In this episode I talk to Harry Potter fanfiction writer Perverse_idyll about her 2009 Snarry fic ‘The White Road.’
Perverse_idyll has loved books all her life, and started off as a sci-fi and fantasy fan. She was first introduced to fanfiction when a customer slipped her copies of Kirk/Spock slash fics, which she loved. Her interest in fanfiction grew after reading Joanna Russ’s 1985 essay ‘Pornography For Women, By Women, With Love,’ which advocated k/s slashfic as a healthy erotic exploration free from commercial restriction.
Once internet fandom emerged in the 90s, Perverse_idyll encountered an article that pointed her to an early online fanfiction archive prototype where she immediately gravitated to the section for Lord of the Rings. From there she jumped to the West of the Moon archive and binged on Frodo/Sam fics. Perverse_idyll admits she almost drifted away from fandom entirely after Lord of the Rings, but then she happened upon the Snape/Harry ship from Harry Potter and the rest, as they say, is history.
Perverse_idyll shares fascinating memories and perspectives on early Harry Potter fandom in the LiveJournal days, and offers a deep dive into the fandom’s foundational thoughts on the things that make Severus Snape a unique character study.
We discuss ‘The White Road’ and explore the fic’s metaphors, imagery, PoVs, and the tender elements that make this story a wonderful Snarry classic.
Perverse_idyll offers profound encouragement to discouraged writers, and she shares some brilliant recommendations from her personal Harry Potter fanfiction rec list.
Thank you for coming on the show, Perverse_idyll!
Keep on rollin’!
Show Notes:
The link to ‘The White Road’ is here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19113
The link to Joanna Russ’s ‘Pornography For Women, By Women, With Love’ is here: https://web.archive.org/web/20140405044924/https://sites.google.com/site/evalangui/translations-traducciones/pornographywithlove/
Other Authors Mentioned:
Delphi
A Gramarye of Folk Magic
Snagov
Goblin Market
The Forest King
The Lighthouse Keeper
Acid
Atrata
Kelly_Chambliss
Laventadorn
The Neverending Road
We_built_the_shadows_here
Puzzle
Vissy
Playing For Keeps
Rinsbane
Jay Tryfanstone
Pluperfectsunrise
Hippocrates460
Persepolis130
Reconciling Lily’s Eyes
MiaUgly
Rapture
Alchemia
A Bittersweet Potion Series
Meri
Tiranog