John D. Rateliff's Blog, page 132
February 14, 2015
The Root Beer Store
So, when we drove down through Puyallup to ride on the old railroad with the steam locomotive a few months back, we spotted The Root-Beer Store on the way, down Meridian Drive,* and vowed to come back and explore further some feast day down the road.** That day duly came, and we had the good luck to arrive on a day when they were doing a taste-testing, so we could try little sampler sips of different artisan root beers. We departed with seven bottles:
Virgil's Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg
Hippo's (1927)
St. John's Brewers (Virgin Isles)
Fritz's (1947)
Dougie's Butterscotch
Sprecher's (two bottles)
Then, unexpectedly, we wound up getting invited to a super-bowl watching party (only the second time I've ever watched the superbowl; it's more fun when you can visit with friend and don't have to watch the game). And as our contribution to the comestibles we decided to take along the root beer. Which went down fine, and left us determined to make another root-beer run when the opportunity offered.
That opportunity came today, carefully scheduled to co-incide with another of their taste-testings. This time we decided both to stock up on a good supply for when we next have people over (e.g. D&D on Monday night or the new ORIENT EXPRESS Cthulhu starting up next Saturday) as well as a nice little cache for ourselves. Here's what we wound up with:
VIRGIL's Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg [x2]
VIRGIL's (their regular root beer) [x2]SPRECHER's (our previous gold standard, Milwaukee made, but hard to get out here) [x2]
ST. JOHN's VIRGIN ISLANDS [x4]
HIPPO 1927 [x4]
FITZ [x2]
DOUGIE's BUTTERSCOTCH [x2]
In addition, we decided to try a few new ones, at least two of them due to today's tasting:
DR. McGILLICUDY'S [x2]
OLD TOWN [x1]
BUNDABERG (an Australian upside-down r.b.)
And, just to be true to my six-year-old self, one bottle of FROSTIE's, my favorite when growing up in Monticello, Arkansas.
I shd add that in addition to many, many artisan brews, the store also stocks popular favorites, like A&W and Dad's and Th. Kemper, as well as things related to root beers (sarsaparilla, birch beer, ginger beer, cream soda, &c.), and altogether non-root beers such as Orange Crush and Nehi. We used to have an A&W stand in Magnolia, but I've never found the bottled version to match up to my memories of the draft on-tap A&W of old, so after some internal debate I passed on that.
The taste-testing was self-guided this time, whereas last time there'd been a knowledgeable store employee pointing out things about the various offerings -- e.g., which had a licorice or caramel undertone, which had more of a kick at the end, and so forth. I also learned, by asking, what's the difference between a sarsaparilla and a root beer: turns out that everything that goes into sarsaparilla is in root beer, but root beer contains more, including some things not in a sarsaparilla.
From the tasting we did today, I'd say the two big categories seem to be smooth and sweet (but sometimes a bit thin) verses strong and with a bite. We tended to prefer the latter.
So, an enjoyable excursion, and a nice low-key day.
--John R.
current reading: THE SUMMER TREE (Guy Gavriel Kay, 1984; doesn't hold up well), THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS (Wm Morris, 1888; holds up remarkably well).
current dvd: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG extras [quite interesting], CAPRICE [1967; awful]
current music: GRINNING STREAK by BareNakedLadies, THE ART OF McCARTNEY (an enjoyable but slightly weird tribute album to Paul McCartney; on vinyl!)
*here's the link to The Root-Beer Store in Puyallup, which turns out to be one of three in the area (the others being up in Redmond and Lynnwood), as well as a second link giving something of the history behind the store, and how someone who planned to start up brewing his own artisial root beer found out how many local brands were out there and decided instead to start up a store where folks cd come and find all the many wonderful and sometimes slightly weird offerings.
http://www.therootbeerstore.com/
http://www.therootbeerstore.com/about-us.html
**since one can either drink root beer or be on a low-carb diet, but not both at the same time.
Virgil's Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg
Hippo's (1927)
St. John's Brewers (Virgin Isles)
Fritz's (1947)
Dougie's Butterscotch
Sprecher's (two bottles)
Then, unexpectedly, we wound up getting invited to a super-bowl watching party (only the second time I've ever watched the superbowl; it's more fun when you can visit with friend and don't have to watch the game). And as our contribution to the comestibles we decided to take along the root beer. Which went down fine, and left us determined to make another root-beer run when the opportunity offered.
