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THE LEXICON STORY
Bringing Stephenie Meyer closer to her fans and leading the way towards a wholesome and united Twilight fandom
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Long before Stephenie Meyer and her book Twilight became popular, it took someone with vision to fully realize the extent of the book’s universal appeal and to see the possibility of uniting and leading a growing Twilight fandom.
“The Twilight Lexicon came about from pure necessity. After reading Twilight in February of 2006, I found myself craving more and went on line to start my search. Unfortunately, other than the website set up by Stephenie Meyer herself, I was unable to find much of anything. I did find a few Live Journals that seemed to be struggling for members, which saddened me because I truly believed that if the fans could pull together, we could really start up an awesome fandom. “
Two years on, the Lexicon prides itself on spreading the news and consistently providing converted and prospective fans with the most updated, accurate and interesting info about Twilight and its author, Stephenie Meyer.
tMF interviews Lexicon founder Lori Joffs and co-owner Laura Byrne Cristiano about the start of Twilight’s Lexicon, their relationship with Stephenie Meyer and what the future holds for Twilight fans.
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Stephenie Meyer is now considered one of the most popular and admired authors in the world. Tell us about the start of your amazing relationship with the Twilight author and the establishment of the Lexicon as a reliable and authoritative resource site?
Lori Joffs: The Lexicon’s relationship with Stephenie started from Day One. Starting a website was just a random thought I had. I didn’t actually put it into full gear until I had a thumb's up from Stephenie to do so. She reviewed my fanfiction, which left me more than shocked! When I e-mailed her to say thank you, I also asked how she would feel about a dictionary of sorts being created to help the fans have easier access to the information. She thought it was a great idea and said that she would supply me with information to help fill in any gaps I had. I asked a few hesitant questions, thinking that she would be very reluctant to give out too much information. (Remember, as a fan of JKR, I’m used to authors NOT wanting to answer questions!) What I got back from her left me speechless! You can read that e-mail at the Lexicon under Personal Correspondence #1. I remember thinking that I had hit the jackpot with Twilight information! I felt honored to be able to get that kind of missing information out to the fans and couldn’t wait to share it with everyone.
Laura Byrne Cristiano: At first I didn’t want to read the books because vampires aren’t my thing. In fact as a child they terrified me to the point my mother once found her garlic powder on my bedroom windowsill. Lori, however, is really persistent and got me to read the story, and I loved it. The next thing I know, she tells me, “You’re not going to believe this but the author reviewed my fan fiction, I’ve talked to her on the phone, and we had a great conversation about the back stories of the characters.” I think my response was, “Wait. Back-up. You talked to the author?” The next thing I knew we were building a website and had plans to meet Stephenie in person about two months later (May 2006) when she was at Book Expo in Washington DC. So we started the website and I remember being amazed at how fast it grew. I think we both knew it would catch on, but the extent to which it did was exponential. I don’t think anything prepared us for the speed at which things happened. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to large Harry Potter sites, specifically Mugglenet, The Leaky Caldron, and The Sugar Quill. We saw first hand how those sites were run and based a lot of what we did on those sites' examples. I think we avoided a lot of minefields because of being on the fringe of larger fan sites.
What would you consider to be the three most important accomplishments of the Lexicon and why?
Lori: I think the Lexicon was the first fansite to actually organize the book information so completely. Message boards and Live Journals had some organization, but anyone who has ever tried to run a site can attest to the fact that it’s very difficult to keep members totally on topic. But the main page of the Lex can’t be altered by just anyone. So that information is always organized and easily accessible.
Heading off of that point, I think the Lexicon brought a bit more stability to fan fiction! If you were around in Jan and Feb of 2006 when fanfiction.net opened the Twilight section, you would know what I’m talking about! Just about every fan fiction mentioned Edward’s fangs or had the Cullens going out to dinner or had Edward snacking on Bella’s blood with no repercussions. The information that we posted at the Lexicon helped clear up some of those issues and made fan fiction a lot easier to read.
I also think our staying power is a real accomplishment! When I think of the sites that were around when the Lexicon was created – every site was small then! We were a brand new fandom just trying to keep our heads above water. Now, more than two years later, the majority of the sites that I visited BEFORE the Lexicon was created are off line or have very little activity. There are dozens of great Twilight sites out there today, but I can’t think of any other site that has been here from virtually the beginning and is still going as strong as the Lexicon is.
Laura: Wow, this is a hard one. My three would be:
1. Providing the first news blog
2. Providing a forum structure for organized discussion.
3. Providing fans with the extras (personal correspondences) that helped fans to fall in love with the secondary characters.
