Comments for Forks High School Professor

Comment on Edward Meets Buffy: She Slays Him? by revgeorge

revgeorge — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Wow, had never seen that before. Hilarious. I’m tempted to say that’s the difference between good vampire media like Buffy & poor vampire media like Twilight but I know John would smack me down so I won’t.

Comment on ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘Twilight’ by Sheila

Sheila — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:06:04 +0000

I am clearly a Jane-come-lately to this conversation as I am posting months past the original post. However, as conversation was encouraged, I must weigh in on 2 of my favorite topics – Twilight and Anne. I read the Anne series as a young girl probably 6 or 7 times (like Meyer, I always read them through completely). I think the last time I read them was in highschool. As an adult, I dragged my husband to PEI (while I was pregnant with our first child, who was very nearly named Anne). He bravely read and enjoyed the first 2 Anne books. I have been waiting for my now 7yo daughter to be old enough for us to read Anne together. I am reflecting merely on the strength of what I remember from reading Anne so long ago. In terms of the similarities between Anne and Twilight:
– The absolute inevitability of the relationship between Anne/Gilbert and Bella/Edward. I had the exact same feeling reading New Moon/Eclipse that I had reading the parts of the Avonlea series when Anne and Gilbert are with other people, “this can’t be happening – they don’t belong together” feeling. I suspect that if I were to go back to Anne of Avolea and Anne of the Island (my personal favorite), that we would also find evidence of the wrongness of the separation, just as we do in New Moon. As we know, Gilbert barely survives the separation from Anne, as Edward will not survive his separation from Bella if it had continued.
- The location as a character in the series. In both Twilight and Avonlea, I was absolutely in the place – in the barn when Anne tries on her puffy sleeves for the first time – the garage where the motorcycles are rebuilt. The forests of Forks and the farmlands of Avonlea. Both are real places that can be visited and touched and experienced by the reader today. (Yes, I plan to be one of those crazies touring the streets of Forks, Port Angeles and La Push one day!).
- The rites of passage – Bella’s prom, marriage, motherhood, etc. Anne’s education, marriage, motherhood, etc.

I agree with the final post by Vanessa that Meyer’s writing lacks the richness of Montgomery’s – it lacks the diversity of rich characters. It lacks the total arc of time. However, she is mistaken that Twilight will not survive 100 years. Meyer has created the two most romantic heros of our time. The sheer volume of readers gurantees these characters a long life. Part of the Meyer magic is that while she may not have written ‘great literature’, she had created two characters who speak deeply to readers and I don’t believe time will alter or lessen their impact.

Finally, John, the most significant point you make for me is that Edward is like gilbert transported in time – the ultimate gentleman, devoted to Anne at all costs, a man not afraid to admit the depth of his feelings. I need to go back now and see if Gilbert’s hair is ever referred to as ‘bronze’.

Comment on Twilight and the Future of the Novel by Hogwarts Professor · T. S. Eliot on the Value of Plot and Narrative Line

Hogwarts Professor · T. S. Eliot on the Value of Plot and Narrative Line — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:29:20 +0000

[...] I’ll be using this Eliot aside in my revisions to Unlocking Harry Potter. I think I’ll send it on to Lev Grossman as well, if only to suggest he use it as a weapon against the horde of angry academic villagers the next time they storm his castle for suggesting plot is a good thing. [...]

Comment on Edward Meets Buffy: She Slays Him? by Kirimi Nekozawa

Kirimi Nekozawa — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:27:17 +0000

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I’ve seen Twilight but not Buffy, and now I really want to see Buffy; she sure pones Edward here! Especially the bedroom scene. That was impressive. I’d react that way if some cocky little vamp snuck into my room!

Comment on The Spectrum of Christian ‘Twilight’ Opinion by Charlie Wilson

Charlie Wilson — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:27 +0000

i just thought that married life is the happiest point of my life.’-~

Comment on Stephenie Meyer: “There is No Moral of the Story” by Hogwarts Professor · Mrs. Meyer says Twilight is Meaningless?

Hogwarts Professor · Mrs. Meyer says Twilight is Meaningless? — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 06:12:40 +0000

[...] I wrote at ForksHighSchool Professor last year, it’s a little confusing about where her answer to the editor ends here and where she [...]

Comment on Why Reading Matters: The Climacus Conference by Chris

Chris — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:58:10 +0000

I’m loving the talk. I first found you through your first book on Harry Potter and have recently enjoyed your conversations with Travis at the Pubcast. But this is blowing my mind. Thanks for posting! It has fueled in me a hunger for reading and I’m sharing this link with my friends.

I found this as there is a girl in my youth group who is waaaaay into Twilight so I came here to point her your way. Thanks for your important work.

Comment on Christianity Today on ‘Twilight:’ So Close! by Hillary

Hillary — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:04:13 +0000

Hey there. Our Bible study group is doing a Twilight-themed Bible study. We’re comparing Twilight (the novel) symbolism to Mormonism and thus Mormon theology to comparable Christian theology. One of our group members forwarded me your link.

I thought you might like to see the first video in the series. Go to http://31woman.org/#/our-current-study/twilight-the-morning-star to sign up and view the first discussion.

Comment on Obligatory ‘New Moon’ Movie Thread by Tina

Tina — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:14:57 +0000

Susan, my dyed-in-the-wool italian neighbor, with whom I saw the movie, translated for me just as Aro spoke the lines. Aro said, “uno y alto,” meaning “one or the other,” and meaning only Bella or Edward would be allowed to live, not both.

Comment on Why Reading Matters: The Climacus Conference by revgeorge

revgeorge — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:51:55 +0000

John, just had the chance to finally listen to this talk. Very good. Liked the Frosty the Snowman illustration. Any chance of a transcript of the talk? Keep up the good work!