Steve Vander Ark

Fan
Name:	Steve Vander Ark
Alias(es):
Type:
Fandoms:	Harry Potter, Star Trek: TNG, Star Trek: TOS
Communities:
Other:	Harry Potter Lexicon
URL:
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Steve Vander Ark is the founder and webmaster of the Harry Potter Lexicon website. Currently best known for his attempt to publish a print version of the lexicon and the ensuing legal uproar.

Zines

• STNG: Compleat Encyclopedia
• The Star Trek Songbook
• E'ed Pebnista
• Flight Deck

Bio

First of all, let me make one thing clear. I am not J. K. Rowling or in any way associated with her or with Warner Bros. or Scholastic or anything official like that. I'm just a fan.

The Lexicon was created and is edited, written, and maintained primarily by one person, me. I'm a 47-year-old school librarian and an encyclopedia fan from way back. I started writing reference encyclopedias in the late 1960s using the notes I always took about television shows and books that I enjoyed. My first one was about Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which I used to watch in black and white reruns. I've written references like the Lexicon for Star Trek and Star Trek the Next Generation, for Hogan's Heroes, for Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars books, and others, but never before have I had the chance to publish my work in a way that's accessable to so many people. With the Harry Potter Lexicon, I have had the extreme pleasure to create a reference that is actually used and enjoyed by thousands of people all over the world via the Internet. This is my hobby, and it's been a real thrill for my hobby to be appreciated and supported by so many people.

I'm also a writer. I have written professionally for many years, including stints at Compute magazine, where I was a columnist and reviewer, RUN Magazine, and others. I have freelanced for travel magazines, kids magazines, and professional publications for teachers and librarians. I lecture and teach on a variety of subjects, besides creating and running the library, media, and technology programs for a K-8 school in Michigan. I'm also a husband and father, and my family is obviously my first priority. As you can imagine, this all keeps me plenty busy, so if you don't see updates as quickly or as often as you'd like, keep in mind that the Lexicon is just a hobby and that I have plenty of other demands on my time.

I don't write everything, of course. I do have a number of contributors who have written some excellent material for the Lexicon. I find some of the best essays from the members of the Harry Potter for Grown Ups group on Yahoo, and if you're an adult, I highly recommend that you join that group. I also have a terrific group of fan artists who have given me permission to use their work on my pages.

The Harry Potter Lexicon Lawsuit with J.K. Rowling

In 2007-08, the lexicon encountered legal trouble regarding a proposal to published the lexicon in print form.

See The Harry Potter Lexicon Trial.

Interview

See The Snake's Quill Interview with Steve Vander Ark (2007).

External Sources

• The Harry Potter Lexicon, Wikepedia article, accessed February 17, 2012