Potterversity: A Potter Studies Podcast11 Nov 2024

Potterversity Episode 58: More than Meets the Eye

Don't judge a book by its cover - this episode is about how looks can be deceiving in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

We're joined by Eizabeth Baird Hardy (Mayland Community College) to discuss her chapter in The Ivory Tower, Harry Potter, and Beyond, "Muggle Worthy: Deceptive Exteriors and Outsized Interiors in the Wizarding World." There is an implicit lesson in the wizarding world - one understood by magical children but that needs to be learned by newcomers like Harry - not to trust architecture. Staircases move, paintings hide passageways, unassuming pubs contain entrances to bustling magical streets. People, too, are more than they appear, like the enormous but gentle Hagrid.

Some spaces in Potter seem sensitive to emotional or psychological factors, such as the Room of Requirement, which seems to work in a similar way to a boggart in terms of understanding a person. While the former senses what a user needs, the latter senses what they fear. The Room of Requirement does not appear to judge and can be used for noble or nefarious purposes, whether to fight Death Eaters or let them into the castle.

What about portable, extendable spaces? Hermione has her beaded bag and Newt Scamander his suitcase full of creatures, both of which serve as metaphors for the complex personalities under the exteriors that might be overlooked. Spaces like these are also seen in Mary Poppins, Discworld, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Fantasy itself feels like a space where we cross a threshold from the mundane into a world of possibility.

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Potterversity Episode 74: Prisoners of Azkaban

Sirius Black wasn't the only prisoner of Azkaban—or the only victim of a deeply flawed penal system.Our guest for this episode is Marjolaine Martin, host of our French counterpart podcast at La Gazett...

10 Aug 1h 1min

Potterversity Episode 73: Harry Potter in Russia

Harry Potter is a global phenomenon - but how has it been received in Russia?Katy and Emily are joined Dr. Eliot Borenstein, professor of Russian and Slavic studies at New York University, to discuss ...

13 Juli 1h 10min

Potterversity Episode 72: Harry Potter and Identity

Why is it important to read Harry Potter critically? Katy and Emily talk about bridging the academic and fan worlds with Dr. Julian Wamble, who teaches a course called Harry Potter and Social Identit...

11 Maj 1h 12min

Potterversity Episode 71: Potter Meets Molesworth

We're going back to school, and specifically Latin class, on this episode.Dr. Mitchell Parks (Knox College) joins us once again to connect classical studies to Harry Potter, but this time, we're not l...

13 Apr 59min

Potterversity Episode 70: Harry Potter and the Call for Papers

This special episode is a call to join us at our favorite event of the year - the Harry Potter Academic Conference!The 15th annual conference is back in person at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia...

30 Mars 46min

Potterversity Episode 69: Potter Gets Stranger

We're entering the Upside Down to compare Harry Potter and Stranger Things following the Netflix series's final season. Spoilers ahead - proceed with caution!Katy, Emily, and producer Laurie reflect o...

9 Mars 1h 16min

Potterversity Episode 68: When in Doubt, Go to the Library

We're heading to Hermione's favorite place in this episode: the library!Ian McLaughlin, an PhD student in English who also holds an MLIS, joins Katy and Emily to reflect on libraries and librarians in...

9 Feb 1h 5min

Potterversity Episode 67: The Best Hope We Have

We're back with another episode recorded live at the 14th annual Harry Potter Academic Conference, which took place online in October 2025.Katy and Emily are joined by several conference regulars—prod...

12 Jan 58min