Immeritus Interview with Laura Freeman aka Nasubionna

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Immeritus Interview with Laura Freeman aka Nasubionna
Interviewer:	Pen and Moon
Interviewee:	Laura Freeman aka Nasubionna
Date(s):	May 2006
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	Harry Potter
External Links:	interview is here, Archived version
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In 2006, Laura Freeman aka Nasubionna was interviewed for Immeritus by Pen and Moon.

Others in the Series

See Immeritus Interview Series.

Some Excerpts

I love the sharing of artwork, and I love seeing the amazingly different works that all sprung from the same source - the HP books. I just love seeing the incredible variety, how people see things differently than I do from reading the same text, and the way that other people's visions can match, inspire or influence my own mental images (and when my vision matches or influences someone elses vision).

I'm a fan of free speech, and that includes expression that I don't care for. So while I personally dislike things like incest and slash solely for the purpose of being slash, and what I feel is character mutilation in art and fic, that's not to say I think it's out of bounds. I just don't draw it, and do not seek it out online. I also feel that such material should be treated with care online, with proper labelling and protection - adult fans must not forget that there *are* children who love HP as well. I'm not sure I would use the word "censor", but I do take care where my art is posted, and on the rare occasions I venture into non-canon work, it is usually not posted publicly.

It's impossible not to notice the male bias in slash, even for someone who tries avoid it! I'm not sure how I feel about it... on one hand, it seems like just women enjoying and exploiting men's bodies, which goodness knows seems hardly happens outside of fandom... and that's shameful because men's bodies *are* beautiful and attractive and should be put on display equally with women's. If women find two (or more) men getting it on together sexy and interesting and empowering, than yay. On the other hand - and I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion - I'm a little disturbed by it because it almost feels like some women are not able to appreciate the sexuality of women, are not able to free themselves to write/draw sexual things involving and exploring the feminine (and I don't mean feminizing men or m-preg or something). I feel that's a bit sad and harmful, perpetuating the notion that men (gay and straight) are allowed and encouraged to be sexual, and women are pigeonholed into a virgin or whore role. It feels like a sort of self-directed misogyny. BUT, I'm not a psychologist or sociologist, so who knows? I think it's an amazingly complex phenomenon that I couldn't possibly address with any scientific accuracy.

My family knows that I draw HP, and they know I have a website, although they don't really visit it. Ever. They know I like to attend conventions, have done commissions, and have online HP fandom friends. But they don't really care or think it's any stranger than anything else I do, haha. I don't really know why people keep their fandom life separate from their "real" life... maybe because fandom is primarily online, so it's naturally separate from the rest of your life.... or maybe because some people's activity in fandom is mostly erotica, and one doesn't' usually feel like discussing pornography with your family and co-workers, do they? If that was what I was interested in, I probably wouldn't share that with my family, either.  :)