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The J.K. Rowling effect
A YouGov poll has found that almost 10% of Britons aspire to being an author, followed by sports personality, pilot, astronaut and event organiser on the list of most coveted jobs.
Here is the link. Event organiser?
Posted by Tyler Cowen on August 22, 2007 at 04:56 PM in Data Source | Permalink
Comments
I'm going to assume (Well, hope) that by event organizer they mean an MC of sorts. I mean, what else could they mean by that? They want to be a wedding planner?
Posted by: Jeremy Pavleck at Aug 22, 2007 5:15:38 PM
It's glamourous, think concert producer, party planner, and entourage all wrapped into one. The pay is probably weak, but its all about living large with the celebs.
Posted by: caveat bettor at Aug 22, 2007 5:24:36 PM
Hey, bravo to her. Not only has she made reading popular the world-over, but now she's made writing cool--and not an activity done only by sad, emo anti-socials in the back of classrooms. Now if she could only promote grammar and spelling skills as well as creative expression.
Posted by: Newbie at Aug 22, 2007 5:46:33 PM
I meet lots of people who tell me their idea for a business is an event organizer. So many that it is almost a cliche. And when I say "people" I mean women. I've never met a male who wanted to do this, but lots of women do.
Posted by: Dirk at Aug 22, 2007 6:07:18 PM
Not to be sexist, but in my experience, young women and girls often see their "socialness" (which means different things to different people I suppose...) as lending itself toward event planning. I think its the female equivalent of "sports agent" at this point.
"Hey I have no ability to do X, but to be around X sounds fun for me, and you just have to be on the ball and have people like you, and hey, who doesn't like me?"
Posted by: Christopher at Aug 22, 2007 7:18:15 PM
I'd really like to see some stats on Rowling's impact on reading popularity. I don't believe for a second that Harry Potter has had any significant impact upon it. The kids who read Harry Potter were already reading and I'd guess only a small amount of kids started because of it. Also I suggest that many kids read Harry Potter and only Harry Potter.
Posted by: Robert S. Porter at Aug 22, 2007 7:21:08 PM
The kids who read Harry Potter were already reading ... I suggest that many kids read Harry Potter and only Harry Potter.
You do realize both can't be true, no?
Posted by: Hei Lun Chan at Aug 23, 2007 12:12:16 AM
Both could be true if they were reading other things before but now they only read Harry Potter, and thus Harry Potter is being substituted for other kinds of reading instead of increasing the overall amount of reading.
Posted by: Jacqueline at Aug 23, 2007 1:56:52 AM
My point, though sloppily written, was that any kids that started reading because of Harry Potter didn't go on to better works. The vast majority of those reading Harry Potter, however, were already readers, thus Harry Potter only added a negligible amount of readers to the mix.
If I had to guess i'd say there are still less children reading than in past times. But someone could prove me wrong with some statistics.
Posted by: Robert S. Porter at Aug 23, 2007 3:25:50 AM
Yes Jaqueline, but it would be unreasonable to claim that without some serious evidence.
I know this: When I was 11-12 or so, I knew only one other person my age who had ever read an english novel (he was also a D&D / Fantasy geek). But today I know several kids at that age which apparently have been reading Rowling in the original, to read them before the rest.
Posted by: Harald Korneliussen at Aug 23, 2007 3:26:01 AM
I'm not sure that the vast majority of the working class ever read. The only difference between now and the Victorian era is that the kids no longer spend the majority of their time in the coal mines, so we've had occasion to notice.
Posted by: Christine at Aug 23, 2007 4:42:30 AM
Event organizer was one of the career options suggested by Tony and Carmela to the wayward A.J. Soprano. It's TV, it's real.
Posted by: Al Stakhanov at Aug 23, 2007 4:52:15 AM
The British infatuation with being an author predates Rowling. As evidence, I offer the none other than the Beatles.
Paperback writer.
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book,
it took me years to write, will you take a look?
Based on a novel by a man named Lear.
and I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
It's the dirty story of a dirty man,
and his clinging wife doesn't understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
it's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I'll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
If you really like, it you can have the rights,
it could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here,
but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Posted by: DBH at Aug 23, 2007 10:11:15 AM
The British infatuation with being an author predates Rowling. As evidence, I offer the none other than the Beatles.
Paperback writer.
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book,
it took me years to write, will you take a look?
Based on a novel by a man named Lear.
and I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
It's the dirty story of a dirty man,
and his clinging wife doesn't understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
it's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I'll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
If you really like, it you can have the rights,
it could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here,
but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Posted by: DBH at Aug 23, 2007 10:11:39 AM
The British infatuation with being an author predates Rowling. As evidence, I offer the none other than the Beatles.
Paperback writer.
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book,
it took me years to write, will you take a look?
Based on a novel by a man named Lear.
and I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
It's the dirty story of a dirty man,
and his clinging wife doesn't understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
it's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I'll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
If you really like, it you can have the rights,
it could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here,
but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,
paperback writer.
Paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Paperback writer - paperback writer.
Posted by: DBH at Aug 23, 2007 10:11:44 AM
Regarding reading by the working classes in years past (earlier comment), there is quite a good book called The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes (Yale) by Jonathan Rose, who contends that they read quite a lot, and some good stuff too.
Posted by: Dan at Aug 23, 2007 11:16:01 AM
First, my comment was not suggesting that her writing would fit whatever criteria you or anyone else would deem worthy of "better works" (whatever that means anyway). The fact of the matter is history will tell on that score--just give it time.
