Pennington to speak on "The Power, The Myth of Harry Potter: Why Fantasy Matters Today" - St. Norbert Distinguished Lecture Series

From St. Norbert College, January 9, 2007
by Mike Counter, mike.counter@snc.eu, (920) 403-3089

John Pennington, associate professor of English at St. Norbert College, will discuss "The Power, the Myth of Harry Potter: Why Fantasy Matters Today," as part of the St. Norbert Distinguished Lecture Series, Saturday, Jan. 20 at 9:00 a.m. at the Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek. All lectures are free and open to the public. Ample parking, including handicapped, is adjacent to the auditorium.

In recent years Harry Potter, followed closely by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, have become cultural phenomena. The question is "why" their resounding popularity? The answer is simple, fantasy matters!

Pennington's presentation will explore the reasons why this magical form resonates will readers and film goers, particularly in the United States. Scholar Joseph Campbell's four basic functions of myth will also be explored.

For more information on the St. Norbert Distinguished Lecture Series, call Patti Podgers at (920) 868-2728.