는 그냥 게이로 있는 캐릭터예요."

An air of incredulity descends on the room as if Rowling herself still can not believe this statement. She continues: “He’s a very old single man. You have to ask: why is it so interesting? People have to examine their own attitudes. It’s a shade of character. Is it the most important thing about him? No, it’s Dumbledore for God’s sake. There are 20 things that are relavant to the story before his sexuality.” Bottom line then: he isn’t a gay character; he’s a character that just happens to be gay. Rowling concurs wholeheartedly.

 

You can see scans of this long new interview here in our galleries. Many thanks to Catherine for sending this in! UPDATE The author Adeel Amini let us know he has the article now available on his website in a very clear pdf format- here. Thanks Adeel!