I think one of the things that makes our forums unique as opposed to say an IMDB or MySpace forum structure, is that we organize them by topic and they are searchable. I think those other sites are great for what the media calls “social networking” but it’s really hard to have in-depth discussion there because you always seem to end up with six threads on the same thing and you can’t find what you’re looking for. I think our forums are also helpful because going back two years ago there were a fair amount of parents who wouldn’t allow their kids on MySpace because of a lot of bad press (unwarranted in my view) that MySpace was getting at the time. So having a fansite that was a stand-alone was a big deal.
What are your views about sensationalism and how the media make use of paparazzi photos and the apparent lack of respect for privacy?
Lori: That’s a difficult one to answer because of how sensitive I am to it. There are so many ways to look at it. Fans want to know what’s going on in the lives of their favorite actors. I completely understand that! But there has to be a line drawn as to when it is acceptable to infringe on someone’s life. Laura and I talked about this question, so I know that she gave an excellent answer that I support fully. So look to her answer to how I feel about when it is acceptable to take pictures and approach a famous person.
But the other side of the story that I feel strongly about is the impression that it leaves on the kids. I’ve always been very protective of the members who post at my site. We have always asked that real names and phone numbers stay off the boards. We’ve put up guidelines for when you plan to meet up with an internet buddy, that you shouldn’t be alone and that someone should know where you are and when you will be back. It’s the mother in me! I even went after an official Borders staff member wanting us to do some legitimate promotion because he sounded like a stalker! I’m protective because I have younger members posting and I don’t want to be the cause of any harm coming into their lives.
What does this have to do with “paparazzi”? Right now there are tons and tons of photographs and video footage from fans who have crashed the movie site or snuck onto the set to get those images. The Lexicon has taken a big hit about the fact that there is so much information out there that we aren’t linking to or posting. The fact is that if it wasn’t obtained legally and with permission, then we won’t post it. We call Summit’s PR department nearly every day asking if certain material is okay for us to post. And the reason behind our caution is two-fold. First, we don’t want to upset Summit in any way. And secondly, I’m being protective of the users. If I were to post any and all illegally obtained photos or videos, then it would appear that I promote and encourage that sort of behavior.
For example, just last week we received an e-mail from a girl who I believe is about sixteen years old and lives in the Phoenix area. She knew when Summit would be filming the airport scenes and made the Lexicon an offer to break onto the set and get as many photos as she could before she got in trouble. She would give the photos to the Lexicon to use. How can I accept an offer like that when she would clearly be putting herself in danger? And yet, because of the attention all the illegal photos have been getting, she felt this would be an acceptable activity for her to participate in. We encouraged her not to do this and said that if she was granted any photos by permission then we would certainly post those.
For me, that was plain proof as to why we can’t post or link to certain things. The Lexicon has a responsibility to get as much Twilight information out to the fans as possible. But I feel a greater responsibility to the fans to make sure that they aren’t in dangerous situations that could get them into physical or legal trouble down the road.
Laura: Well I can be pretty blunt when I feel strongly about something. Here’s the thing: it’s not cool for anyone to sneak onto a set, flounce through people’s backyards, or camp out on someone’s front walkway. If a celebrity is at a public event then I think they are fair game for photos. Meaning if you are standing behind a rope line and can see them in plain view, nothing wrong with snapping candids, nothing wrong with asking for an autograph if they come over to you.
I also think there’s nothing wrong with approaching someone politely on the street if you recognize them and inquiring if they are famous and telling them how much you appreciate their work. I draw the line there, though. You leave people alone in the privacy of their homes, you let them eat their meals. Most importantly, if they are with their kids it’s a total no-go area. They are parents first, celebs second - no one has the right to monopolize anyone’s time with their parents, ever.
Some of this strong feeling comes from personal experience. The Sopranos was filmed near where I live. Imagine your home was used in the filming. How would you feel if months after filming you were a teenage girl at home alone at night and strange people were sneaking around your property?
One last thing I’d like to add, because we’ve taken a lot of flack from some people for our photo policy. Imagine if we ran any photos taken. What would happen if some kids or adults snuck onto a set and got hurt, or caused someone else to get hurt in doing so because they knew the Lexicon would publish the photos they got? Not only could we be named in a lawsuit, but more importantly, we’d be abetting illegal behavior. It’s not worth it to us to put up the photos first and then take them down later if there is a problem. You don’t put them up to begin with until you check out how they were obtained. George Clooney got it right: there has to be a limit, and at a certain point your personal integrity, and your site’s 15 minutes of fame in getting a scoop aren’t worth the potential cost.
