General Nerdery

Oh hey, haven’t done one of these in awhile, and the time is right… considering that half of the JSTOR staff is re-reading all of the Harry Potter books in order, as full-fledged adults. 

To recap: In our JSTOR: Beyond the Book series, we take popular fiction or trade nonfiction books and point you to helpful articles on JSTOR that could enhance your reading experience. If you’re into that sort of thing. Previous entries include:

1. Infinite Jest  by David Foster Wallace

2. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy (for Reblog Book Club)

3. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

5. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Since the JSTOR dash is basically Harry Potter and Stucky fanfic, I’ll skip the recap. So! Want to read some scholarly research on The Boy Who Lived? Let’s go:

Origins of magic: review of genetic and epigenetic effects from BMJ: British Medical Journal. BMJ does these oddly specific mock-diagnoses of fictional conditions (another interesting one is a mental assessment of Gollum) that are kind of cool! 

Wizarding in the Classroom: Teaching Harry Potter and Politics from Political Science and Politics 

The Harry Potter Stories and French Arthurian Romance from Arthuriana

Amazing Book Sculptures Bring Books to Life by Kelly Campbell Berry

Kelly Campbell Berry’s current passion involves the creation of altered books and book sculptures. Passionate about antique treasures, Berry’s new talent involves constructing book sculptures from vintage children’s books. After a house fire burned Berry’s vintage collection of illustrated books, she decided to begin her library again. With a fresh perspective, Berry decided that she did not want her precious belonging to collect dust any longer; thus the journey began. She admits:

“I am truly amazed at the ability some people have to arrange words in such a way that we, the readers, can actually ‘see’ into the imagined world of the writer. We relate, feel, and become invested in the characters so deeply that we are pulled into their world for a brief moment of escape. In some cases I remember certain books with such fondness that I feel as if I experienced them. I still have a connection to Stewart Little and The Borrowers. Books, for me, come alive. That is why I have started creating book sculptures. My book sculptures are my way of showing what the words on the pages create in the imagination of the readers.”

Berry transforms up cycled version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, among other classics into whimsical cut-out illustrations. The tarnished and antiquated classics are ironically resurrected by the artist’s use of blades and scissors, a magnifying glass and tweezers.  To preserve each creation, Berry uses a paper preservative, velvet and wood, glass, and acid-free adhesive to exhibit her work. You can find her work in her Etsy shop!

I can not stop watching this. Halp.