Here's a real-life story for a Friday afternoon.
Once upon an actual Sunday morning, not too many months ago, a couple of lovely, polite, and very earnest people knocked on my door, Bible in hand.
Earnest Woman: "We're worried about the disturbing trend of children's books about witches and wizards and magic."
Me: (blink)
Earnest Woman: "I see you have children, I'm sure you're concerned about their well-being?"
Me: "Mmmm."
Earnest Man: "We'd like to read you a verse from the Bible about the dangers of witchcraft, if you don't mind."
Me: "Mmmm."
Whereupon they proceeded to read a verse where Paul warns against seeking out witches and wizards who "peep and mutter."
These people were so earnest, and really nice, I didn't have the heart to tell them that I, myself, had written two books about witches and magic. I didn't want to horrify them.
I also didn't have time--I would have been late for church--to explain how I (and a large number of fantasy-writers out there) can claim to be Christian and justify writing witch books: George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien among them, not to mention J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. These books we're talking about ARE imaginary, after all, not how-to books, or tracts.
Fantasy is not supposed to be literal, I wanted to say. No witch is ever really a witch, no monster is ever just a monster, as author Brandon Mull (Fablehaven) likes to point out, and magic isn't exactly magic, either. Symbolism allows a story to take on as many different meanings as it has readers, each person bringing his own real-life experiences with him. Story is inherently interactive that way, even read alone under the covers at night.
I could go on: fantasy lets a child lay out her fears and look at them in a way that doesn't have to hurt so much it cripples her. It lets little people go away for awhile and do the impossible, and then they can come back to regular life and see new possibilities. Ideally, it leaves them with hope, and that's not imaginary at all. Not incompatible with Christianity, either, as far as I can see.
Well, I didn't say all that to the people on my porch. I didn't want to burst anybody's earnest bubble. I also didn't feel like apologizing for what I do all day. So I just said, "Thank you," not even a little bit sincerely, and let them go on saving the neighborhood from witchcraft. I shut the door, got dressed, and tried not to giggle hysterically all through church.
You can bet if you peek in my window on any given day, you'll see me typing away at my latest witch book. I didn't hear anything in that Bible verse to make me think that's such a terrible thing.
Once upon an actual Sunday morning, not too many months ago, a couple of lovely, polite, and very earnest people knocked on my door, Bible in hand.
Earnest Woman: "We're worried about the disturbing trend of children's books about witches and wizards and magic."
Me: (blink)
Earnest Woman: "I see you have children, I'm sure you're concerned about their well-being?"
Me: "Mmmm."
Earnest Man: "We'd like to read you a verse from the Bible about the dangers of witchcraft, if you don't mind."
Me: "Mmmm."
Whereupon they proceeded to read a verse where Paul warns against seeking out witches and wizards who "peep and mutter."
These people were so earnest, and really nice, I didn't have the heart to tell them that I, myself, had written two books about witches and magic. I didn't want to horrify them.
I also didn't have time--I would have been late for church--to explain how I (and a large number of fantasy-writers out there) can claim to be Christian and justify writing witch books: George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien among them, not to mention J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. These books we're talking about ARE imaginary, after all, not how-to books, or tracts.
Fantasy is not supposed to be literal, I wanted to say. No witch is ever really a witch, no monster is ever just a monster, as author Brandon Mull (Fablehaven) likes to point out, and magic isn't exactly magic, either. Symbolism allows a story to take on as many different meanings as it has readers, each person bringing his own real-life experiences with him. Story is inherently interactive that way, even read alone under the covers at night.
I could go on: fantasy lets a child lay out her fears and look at them in a way that doesn't have to hurt so much it cripples her. It lets little people go away for awhile and do the impossible, and then they can come back to regular life and see new possibilities. Ideally, it leaves them with hope, and that's not imaginary at all. Not incompatible with Christianity, either, as far as I can see.
Well, I didn't say all that to the people on my porch. I didn't want to burst anybody's earnest bubble. I also didn't feel like apologizing for what I do all day. So I just said, "Thank you," not even a little bit sincerely, and let them go on saving the neighborhood from witchcraft. I shut the door, got dressed, and tried not to giggle hysterically all through church.
You can bet if you peek in my window on any given day, you'll see me typing away at my latest witch book. I didn't hear anything in that Bible verse to make me think that's such a terrible thing.
Great entry, Elena. Really enjoyed that. I can't believe there are anti-magic, Harry Potter hating proselytizers going door-to-door. I don't know if I'd be able to behave myself as well as you did.
ReplyDeleteWell, it actually kind of made my day, it was so bizarre. And it took me completely by surprise; I was pretty much speechless.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Elena! I'm glad you kept your composure. I'd probably burst out laughing and ask, "So how do you feel about werewolves, then?" I think fantasy is a wonderful medium for discussing religion, along with a great way to get a little adventure into your life.
ReplyDeleteYou're a class act, Elena. =]
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing those people aren't glancing into the windows of my head because what a shock they would get! Dragons, magic, faeries, werewolves, and any other mystical thing might pop out at them!