JK Rowling Delivers Commencement Address at Harvard

Is it lame to still geek out whenever J.K. Rowling makes a public appearance? NO , IT’S NOT! Which is why I’m going to update you all on her Harvard Commencement speech, entitled “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.” She was the university's fifth female Commencement speaker since 1950. At the June 5 ceremony, she talked about her greatest challenges and achievements: failure and imagination. Awww!

She didn’t give away any secrets on the level of last year’s surprising Dumbledore revelation - though she did riff about speaking “without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard”).

Her speech concentrated on two themes: failure and imagination.

She noted that she personally had “failed on an epic scale” nearly two decades ago and was thankful for her former lows because it set her free:

“My greatest fear had already been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

Jo also talked about her pre-Potter experiences working at Amnesty International’s headquarters in London, noting that those “choosing to live in narrow spaces can lead to a form of mental agoraphobia, and that brings its own terrors. I think the willfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid.. And those who choose not to empathize may enable real monsters.”

After speaking about the challenges, Jo celebrated the power of imagination to help right wrongs around the world.

"Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand without having experienced. They can imagine themselves in other peoples' places. We do not need magic to transform the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have power to imagine better."

The speech also contained one great tidbit of Potter trivia, when Ms. Rowling referred to her naming inspiration for Lord Voldemort’s loyal supporters:

“The friends with whom I sat on graduation day have been my friends for life. They are my children’s godparents, the people to whom I’ve been able to turn in times of trouble, friends who have been kind enough not to sue me when I’ve used their names for Death Eaters.”

Jo’s speech was full of poise and humor. It was heartfelt and inspiring. I loved it! I wish for nothing more that Jo would have been my commencement speaker. She is amazing! I love her!!! And for all those stupid Harvard yuppies out there who thought they deserved someone “more prominent” as their commencement speakers, I have this to say:

STOP BEING A BUNCH OF MUGGLES AND GROW UP BEFORE I CURSE YOU!


Part 1 of her speech:



Part 2 of her speech: