Friday, July 20, 2007

Live Blogging from the Fairfax Borders

SUNDAY AM UPDATE: We've added more photos from midnight (see at end of post) at Borders on Friday night.

FRIDAY AM: Got up this morning and got in line to get my ticket for the book when it goes on sale at one minute after midnight. I am told there have been people here with tents since 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon. More began arriving at around 4:00 a.m. and the line continues even now. This is just to get a ticket to buy the book later! We'll be liveblogging here - not only on HP of course, but other topics.

We will also be posting at special blog (which it used very often, but today might be a good day) to do some speculations and ultimately it will be at that location where I'll post my review. That way if you come to the cafe, you can decide whether you want to read the reviews and speculation. As frequent cafe patron Art said, " What is this Harry Potter stuff? Is it widely distributed?"

So here we go!

LATER: Just finished our interview with John Granger - great interview. I'm waiting for the recording to process right now. Then we'll do a quick edit and get it up as soon as we can. The normal way of posting the podcast at iTunes is done through the trust MacMini and we're working off the laptop today. It was a great interview.

Tonight we're going to an all-night reading party. Butterbeer will be provided - no, really! We have been wondering if there would also be some Ogden's Old Fashioned Fire Whiskey, but then that may not be conducive to book reading.

3:00 p.m. - Guess who just dropped by to say hi - cousins! My cousins from Rhode Island are in town and they just dropped by to say hi. Cousin Joel is a Harry Potter fan and we both think there's more to Dumbledore's "death" than meets the eye. His mom, Sue, says that if she were dressing up tonight, she'd go as Mrs. Weasley. And Sarah and Joel said they'd be Ron and Ginny.

We're about to have an indepth conversation on Professor Slughorn. If you don't know who that is, it's still not too late to find out!

3:50 p.m. Look who's just stopped by the table - Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange - the Black Sisters, otherwise known as Morgan Britt and Brittany Gilroy! They are off to find their "other sister" - Andromeda Tonks, otherwise known as Erin Lindgren. They've been planning these costumes for months - and they turned out terrific. We expect to have more sightings of rather interesting people as the day - and evening - goes on.

4:17 p.m. Christopher Johnson has posted his take on the end of the Harry Potter series in the comments. All we can say is that we are humming, As Time Goes By. In fact, this may inspire your reading time, if Mr. Johnson has the inside scoop (though what he's really scooping may be open to debate):



5:30 p.m. Megan Walnut just stopped in - having checked the blog and saw we are here holding down the fort, stopped by for some chai and butterbeer. Megan and I served together on the Truro Vestry this past year - and what a year it's been. Nice to have a small break for a very fun night. She's off now to see the film, Order of the Phoenix - she figures that every Harry Potter fan in the world will be at the bookstores tonight, she'd probably have a private showing. Though Janet, who is also here at the table (you'll see her soon once she transforms into Bathsheba Babbling, the Professor of Ancient Runes) says that everyone who is a true Potterhead will be at something - bookstore or at the movies. But we've decided that the best bet is that we all will be standing in line to get books tonight.

6:34 p.m. Meghan and Lief Graham arrive. Meghan (who also was with me on the Truro Vestry) is about to have a baby any minute. But apparently Joshua Graham is also a Harry Potter fan (or he loves his mother very much) and has decided to wait until after Deathly Hallows comes out before making his grand debut.

Puppy Potty Paper Training Alert: The New York Times "posts rebuttal" for printing review of Deathly Hallows yesterday. The Public Editor offers no apologies and remains defiant. Read his cynical response here. We wonder if he's polyjuiced and his real name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

Professor Bethsheba Babbling has now arrived and is sitting at our table. She is the Professor of Ancient Runes (one of Hermione Granger's favorite subjects - which we believe, at least at this table, is an important, if not crucial, element in The Deathly Hallows). We are honored to have the good professor with us, especially since she will be hosting the all-night reading party. And yes, she also served with me on the Truro Vestry.