Questions on Twilight, the book:
What would you consider to be the book's qualities that made it unique and everyone's favorite? For you personally, why did the book affect you in such a way that you were compelled to seek out other readers and eventually assumed an important role in promoting the book and its sequels and in helping unite its fans?
Lori: I read all the time. I always have a book by by my bed at night or in the car when I take the kids to ball practice or ballet class. It’s a rare thing for me to read a book cover to cover right straight through non-stop, but that’s what happened with Twilight. I started it in the afternoon and finished it around 3:30 in the morning, taking breaks only to eat and put the kids to bed! (The last book I did that with was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.)
I think it was the combination of the angsty romance with the touch of danger and the supernatural elements of mythical creatures that did it for me. Plus, being a member of the same religion as the author, I was so excited to read something about vampires from another Mormon! And I think everyone can relate to Bella on some level. Feeling awkward and not special. And everyone dreams of an Edward or a Jacob falling in love with them.
The reason I sought out other fans is because it’s my nature to do so! I’m a Star Wars fan, a Star Trek fan, a Harry Potter fan… and now a Twilight fan. In each fandom, there is a sense of community and belonging to something bigger than you. When I finished Twilight, I immediately went online to look for other people to talk to about this wonderful book. What I found was a small splattering of Live Journals and limited message boards. It actually made me feel sad that there wasn’t more! That’s part of the reason that I set out to create more! I felt the book and Stephenie deserved it. I’m a bit jealous of the new fan just discovering Twilight now who has their pick of great websites from which to choose!
Laura: The unique thing about Twilight is that Bella is an ordinary girl who has to deal with extraordinary circumstances. She’s not perfect, but at the same time, she's not overly flawed. We all know a Bella or are a Bella ourselves. Bella is the happy medium who exists for real in all our neighborhoods. To me a lot of heroines out there these days in books seem to have incredibly heavy emotional issues that just leave you drained, or they present a heroine who is so self-obsessed and struggling to find herself that you just want to get her an appointment with Dr. Phil.
The press is somewhat reluctant to embrace the so-called 'Twilight phenomenon' and there are a number of critics who seem to have a rather poor impression of Twilight. Why is that? What do you think are some of the reasons the book is getting its share of bad press?
Lori: The hesitancy from the press is something I can understand. When I first recommended the book to my book club, I did it reluctantly. I know I was red-faced when I said, “It’s a YA book… and it’s about a vampire…” They all smiled and nodded politely. So I added that it was by an LDS (Latter Day Saint or Mormon) author and they agreed to read it. Nearly all of them told me later that they did NOT want to read it because it sounded silly. But I am pleased to report that they all loved it and just about all of them have met Stephenie at a book signing. So I think the press may feel the same way. They may think it’s just for teeny-boppers and that it’s just another ordinary vampire book. But one by one we will win them over! Bad press is unavoidable. Not everyone will like everything. For all the bad press out there, I think there is more good press. There are still people out there who don’t like Harry Potter or who think it is Satanic, but the franchise is still going strong. Fans have power regardless of what a member of the press says.
Laura: For starters, I think that romance just gets a bad wrap. Like any genre it has its good and bad, but in general romance seems to be a favorite target. I think part of it is that society and the media are always the last to catch on when something is geared towards women, particularly when it's a conservative, stay-at-home mom who spins a great tale. It’s not the hip, cutting-edge story the media wants in its headlines, but it’s the story here. I think there is a view out there, and I hate this term, that unless you are shoving “girl power” down someone’s throat your story isn’t quality enough.
Another reason is that Twilight isn’t a vampire story in the classic Bram Stoker or Anne Rice sense. It’s also not your typical teen romance. I think a lot of people want it to be those things, and then react when it doesn’t fit that mold. Personally, I find the breaking of the mold interesting. I find the hybrid interesting. I don’t like vampire stories and I don’t like romance novels, but I do like Twilight because it reads more like a present-day fantasy wrapped in romance and intrigue.
I don't know if this has happened yet, but let's say it's going to happen. Suppose there is an opportunity to talk to Stephenie during dinner and you got an hour to be alone with her - what sort of conversation would other people hear from the two of you?