That opportunity came today, carefully scheduled to co-incide with another of their taste-testings. This time we decided both to stock up on a good supply for when we next have people over (e.g. D&D on Monday night or the new ORIENT EXPRESS Cthulhu starting up next Saturday) as well as a nice little cache for ourselves. Here's what we wound up with:
VIRGIL's Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg [x2]
VIRGIL's (their regular root beer) [x2]SPRECHER's (our previous gold standard, Milwaukee made, but hard to get out here) [x2]
ST. JOHN's VIRGIN ISLANDS [x4]
HIPPO 1927 [x4]
FITZ [x2]
DOUGIE's BUTTERSCOTCH [x2]
In addition, we decided to try a few new ones, at least two of them due to today's tasting:
DR. McGILLICUDY'S [x2]
OLD TOWN [x1]
BUNDABERG (an Australian upside-down r.b.)
And, just to be true to my six-year-old self, one bottle of FROSTIE's, my favorite when growing up in Monticello, Arkansas.
I shd add that in addition to many, many artisan brews, the store also stocks popular favorites, like A&W and Dad's and Th. Kemper, as well as things related to root beers (sarsaparilla, birch beer, ginger beer, cream soda, &c.), and altogether non-root beers such as Orange Crush and Nehi. We used to have an A&W stand in Magnolia, but I've never found the bottled version to match up to my memories of the draft on-tap A&W of old, so after some internal debate I passed on that.
The taste-testing was self-guided this time, whereas last time there'd been a knowledgeable store employee pointing out things about the various offerings -- e.g., which had a licorice or caramel undertone, which had more of a kick at the end, and so forth. I also learned, by asking, what's the difference between a sarsaparilla and a root beer: turns out that everything that goes into sarsaparilla is in root beer, but root beer contains more, including some things not in a sarsaparilla.
From the tasting we did today, I'd say the two big categories seem to be smooth and sweet (but sometimes a bit thin) verses strong and with a bite. We tended to prefer the latter.
So, an enjoyable excursion, and a nice low-key day.
--John R.
current reading: THE SUMMER TREE (Guy Gavriel Kay, 1984; doesn't hold up well), THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS (Wm Morris, 1888; holds up remarkably well).
current dvd: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG extras [quite interesting], CAPRICE [1967; awful]
current music: GRINNING STREAK by BareNakedLadies, THE ART OF McCARTNEY (an enjoyable but slightly weird tribute album to Paul McCartney; on vinyl!)
*here's the link to The Root-Beer Store in Puyallup, which turns out to be one of three in the area (the others being up in Redmond and Lynnwood), as well as a second link giving something of the history behind the store, and how someone who planned to start up brewing his own artisial root beer found out how many local brands were out there and decided instead to start up a store where folks cd come and find all the many wonderful and sometimes slightly weird offerings.
http://www.therootbeerstore.com/
http://www.therootbeerstore.com/about-us.html
**since one can either drink root beer or be on a low-carb diet, but not both at the same time.
February 13, 2015
Pictures of me, of cats, of me and cats
So, when THE HISTORY OF THE HOBBIT came out, one local reviewer* made the comment that I 'carried the full weight of Tolkien scholarship' upon my shoulders -- which inspired friend Stan, ever-talented cartoonist that he is, to visualize what that might be like in his own inimitable way. I was reminded of this just recently when he gave me a t-shirt as a gift with the cartoon proudly displayed across the front. Here's the image:
Janice shared the next image with me and it was too good not to pass along; don't know the original source, other than 'on the internet'. But it's all too true. The caption is How to summon a Cat Goddess
Finally, just to show how true the Thoth-and-Bast piece was, here's a picture of me working at my desk a few weeks ago, with Hastur helping me out on the laptop:
--John R.
* http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2004040115_artbooks02.html
Janice shared the next image with me and it was too good not to pass along; don't know the original source, other than 'on the internet'. But it's all too true. The caption is How to summon a Cat Goddess
Finally, just to show how true the Thoth-and-Bast piece was, here's a picture of me working at my desk a few weeks ago, with Hastur helping me out on the laptop:
--John R.
* http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2004040115_artbooks02.html
February 12, 2015
The Cat Report (W. 2/4 & W. 2/11-15)
Didn't write up last week's report, and a lot's changed since then already.
Last week (Feb. 2/4-15) we suddenly went from just four cats (Mr. TIZZY, ANUBUS AUGUSTUS, and increasingly delightful bonded pair GUNNAR & GYPSY) to eight, with the addition of EMMA JEMIMA (a dark dappled tabby, and a great mew-er), LEELA (a beautiful, fluffy, one-eyed cat with creamy pale soft fur), and bonded pair LITTLES & BIGGS (one of whom was grey and white and the other an ocelot cat, but I never cd figure out which was which).
The four already there had all more or less settled down and figured out how to more or less harmoniously share the room, with Gunnar more or less in charge, but the newcomers threw things out of kilter.
Both EMMA and LEELA turn out to be cats who love people and hate other cats. Both are demanding of attention and jealous of other cats. Each arches her back and purrs when petted. Each hisses and growls when she sees another cat, and several times each went up and swatted another cat who got too close (by her definition of 'close').
As for LITTLES and BIGGS, they're big kittens, really: nine months old, almost full size but bouncy and pouncy and full of energy like the kittens they were not so long ago. The little ocelot-cat explored and found a hiding place I hadn't seen a cat in before: in the bottom of the cabinet behind the food-bin. He was proud of himself, and came and went from there several times over the course of the morning.
No walks since I needed the whole morning to get the cats all sorted out and intervene when needed. Everyone got petted and played with, but perhaps not as much as some would have wanted.
FRIDAY the 6th two friends of mine visiting from out-of-town came by to see the cats and got to put faces on cats they're read about through online cat reports. The cats reported that they both knew all about how to pet a cat properly, though one of them (either Leela or Emma; Emma I think) was in a mood and took a swipe or two at them. A very pleasant interlude.
THIS WEEK (W. 2/11-15) we were back at eight cats, but not the same eight: LITTLES and BIGGS having been adopted and two more cats having arrived: SALEM and HANNAH.
SALEM is a big, black, solid cat whose owner died, so she's back in our keeping, having originally been adopted out of Purrfect Pals as a kitten. At ten years she's our current senior cat (all the others being in the four-to-six year range). She chose the top of the short cat-stand by the door as her spot, welcoming being petted but otherwise keeping pretty much to herself. She loves the string game but keeps wanting to eat the string, so I had to keep an eye out for that. She has a lot of dander on her lower back so I gave her a quick bath with a wet cloth, which displeased her mightily. A sweet cat trying to find a new home to replace the one she's lost.
The other new cat, HANNAH, looks a lot like EMMA THE TERROR but couldn't be more different in personality; she's a quiet, friendly, prowl-about little cat. She kept disappearing and reappearing, wanting lots of attention when she was out and then taking herself off for a little down time. She did get interested in the whole cage-cleaning process and came over to supervise, climbing in each cage and watching me clean and move things around from up close. She licked my fingers when I was petting her; v. cute.
LEELA, who'd been v. disruptive to overall harmony last week, had calmed down a lot this week. She spent a lot of her time on the cat-stand by the bench demanding attention (she loves having her back brushed). She's a great hisser-at-other-cats, but much better this week than last. So long as the other cats kept their distance, she didn't mind them being out and about. Demanding of attention and welcomed petting by visitors. She also worked out how to use the steps to come and go from cagetop land. Gunnar and Gypsy are old pros at this and once or twice encountered her going down when they were going up or the other way around, but it wasn't too hard to sort them all out.Have to say I'm surprised how well Leela copes with the missing eye: she doesn't seem at all skittish about being approached from that side and seems to get around just fine. She certainly doesn't have any problem targeting a string or any other toy she's playing with (nor in thumping someone who jumps up too close right on the noggins).
EMMA THE TERROR can be summed up thusly: loves people: hates other cats. Hisses at other cats on sight. Gave her a brief walk early on and a longer one at end-of-shift: she did really well. When on a walk she loves to walk up and scratch on doors: they may open and whoever's on the other side may give you attention. This actually worked for her, not once but twice. We walked all the way to the far corner of the store and then back again, and it was v. clear she knew exactly where she was and the route to take back to the cat-room. Petted her quite a lot over the course of the morning, and she was out and about the room a lot, keeping on the move (somewhat to the other cat's discomforture when they inadvertently got in her way). Had a terrible time getting her to go back in her cage at end-of-morning. That said, she's really sweet when being petted one-on-one. She'll be a great cat if she can find the right one-cat home.
GYPSY was on the quiet side today -- think she was laying low to avoid all the drama on the other side of the room. She enjoyed going up and down the steps and also being petted, but spent most of her morning on the top of the cat-stand by cabinet being her usual sweet self.
Her brother GUNNAR, on the other hand, came and went and prowled and explored and played and rolled in catnip and generally had a fine time. He's still fascinated by Gus-Gus's spot but no longer tried to take it himself, preferring the shelf below (briefly) before exchanging it for the cushion atop the cabinet. He eventually settled himself down in the latter spot, doing his paws up up and down and generally demonstrating that he was in the catbird seat. One thing I've noticed about Gunnar, both last week and this one, is that he's afraid of small children. If a small child comes by and looks through the window into the cat-room, Gunnar will hide, moving around to keep the bench et al between him and the child. Don't know what the story is there, but I've seen it twice now. At one point I was holding him on my lap when Emma jumped down right next to him and he just froze, making little squeaking noises. She went by without noticing him, but it was definitely injurious to his dignity.
ANUBUS AUGUSTUS GUS-GUS FINK-NODDLE: in and out of the cabinet. Enjoyed being petted while in his special place. Came out to ask for attention each time someone entered the room, then went back into his lair again when they left. Indeed, he was so well hidden that I almost forgot to put him back in his cage when it was time for me to leave. A great cat who's made himself very much at home here.
Mr. TIZZY was his usual laid-back self. He slept on various spots among the cat-stands towards the back of the room (e.g., atop the basket on the bench), showed every sign of enjoying being petted, but didn't initiate anything. I'll make sure he gets a walk next time.
And that basically how the cats were on Wednesday. Very glad to hear the news today (Th. 2/12) that somebody put a hold on Leela and Hannah last night and are to return to adopt them tonight.
--John R.
Last week (Feb. 2/4-15) we suddenly went from just four cats (Mr. TIZZY, ANUBUS AUGUSTUS, and increasingly delightful bonded pair GUNNAR & GYPSY) to eight, with the addition of EMMA JEMIMA (a dark dappled tabby, and a great mew-er), LEELA (a beautiful, fluffy, one-eyed cat with creamy pale soft fur), and bonded pair LITTLES & BIGGS (one of whom was grey and white and the other an ocelot cat, but I never cd figure out which was which).
The four already there had all more or less settled down and figured out how to more or less harmoniously share the room, with Gunnar more or less in charge, but the newcomers threw things out of kilter.
Both EMMA and LEELA turn out to be cats who love people and hate other cats. Both are demanding of attention and jealous of other cats. Each arches her back and purrs when petted. Each hisses and growls when she sees another cat, and several times each went up and swatted another cat who got too close (by her definition of 'close').
As for LITTLES and BIGGS, they're big kittens, really: nine months old, almost full size but bouncy and pouncy and full of energy like the kittens they were not so long ago. The little ocelot-cat explored and found a hiding place I hadn't seen a cat in before: in the bottom of the cabinet behind the food-bin. He was proud of himself, and came and went from there several times over the course of the morning.
No walks since I needed the whole morning to get the cats all sorted out and intervene when needed. Everyone got petted and played with, but perhaps not as much as some would have wanted.
FRIDAY the 6th two friends of mine visiting from out-of-town came by to see the cats and got to put faces on cats they're read about through online cat reports. The cats reported that they both knew all about how to pet a cat properly, though one of them (either Leela or Emma; Emma I think) was in a mood and took a swipe or two at them. A very pleasant interlude.
THIS WEEK (W. 2/11-15) we were back at eight cats, but not the same eight: LITTLES and BIGGS having been adopted and two more cats having arrived: SALEM and HANNAH.
SALEM is a big, black, solid cat whose owner died, so she's back in our keeping, having originally been adopted out of Purrfect Pals as a kitten. At ten years she's our current senior cat (all the others being in the four-to-six year range). She chose the top of the short cat-stand by the door as her spot, welcoming being petted but otherwise keeping pretty much to herself. She loves the string game but keeps wanting to eat the string, so I had to keep an eye out for that. She has a lot of dander on her lower back so I gave her a quick bath with a wet cloth, which displeased her mightily. A sweet cat trying to find a new home to replace the one she's lost.
The other new cat, HANNAH, looks a lot like EMMA THE TERROR but couldn't be more different in personality; she's a quiet, friendly, prowl-about little cat. She kept disappearing and reappearing, wanting lots of attention when she was out and then taking herself off for a little down time. She did get interested in the whole cage-cleaning process and came over to supervise, climbing in each cage and watching me clean and move things around from up close. She licked my fingers when I was petting her; v. cute.
LEELA, who'd been v. disruptive to overall harmony last week, had calmed down a lot this week. She spent a lot of her time on the cat-stand by the bench demanding attention (she loves having her back brushed). She's a great hisser-at-other-cats, but much better this week than last. So long as the other cats kept their distance, she didn't mind them being out and about. Demanding of attention and welcomed petting by visitors. She also worked out how to use the steps to come and go from cagetop land. Gunnar and Gypsy are old pros at this and once or twice encountered her going down when they were going up or the other way around, but it wasn't too hard to sort them all out.Have to say I'm surprised how well Leela copes with the missing eye: she doesn't seem at all skittish about being approached from that side and seems to get around just fine. She certainly doesn't have any problem targeting a string or any other toy she's playing with (nor in thumping someone who jumps up too close right on the noggins).
EMMA THE TERROR can be summed up thusly: loves people: hates other cats. Hisses at other cats on sight. Gave her a brief walk early on and a longer one at end-of-shift: she did really well. When on a walk she loves to walk up and scratch on doors: they may open and whoever's on the other side may give you attention. This actually worked for her, not once but twice. We walked all the way to the far corner of the store and then back again, and it was v. clear she knew exactly where she was and the route to take back to the cat-room. Petted her quite a lot over the course of the morning, and she was out and about the room a lot, keeping on the move (somewhat to the other cat's discomforture when they inadvertently got in her way). Had a terrible time getting her to go back in her cage at end-of-morning. That said, she's really sweet when being petted one-on-one. She'll be a great cat if she can find the right one-cat home.
GYPSY was on the quiet side today -- think she was laying low to avoid all the drama on the other side of the room. She enjoyed going up and down the steps and also being petted, but spent most of her morning on the top of the cat-stand by cabinet being her usual sweet self.
Her brother GUNNAR, on the other hand, came and went and prowled and explored and played and rolled in catnip and generally had a fine time. He's still fascinated by Gus-Gus's spot but no longer tried to take it himself, preferring the shelf below (briefly) before exchanging it for the cushion atop the cabinet. He eventually settled himself down in the latter spot, doing his paws up up and down and generally demonstrating that he was in the catbird seat. One thing I've noticed about Gunnar, both last week and this one, is that he's afraid of small children. If a small child comes by and looks through the window into the cat-room, Gunnar will hide, moving around to keep the bench et al between him and the child. Don't know what the story is there, but I've seen it twice now. At one point I was holding him on my lap when Emma jumped down right next to him and he just froze, making little squeaking noises. She went by without noticing him, but it was definitely injurious to his dignity.
