Unsurprisingly, Phoenix, like earlier books in series, has been subject to intense political and moral analysis. Since Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone (the Sorceror’s Stone in US), first took American reading-public by storm in 1997, there have been vicious attacks by Christian fundamentalists who believe series is cultivating a generation of “evil-doers”. Indeed, more extreme of these groups have accused Rowling of deliberately “spreading witchcraft”. After release of book four, Minnesota Star Tribune reported that a New Mexico town had actually held a book burning, and People Magazine informed its readers that parents across country were seeking to ban book from their children's school libraries. Mercifully, vast majority of American families have taken Harry to their hearts and Phoenix has broken all US sales records, outselling even biography of former first lady, Hillary Clinton.

In a far more agnostically inclined Britain, critics have tended to complain that Potter and his palls are a tad too “Middle-England” for their liking. However, I can only surmise that there must be a distinct lack of humour amongst present-day literary commentators because Rowling is quite obviously being ironic when she writes of curtain-twitching residents of Privet Drive and Minister of Magic in his pinstriped robes.

The Order of Phoenix is by far most sophisticated and mature book of series so far; it is also a more confident work than its predecessors. Although earlier books were far more comedy-driven, there are still many hilarious scenes in Phoenix that will amuse children and adults alike. The narrative moves at a cracking pace as Harry struggles to convince wizard world that Voldemort has returned, and book's prodigious size allows Rowling to weave in serious themes.

With two books to go, it remains to be seen which direction Rowling’s storytelling will take, but it seems likely that link between Harry and Voldemort will lead to ever more elaborate plot-twists and sensational revelations. In meantime, Pottermania will continue to inspire children across globe to read – a truly magical achievement in itself.

Before you walk out that door, ask yourself: Am I dressed for success? Would I hire a person that is dressed like me? Remember: Your first impression on auditioners happens as you walk in door…….so be smart about it!

How do I walk out of an audition?

Walk out of audition same way you walked in….with confidence and a smile. Even if it was worse audition that you have ever done, do not show it. Your audition ends when you are out of building you auditioned in and NO SOONER. If it was a bad audition or if you did not like people who you auditioned for, it is better to keep it to yourself. You never know who might be watching you.

What can I learn from this audition?

I would have to say best thing that you can do for yourself during audition process is to form a healthy objective attitude. No matter if you get audition or not, after audition is over, analyze it. Ask yourself following questions: •What could I have done better? No audition is perfect. It is ability to learn from your experiences and other people’s experiences that will make every audition better than last. •Did I prepare myself well for audition (we’ll get to preparation in next installment)? •What did I learn from other people? You can learn a GREAT DEAL from observing other auditionees. Things like: what to wear, what NOT to wear, what new repertoire you can use, how people prepare and conduct themselves right before they go into audition, how people prepare and conduct themselves right after their audition…….there are a number of things that you can learn. •Am I willing to learn? This is biggest of them all. If you are not willing to learn from your mistakes along with your successes, then honestly……you should get out of business. You are a product, which means you are constantly changing, particularly your marketable angle. If you’re not willing to do that, then you’re not willing to do what it takes to sell yourself to your potential buyers……the auditioners.

Now that you are have a good (or at least better) attitude about audition process, it is time turn our attention to Step II: how to successfully prepare for audition you are going into, which we will cover in our next installment of “How to sell yourself in an audition.”

REPRINT PERMISSION Would you like to run some of content from this article on your web site or in your e-zine? You may do so for free as long as you add following credit:

"Reprinted from Ja-Naé Duane's Newsletter, featuring Ja-Naé's up-coming gigs and projects; and focusing on free self- promotion ideas; and free self-actualizing hints. Visit www.Ja-Nae.com for free details." __________________________________________________ Ja-Naé Duane's Articles are published by Ja-Naé Duane E-mail: nae@Ja-Nae.com http://www.Ja-Nae.com/ (c) 2003 by Ja-Naé Duane - All Rights Reserved __________________________________________________