Lori: HA! Is it wrong for me to say “been there, done that?” I just had a one-hour conversation with her on the phone a few days ago. Hum… what would you hear from us? Well, we talked about the film. She told me about the actors, mostly Rob and how completely drool-worthy he is. She talked about The Host a little and her future plans, which right now focus mainly on resting. I told her about my personal situation with going through a divorce and we touched on some spiritual issues relating to our religion. It was actually pretty ordinary!
Laura: In all honesty, it would probably be not Twilight-related. Stephenie is a great conversationalist. Whenever we have talked, it’s been partly about Twilight, yes, but then it drifts to families, kids, movies, Jane Austen. The way Bella is witty in the books, Stephenie is witty like that, spontaneously. She has great dry humor. She’s the kind of person that you talk to and then you realize an hour has gone by.
Of all the characters in Ms. Meyer's books, who among them do you identify with the most? Why is that?
Lori: Esme. She’s the mom and wants everyone to be happy! She’s also a sort of side character. I feel that way in so many things. That I’m part of the action but not the main character. It’s strange to pick her because I have never written fan fiction about her! Laura started writing the Esme/Carlisle fan fic and out of respect to her work, I stayed away from it. But I love Esme and I can relate to her.
Laura: I probably identify the most with Carlisle. I tend to be the organizer and the negotiator. I gravitate toward characters that look out for other people and have a quiet dignity.
Of all the characters in Ms. Meyer's books, who among them do you dislike the most? Why is that?
Lori: That hard! Even the bad guys are interesting! Um… I will pick Jessica because I knew too many girls in High School like her and they are just the most fake and wretched girls to deal with.
Laura: Now this is tough, because there are two ways to answer this. I don’t like the Volturi’s actions, but I think they are fascinating characters. If you mean dislike in the sense that just doesn’t appeal to me that much, I guess I’d have to say Rosalie. High-maintenance people drive me crazy; they just wear you out. To me Rosalie is decidedly high-maintenance.
What would you consider to be your favorite passage in the book and why?
Lori: Oh, that’s pretty easy. There is a paragraph in Eclipse on page 277 where Edward explains that he is “that boy” and that had he met Bella in his mortal life he would have gone down on one knee and tried to secure her hand for eternity. That section wasn’t in the first draft of Eclipse. She added it in later. I remember when I read it the first time I very nearly fell out of my chair. It was so romantic and I felt as if it was added because of something I had said to Stephenie on the phone. I know it doesn’t really have anything to do with me, but I feel that way about it nonetheless.
Laura: My favorite passage in Twilight is a scene from the meadow. I know, I know, everyone’s favorite scene. The part I love is when Bella is tracing her fingers over Edward’s arm and he says, “You can’t imagine how that feels.” It’s such a loaded statement, “feeling” on many levels. It’s actually feeling intimate human contact for the first time in decades, it’s allowing himself to let down the barriers and to feel emotionally, it’s feeling I wonder what this person thinks, because he doesn’t know.
Questions on Twilight, the movie:
Do you think all these fans will go to the movies to watch the film? It seems that the film company (Summit Entertainment) that is now financing the movie gambled their money and entered a risky venture…?
Lori: I don’t think it’s risky! I think the film has a huge opening potential. Stephenie’s fans come out in the masses to see her. They will do they same for the film. I have a feeling it will do much better than anyone anticipates simply because so many of the teens will go see it over and over again. Heck, the ADULTS will, too! I, personally, will be one of the first in line to see it, and then I’ll go see it again!
Laura: I think the movie will be a huge hit. Once again the selling power of Twilight has been underestimated from the get go. Everyone underestimated the crowds at the New Moon and Eclipse signings. There were 1,000s of people at each Eclipse event. The Eclipse Prom sold out in like four hours and when a second event was added, it sold out in like two. That was 1,000 girls flying to Phoenix in the Spring to hear Stephenie read aloud from the first chapter of Eclipse and to get a book signed. I don’t know about anyone else in attendance, but that trip cost me about $700 by the time you figured in hotel, plane, food, books and t-shirts. Now I’m an adult, but I’d estimate that 90% of the attendees were teens whose parents traveled with them, some from as far as England and the Canadian Maritime provinces. That’s dedication, that’s fanaticism or a “fan” in the truest sense of the word. I’m aware that people hate the Harry Potter comparison. Let me preface this by saying that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and continue to be one. You don’t have to choose one over the other - it’s not a competition - but I think the comparison is valid in sales totals if you go book for book. The Twilight Saga on Book Three holds ups very comparably to where Harry Potter was on Book Three with fan appeal. Additionally, Eclipse was the first book (note: not YA book because the USA today list lumps everyone in together) to knock Deathly Hallows off the number one position. It could have been any book which did that, so the fact that it was Eclipse, a YA novel mostly marketed to teenage girls, is phenomenal.