Okay, here's the Quibbler Reporter trying her best to fit in with all the Muggles here at Borders.

8:30 p.m. Jeff Livesay just dropped by - he hasn't read the books or seen the movies. "I have perfected the knack of showing up where I don't belong," Jeff just said. We think he knows a good party when he sees one!



Matt Springman just arrived and with him about 500 more people. Borders is really filling up now and we'll walk around take some photos in just a moment.

Just a few minutes ago we had a round-table discussion on the Scholastic Questions, which is now posted on YouTube and below. We're still editing Part 1, but it will be up shortly. It's chaotic and fun and much like this place right now!

















16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Public libraries got their copies a day or so ago and I had a look at the ending. Seems Harry takes the One Ring to Mordor, throws it down a ventilation shaft and blows up the Death Star.

Unknown said...

Oh, wait - you didn't see the very last page. Harry comes out of the shower and we discover the whole series was a dream.

bb ;-)

Anonymous said...

Apparently, Ms. Rowling wrote more than one ending because I just got a look at another one of our copies and saw this. Seems Hermione was once married to a wizard named Victor Laszlo. This Laszlo was imprisoned by Voldemort, Hermione thought he was dead and had a fling with Harry. But Laszlo escaped, Hermione left Harry and Harry became a bitter, cynical wizard/saloon keeper in Morocco. Anyway...

Harry: Last night we said a great many things. You said I was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, I've done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing: you're getting on that broom with Victor where you belong.
Hermione: But, Harry, no, I... I...
Harry: Now, you've got to listen to me! You have any idea what you'd have to look forward to if you stayed here? Nine chances out of ten, we'd both wind up in Azkaban. Isn't that true, Louie?
Renault: I'm afraid Wizard Strasser would insist.
Hermione: You're saying this only to make me go.
Rick: I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that broom leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
Hermione: But what about us?
Harry: We'll always have Hogwarts. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.
Hermione: When I said I would never leave you.
Harry: And you never will. But I've got some spells to cast, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Hermione, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little wizards don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kid.

Anonymous said...

AHHHH!!!! This Harry potter stuff is a book. LOL
Art+

Unknown said...

We've been humming "As Time Goes By." We think - thanks to Christopher Johnson, that in fact, "As Time Goes By" might make a great theme song for the House of Bishops meeting in September ... ah, but that is another story.

We've been reading the Casablanca-Harry Potter dialogue and it's a hit. In fact, we are going to update the entry so that people will read the comments. It's a hoot!!!!!

And Art, you are just too much. ;-)

bb

Anonymous said...

It's a book?

Deathly Hallows isn't a rock band?

Anonymous said...

My name is Harry Potter...you killed my parents...prepare to die.

Anonymous said...

BB,
What costume are u wearing tonight?
Art+

Anonymous said...

Um...that's not a costume she's wearing. She always dresses like that. Go figure.

Unknown said...

Good to meet you. I didn't ask the question I showed up to ask: Have you done any more HP-esque writing (like the CNN report from Godric's Hollow?

Anonymous said...

So like are the books out? Behind counters? In boxes? Locked in Fluffy's vault?

What happens when they start selling them? Riot, or is there some kind of order to this pent-up anticipation? I know you got a ticket but what keeps everyone with a ticket from rushing the staff at midnight?

I tend to stay away from these events and not buy the book for a few weeks, because I don't have the patience for the rush, with people pushing, people shoving, trying to take care of business, etc.

Anonymous said...

"My name is Harry Potter...you killed my parents...prepare to die."

Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

Unknown said...

Loved all your comments!

bb

Matt said...

I worked at Barnes and Noble for three years and had a great time working at two Harry Potter parties. It was great to see so many kids so excited about a book and we always had fun games and stuff. Looks like you found a good one at our evil competitor's =)

Kevin said...

So who is the lady with the nice purple hair? Is she in love with Jesus & single? [*wink*]

MorningSprite said...
This comment has been removed by the author.