Contact:

 Dean Browell ,  (540) 365-4301, dbrowell@ferrum.edu

     The buzz about Harry Potter has not only to do with the title revelation of J.K. Rowling’s upcoming sixth book in the series or even the vibrant third movie, but also with the paperback release of Ferrum College Professor Lana Whited’s The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter. The paperback edition, to be released this month, will feature a new epilogue including material on “The Order of The Phoenix.” The book, edited by Ferrum College Professor of English Dr. Lana A. Whited, features 16 essays on the J. K. Rowling tales. While the University of Missouri Press’s book has had special appeal to literature professionals, it is written to be accessible to avid readers and fans of the series as well.

    Whited’s book, which bears the full title, The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon was first published in December of 2002. Its comments on how race is handled in the Potter books foreshadowed the recent confirmation of the sixth Potter book title, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

     The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books commented on The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter, "[Whited] has brought together an impressive array of scholarship to address the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. . . . From historical literary cousins to socio-political interpretations of the series' setting, from textual comparisons to fan club communities, the essays span a wide range of scholarly perspectives. . . . This is an exciting and substantial contribution to early scholarship about an important body of literary work.”

     The idea for the book came to Whited when, at a children’s Literature conference in June 2000, she presented a paper co-authored with Ferrum colleague Dr. M. Katherine Grimes. The room overflowed as scholars sought to hear an analysis of the books. 

     Essays explore topics including gender, commercialization, fan communities, how the books depict current British politics, problems facing translators of the books, and Rowling’s use of elements of fantasy, epic, and myth. Whited plans a second book on the series after publication of the seventh and final Potter installment.

     Since the hardcover shipped Whited oversaw the first “Magic for Muggles: A Harry Potter Experience” conference held on the Ferrum College campus last November. The weekend event featured potion classes, lectures and activities for children and adults alike.

Pre-Order The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter at Amazon.com

    For more information The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter you can contact Lana Whited at 540-365-4334.

    Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu.