Today J.K. Rowling turns 43. How grand it must feel to contemplate all that she has accomplished. She must be happily anticipating the upcoming movie premiere of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, the 6th and arguably most shocking in her seven book series. And what a relief it must be to her, after years of writing these giant tomes of books, keeping track of tiny plot details that wound around and around her story, to be finished. To have left a legacy of fiction that will guarantee she is a household name even in a hundred years.I'm trying not to resent the fact that, while I too am 43, I did not have a meteoric rise to fame with the release of my first book, and I do not live in a Scottish castle. I am not richer than the Queen of England, and I do not routinely make the Forbes list of wealthiest people.
Instead, I choose to see J.K. as a sister writer--one who has earned fame and fortune with her talent and tenacity. She is a tribute to the notion of following your heart, and a living moral about the value of a good idea.
So happy birthday, J.K! I hope you are enjoying your castle view today, and that you are enjoying rest and relaxation with your family. (But I also hope you have other ideas percolating).
The movie comes out in November; the trailer link is here.