What are some of your thoughts about the cast?
Lori: I appreciate the fact that they chose actors who act and aren’t just the typical teeny-bopper pretty face. So far, what I’ve heard is that everyone has nailed their parts and that Catherine has a great feel for Stephenie’s overall story arc. But most importantly, I think Robert Pattinson has truly become Edward Cullen, so much so that we will all be in danger of fainting when he comes on screen!
Laura: Some of the cast I have no knowledge of their work, not having seen their shows. The ones whose work I have seen: Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson, Edi Gathegi, Peter Facinelli, and Sarah Clarke I am very happy with those choices based on the quality of their past work. The others, I’m giving the benefit of the doubt until I see the end product. I think you have to judge on what happens on screen. For example, I’m not a Julia Roberts fan, but I love her in Notting Hill. It’s one of my favorite movies. At the same time I adore Colin Firth, but any of the nine other people who attended the Last Legion would probably agree with me that it wasn’t his finest moment. So I’m 100% going, but I’ll reserve judgment until I see it on screen. If I don’t like it then, I’ll give a reason beyond, “EWWWWWWWWWW he’s ugly.”
What would you consider to be the best selling points in convincing non-fans to watch Twilight, the movie?
Lori: The fact that it’s a Romeo and Juliet story line with a twist. Star-crossed lovers are always entertaining to watch. This one does it with supernatural powers and immortal, dazzling character. Toss in the danger of the evil vampires for the action fans out there and hey, what’s not to love?
Laura: I’m really hoping the upcoming trailer sucks them in (sorry for the pun). I think people are visual. If they are dead set against something, it’s an image that will often change their mind. So I’m hoping for an awesome trailer.
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Additional Questions:
After all has been said and done, and indeed there must be numerous discussions that deal with the book, are there still some questions (a character, the story itself, certain events, etc) that remain unanswered, even though you have discussed them already with fellow Twilight fans and/or Stephenie herself?
Lorie: I have one specific thing that I would love to read about that I know has to happen that I've never seen. It would be something that would happen in a fifth or maybe a sixth book. It's hard for me to talk about it right now since no one has seen Breaking Dawn yet. Ask me again after Breaking Dawn is out! And no - I've not read Breaking Dawn either. It's just that I know a few things that will happen in the book and then this event that I want to know about is a result of that. That may be confusing, but I can't go into any more details than that! I think the full answer to your question would be - YES! I still have questions!
Laura: There are always more questions. Most of mine would be for more details on Carlisle and Esme. The one Carlisle question that immediately comes to mind for me is that in Eclipse Carlise spares the life of Bree, but when the Volturi show up, it's clear he has broken some law or code in doing so. My question would be: in New Moon Edward was to break a code by stepping in the sun and the penalty for that would have been death. So, what is the penalty attached to what Carlisle did? Is Carlisle in trouble with the Volturi?
Catherine Hardwicke is a respected director with proven filmmaking prowess. Do you think it would be different if a man had been chosen to direct the movie? Would it have been better perhaps?
Lori: I don't know if gender has too much to do with it. I think it's the individual. There are male filmmakers who have made some great romantic films. There are female directors who have made some fantastic action or dramatic films. Under any other director, Twilight would be different. I don't know if it would be BETTER, but it would be different. With Catherine Hardwicke, the one thing that really sticks out to me about her style and tone is that she really wants to get the book right. I don't know if another director would be so devoted to getting it as right as she seems to be.
Laura: I think it's easy to second guess what another director would do with anything. I think the only thing that is certain is that it would be a different interpretation.
What would you like to say to fellow Twilight fans. Is there any important or fun message you wish to tell?
Lorie: Just to have fun and enjoy the moment! Now is the best time to be a fan of Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. If you've been around since the beginning, all the waiting and obsessing is about to pay off!!
Laura: Have fun and enjoy the ride. Stuff like this doesn't happen every day.
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Interview conducted by Jed Medina, for the Movie-Fanatic. The whole tMF team thanks all our interviewees for such amazing articles. This is not the end of our Twilight series, it's just the beginning. Other sites may give you the latest video footages or some amazing photos from the set, but tMF is here to give you more in-depth coverage of Twilight with original, and well-researched articles.
Coming up: The actors facing the world stage: A tMF special look at the Twilight Cast!
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