ANUBUS AUGUSTUS GUS-GUS FINK-NODDLE: in and out of the cabinet. Enjoyed being petted while in his special place. Came out to ask for attention each time someone entered the room, then went back into his lair again when they left. Indeed, he was so well hidden that I almost forgot to put him back in his cage when it was time for me to leave. A great cat who's made himself very much at home here.
Mr. TIZZY was his usual laid-back self. He slept on various spots among the cat-stands towards the back of the room (e.g., atop the basket on the bench), showed every sign of enjoying being petted, but didn't initiate anything. I'll make sure he gets a walk next time.
And that basically how the cats were on Wednesday. Very glad to hear the news today (Th. 2/12) that somebody put a hold on Leela and Hannah last night and are to return to adopt them tonight.
--John R.
February 11, 2015
Scholar Guest of Honor, Mythcon 2015
So, I've been asked to be Scholar Guest of Honor at this year's MythCon -- or, as it's more formally known, the Forty-sixth annual Mythopoeic Society Conference.
I've attended a fair number of Mythcons before,* all of which I presented at, and even been on the con committee of two and a featured speaker at another. But it's a real honor to be asked to be a Guest of Honor (the Author Guest of Honor being Jo Walton), and I'm really looking forward to the event.
The date: Friday July 31st through Monday August 3rd.
The place: Colorado Springs, Colorado. I've never been to Colorado before, aside from a fraught layover at the Denver airport,** so this'll take me to a part of the country I've never seen before.
The facility: the Hotel Elegante, a hotel and conference site (looks quite nice).
The author Guest of Honor: Jo Walton -- someone whose work I don't know well, so I'll look forward to getting to know it better between now and the conference.
The theme: The Arthurian Mythos***
Here's the official announcement:
http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-46/
If you're going to be in the area, come join the fun.
--John R.
*1985 in Wheaton, 1987 in Milwaukee, 1992 in Oxford (the Tolkien Centenary conference), 1998 in Wheaton (the CSL and Owen Barfield Centenary conference), 1999 in St. Francis (just south of Milwaukee), and 2010 in Dallas
**I'd broken my glasses and had to try to read the monitors announcing all the gate changes for my flight while switching between my reading glasses (focal length: about one foot away) and my sunglasses (too dark for the available lighting)
***here's hoping they do a readers' theatre presentation of MARK VS. TRISTAN, Lewis and Barfield's little Arthurian romp.
I've attended a fair number of Mythcons before,* all of which I presented at, and even been on the con committee of two and a featured speaker at another. But it's a real honor to be asked to be a Guest of Honor (the Author Guest of Honor being Jo Walton), and I'm really looking forward to the event.
The date: Friday July 31st through Monday August 3rd.
The place: Colorado Springs, Colorado. I've never been to Colorado before, aside from a fraught layover at the Denver airport,** so this'll take me to a part of the country I've never seen before.
The facility: the Hotel Elegante, a hotel and conference site (looks quite nice).
The author Guest of Honor: Jo Walton -- someone whose work I don't know well, so I'll look forward to getting to know it better between now and the conference.
The theme: The Arthurian Mythos***
Here's the official announcement:
http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-46/
If you're going to be in the area, come join the fun.
--John R.
*1985 in Wheaton, 1987 in Milwaukee, 1992 in Oxford (the Tolkien Centenary conference), 1998 in Wheaton (the CSL and Owen Barfield Centenary conference), 1999 in St. Francis (just south of Milwaukee), and 2010 in Dallas
**I'd broken my glasses and had to try to read the monitors announcing all the gate changes for my flight while switching between my reading glasses (focal length: about one foot away) and my sunglasses (too dark for the available lighting)
***here's hoping they do a readers' theatre presentation of MARK VS. TRISTAN, Lewis and Barfield's little Arthurian romp.
