Nialle Sylvan

1. I was basically Luna Lovegood from 1986-1992. 2. Wit? Wisdom? Oh yeah. 3. Blue. 4. French. 5. Myers-Briggs-wise, I’m like Hermione except that she’s ENFJ and I’m ENFP (Luna is INFP). That J/P makes the difference – the J is why Hermione chose a house that focuses on the Just and the Good, and the P is why I’d rather study why people think things are Just and Good than to become a leader pursuing the Just and the Good. If that doesn’t make me a Ravenclaw, I don’t know what does.

I read the Menolly trilogy when I was about 13, an age at which I had not yet met other kids who felt as strongly about fictional places and people as I did, and at which I had not yet met my first mentor figure. After reading about Masterharper Robinton, though, I went on a temporary study-of-music binge and a permanent quest for a mentor. Since then, two real-world Robintons have helped me to pursue my goals – a high school literature teacher and a college rhetoric professor – and so I thank Robinton for inspiring me on that quest, and Menolly for reinforcing my hope that a kid can overcome a childhood among not-kindred spirits, a hope that went a long way toward making me confident enough to pursue the dream I have.

I happened to be in Atlanta for a conference – can’t remember now whether it was CCCC or NCTE or which – at the same time as the American Physical Society conference at which Stephen Hawking spoke. I could never get enough of Hawking; he’s so funny and personable, even when explaining extremely difficult concepts, plus he was still excited about his Simpsons appearance. So, fun. Explain this to me, though… how could it be that we saw SIX people who could have been my twin, none of them related to each other or to me, in that audience?!