Drama in the Courtroom

As a fan of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, I've been following reports in The New York Times on the Federal District Court trial involving Rowling and librarian Steven Vander Ark.

With leads like this one in Wednesday's New York Times, it's hard not to be caught up in the drama of it all:

Shhh! The librarian at the heart of the Harry Potter copyright-infringement lawsuit stood up to J.K. Rowling on Tuesday in a Manhattan courtroom, and then broke down sobbing.

Rowling and and her film producers, Warner Brothers Entertainment, are suing Vander Ark's publisher, RDR Books, to stop publication of the Harry Potter Lexicon. The encyclopedia is based on Vander Ark’s web site.

Rowling herself was tearful on the stand, saying that "wholesale theft of 17 years of my hard work" is involved. Vander Ark contends his work is intended as an encylopedia that would help fans enjoy Rowling's works even more.

It's hard to know who is right; but emotions are certainly running high on both sides. To read more about it:

• New York Times, 4/15/08, Rowling Testifies Against Lexicon Author
• New York Times, 4/16/08, Sued by Harry Potter’s Creator, Lexicographer Breaks Down on the Stand
• New York Times, 4/17/08, Trial Over Potter Lexicon Ends With an Olive Branch

How Much Do You Read?

An April 7, 2008 Harris Poll® finds that over one-third of Americans read more than 10 books a year.

That's pretty encouraging news for those of us who are concerned about the effects of television, popular culture and the Internet on reading.

Interestingly, the survey found that of the types of books people read, non-fiction and fiction are about even (82% and 80% respectively).

The survey also reports that the "largest single genre is mystery, thriller and crime (48% read) followed by history (35%), biographies (31%), religious and spirituality (28%) and literature (27%)."

Where do you fit in on the reading spectrum? Do you read more or less than 10 books a year?