But personal tastes and literary judgment aside, anyone who has seen the attention this particular series has produced must concede that it must being doing some favor to the literary world. The fact that it has crossed that oh-so-taboo line between mainstream fiction and children's literature alone makes this work worthy of note, bringing not just children but adults back to books--no matter how "sloppily written" they may be. It's also broken past the book and TV/movie/technology border better than almost any other work I can think of--how many novels do you know have gotten as much TV coverage as this one (my evidence, look at the world-wide book-release party for the last book--or any of the recent ones for that matter)?
But if you need facts and stats (and I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, just the most convenient):
"The most notable trend attributed to Harry Potter has been an increase in literacy among the young. Anecdotal evidence suggesting such an increase was seemingly confirmed in 2006 when the Kids and Family Reading Report (in conjunction with Scholastic) released a survey finding that 51% of Harry Potter readers ages 5–17 said that while they did not read books for fun before they started reading Harry Potter, they now did. The study further reported that according to 65% of children and 76% of parents, they or their children's performance in school improved since they started reading the series."
Before you just write this series--and its creator--off as popular literary trash, you may also want to read the scholarly works out there studying its use of mythology and tracking its main character's progress along Joseph Campbell's Hero Journey (at least in the first four novels anyway).
Lastly, literary snobbery, by the way, is probably one of the reasons why reading is viewed as so boring--because, obviously, anything trendy or popular or just plain fun to read must be trash, right?
Posted by: Newbie at Aug 23, 2007 12:02:41 PM
As someone who works doing public opinion surveys I don't believe those numbers for second. There is no way that 76% of children's grades improved by simply reading a moderately good children's book. I don't believe the 51% either, 15 million children did not start with Harry Potter.
Harry Potter is like Apple Computers, it's fun and trendy but inreality it lacks any substance.
Posted by: Robert S. Porter at Aug 23, 2007 12:29:54 PM
Robert S. Porter,
If Apple Computers lack any substance, why am I writing to
you on one?
John
Posted by: Shakespeare's Fool at Aug 23, 2007 12:46:14 PM
Is this a sad reflection on the unrealistic aspirations of the lesser-skilled?
Posted by: Will at Aug 23, 2007 12:52:30 PM
I didn't say they couldn't do anything. Just like Harry Potter is a readable book, Apples are a useable computer. My point is that Apple and Harry Potter don't expand. They bring you together into one product and you stay there. iMac, iPod, iPhone etc. Harry Potter and Apple are accessories for a stylish life.
Posted by: Robert S. Porter at Aug 23, 2007 12:54:07 PM
I think you're expecting too much from literature. Exactly what did you want the book--or any book in general--to do? What would break a book--just any book, take your pick--out from its iPod-like status to significance? What exactly constitutes substance?
The Harry Potter books have an entertaining plot, they have decent subtext (again, better in the first four novels than the last three), they have wonderful messages about racism and prejudice--if a little heavy-handed on the author's political leanings--and they borrow, reference, and allude to several different mythologies and literary texts--including but not limited to the Christian Bible and the legend of King Arthur. It has touched and affected current culture (only a sheltered person who doesn't pay attention to news or social trends would say differently--how long-lived this effect may turn out to be is, I'll admit, up for debate; as I said only time will tell). She reached people and brought books back to a privileged spot in people's lives--even if the effect eventually dies out along with the books' leading villain. What else does it have to do to become at least noteworthy?
And by the way, as a person who studies literature--particularly children's lit--the Harry Potter series has affected the industry, sparking a trend toward speculative fiction, particularly in the young adult front though there has been that same effect in adult fiction as well. These novels are revolutionary, not just another added advancement, like your iPod. There were popular music players long before the iPod, phones before the iPhone. How many children's novels--strike that--novels have gotten the same attention as Ms. Rowling's series in recent years? While she may not have the skill of Francesca Lia Block or Neil Gaiman (two very talented authors in a similar genre), she's done what they haven't: reached a market that wasn't specially tailored specifically for them.
Posted by: Newbie at Aug 23, 2007 2:13:14 PM
I'm sorry but Harry Potter is not revolutionary in terms of its literary merit.
What may be revolutionary is the media machine that they were able to start up. The book certainly is noteworthy and important but that doesn't mean it's a great book. The story is entertaining, sure, but that doesn't change the fact that better pieces of literature are being ignored due to the hype that was placed on it.
Rowling is a great capitalist success story and I applaud her for it. Artistically the books is a great example of populism and certainly there is a need for that, but it should not be looked at as the pinnacle of literary achivement, even for children's books.
And as I suspected there was no real impact upon reading by Harry Potter: "But in keeping with the intricately plotted novels themselves, the truth about Harry Potter and reading is not quite so straightforward a success story. Indeed, as the series draws to a much-lamented close, federal statistics show that the percentage of youngsters who read for fun continues to drop significantly as children get older, at almost exactly the same rate as before Harry Potter came along." (NYT)
Posted by: Robert S. Porter at Aug 23, 2007 5:17:00 PM
Writing presumably appeals because it is flexible and you don't have the boss breathing down your neck the whole time. Although if it meant the spouse taking over that role I'm sure most Brits would be straight back in the office in a flash.
As to what JK Rowling has to do with the survey: it's complete speculation. There's a wealth of talentless souls out there peddling all manner of rubbish. Maybe Madonna or Naomi Campbell are the source of inspiration.
Posted by: JH at Aug 24, 2007 11:20:55 AM
"Harry Potter and Apple are accessories for a stylish life."
To Robert S. Porter--Apple products were used by the majority of the CompSci graduate students at my previous institution. I don't believe they were going for style.
I do not disagree with you that people do indeed use them for style, however, but I am disagreeing with you that Apple does not "expand."
In short, I disagree that Apple and Harry Potter are similar by the ways you mentioned. Apples and oranges in my book.
Posted by: Paul at Aug 24, 2007 10:14:23 PM