February 10, 2015
Today is Tiw's Day
So, I was bemused by an article last week about Icelandic pagans (the Asatru Association) building themself a new temple for the first time in a thousand years, to house services for the newly revived worship of the ancient Norse gods (Thor, Odin, Tyr, et al):
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/06/back-for-thor-iceland-reconnectinbg-pagan-past
What struck me as odd about all this is that their high priest, Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, says
he doesn’t pray to the Norse gods or worship them in any recognisable sense, nor does he believe in the literal truth of the texts
From the description in the article, their typical gatherings sound more like a book club meeting than a religious ceremony:*
. . . the group will gather for weekly study and for the five main feasts of the year when, . . . they will gather around a central fire,recite the poems,** make sacrificial drink offerings to the gods – unlike some pagan groups they do not practise animal sacrifice – and feast on sacred horsemeat. (. . . “We have caterers.”)
On the other hand, they have their own graveyard and services for weddings and funerals, as well as a naming ceremony that serves the place of baptism, all of which sounds like a religion to me.
In any case, I was particularly struck by this piece because I'm finishing up an essay that early on in it quotes Tolkien's comments about Thor and Odin and why they don't appear in Middle-earth.*** And of course, being a Dunsanian, I was immediately reminded of his short piece "The Return of the Exiles" in FIFTY-ONE TALES [1916], in which the narrator comes across a gathering of men who are holding a sacrifice to recall Thor and Odin and honor them with a blood sacrifice. When the two gods unhappily complain "It used to be men", the worshippers shuffle uneasily, then all turn and look at the narrator, the only outsider among their midst -- who sums up his situation in one masterful phrase:
there are moments when it is clearly time to go, and I left then there and then.
--John R.
*a friend to whom I was describing it dubbed it 'Unitarian pagans', which is funny but probably not fair to Unitarians OR pagans.**they use the POETIC EDDA as their testament -- and if there are some texts in there which seem an odd choice for use in a religious ceremony, the same can be said of the OLD TESTAMENT***"The man of the twentieth century must of course see that . . . you must have gods in a story of this kind. But he can't make himself believe in gods like Thor and Odin. . . . I couldn't possibly construct a mythology which had Olympus or Asgard in it. On the terms in which the people who worshipped those gods believed." (JRRT 1965 radio BBC interview)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/06/back-for-thor-iceland-reconnectinbg-pagan-past
What struck me as odd about all this is that their high priest, Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, says
he doesn’t pray to the Norse gods or worship them in any recognisable sense, nor does he believe in the literal truth of the texts
From the description in the article, their typical gatherings sound more like a book club meeting than a religious ceremony:*
. . . the group will gather for weekly study and for the five main feasts of the year when, . . . they will gather around a central fire,recite the poems,** make sacrificial drink offerings to the gods – unlike some pagan groups they do not practise animal sacrifice – and feast on sacred horsemeat. (. . . “We have caterers.”)
On the other hand, they have their own graveyard and services for weddings and funerals, as well as a naming ceremony that serves the place of baptism, all of which sounds like a religion to me.
In any case, I was particularly struck by this piece because I'm finishing up an essay that early on in it quotes Tolkien's comments about Thor and Odin and why they don't appear in Middle-earth.*** And of course, being a Dunsanian, I was immediately reminded of his short piece "The Return of the Exiles" in FIFTY-ONE TALES [1916], in which the narrator comes across a gathering of men who are holding a sacrifice to recall Thor and Odin and honor them with a blood sacrifice. When the two gods unhappily complain "It used to be men", the worshippers shuffle uneasily, then all turn and look at the narrator, the only outsider among their midst -- who sums up his situation in one masterful phrase:
there are moments when it is clearly time to go, and I left then there and then.
--John R.
*a friend to whom I was describing it dubbed it 'Unitarian pagans', which is funny but probably not fair to Unitarians OR pagans.**they use the POETIC EDDA as their testament -- and if there are some texts in there which seem an odd choice for use in a religious ceremony, the same can be said of the OLD TESTAMENT***"The man of the twentieth century must of course see that . . . you must have gods in a story of this kind. But he can't make himself believe in gods like Thor and Odin. . . . I couldn't possibly construct a mythology which had Olympus or Asgard in it. On the terms in which the people who worshipped those gods believed." (JRRT 1965 radio BBC interview)
February 9, 2015
PERILOUS & FAIR (New Arrival/New Publication)
So, Friday brought to the doorstep my author's copy of PERILOUS & FAIR: WOMEN IN THE WORKS AND LIFE OF J. R. R. TOLKIEN (ed. Janet Brennan Croft & Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015). Looks like a v. solid contribution to Tolkien studies, and I'm glad to be a part of it.
For those interested in the topic and wanting more detail, here's the Table of Contents. Those identified as new essays in the Introduction I've marked with an asterisk (*) and given the date for pieces reprinted for this themed collection.
Introduction: *Perilous and Fair, Ancient and Modern, Luminous and Powerful by Croft & Donovan.
[Part One: ] Historical Perspectives*The History of Scholarship of Female Characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium: A Feminist Bibliographic Essayby Robin Anne Reid
*The Missing Women: J. R. R. Tolkien's Lifelong Support for Women's Higher Educationby John D. Rateliff
*She-who-must-not-be-ignored: Gender and Genre in The Lord of the Rings and the Victorian Boys' Bookby Sharin Schroeder
[Part Two:] Power of GenderThe Feminine Principle in Tolkien [1984]by Melanie A. Rawls
Tolkien's Females and the Defining of Power [2007]by Nancy Enright
Power in Arda: Sources, Uses and Misuses [1996]by Edith L. Crowe
[Part Three:] Specific CharactersThe Fall and Repentance of Galadriel [2007]by Romuald I. Lakowski
*Luthien Tinuviel and Bodily Desire in the Lay of Leithianby Cami D. Agan
*The Power of Pity and Tears: The Evolution of Nienna in the Legendariumby Kristine Larsen
*At Home and Abroad: Eowyn's Two-fold figuring as War Bride in The Lord of the Ringsby Melissa A. Smith
[Part Four:] Earlier Literary ContextsThe Valkyrie Redux in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Galadriel, Shelob, Eowyn, and Arwen [2003]by Leslie A. Donovan
*Speech and Silence in The Lord of the Rings: Medieval Romance and the Transitions of Eowynby Phoebe C. Linton
Hidden in Plain View: Strategizing Unconventionality in Shakespeare's and Tolkien's Portraits of Women [2006]by Maureen Thum
[Part Five:] Women ReadersFinding Ourselves in the (Un)Mapped Lands: Women's Reparative Readings of The Lord of the Ringsby Una McCormack
Thus the new articles are the Introduction plus the ones by Reid, Rateliff, Schroeder, Agan, Larsen, Linton, and (presumably) McCormack; the reprints are the ones by Rawls, Enright, Crowe, Lakowski, Smith, Donovan, and Thum. So I'm in good company.
I shd mention that the front cover art is quite eye-catching: a striking piece of Yavanna Kementari by Ulla Thynell, an artist I don't know whose work I'll need to learn more about.
Here's hoping this collection sparks some interesting discussion.
--John R.
For those interested in the topic and wanting more detail, here's the Table of Contents. Those identified as new essays in the Introduction I've marked with an asterisk (*) and given the date for pieces reprinted for this themed collection.
Introduction: *Perilous and Fair, Ancient and Modern, Luminous and Powerful by Croft & Donovan.
[Part One: ] Historical Perspectives*The History of Scholarship of Female Characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium: A Feminist Bibliographic Essayby Robin Anne Reid
*The Missing Women: J. R. R. Tolkien's Lifelong Support for Women's Higher Educationby John D. Rateliff
*She-who-must-not-be-ignored: Gender and Genre in The Lord of the Rings and the Victorian Boys' Bookby Sharin Schroeder
[Part Two:] Power of GenderThe Feminine Principle in Tolkien [1984]by Melanie A. Rawls
Tolkien's Females and the Defining of Power [2007]by Nancy Enright
Power in Arda: Sources, Uses and Misuses [1996]by Edith L. Crowe
[Part Three:] Specific CharactersThe Fall and Repentance of Galadriel [2007]by Romuald I. Lakowski
*Luthien Tinuviel and Bodily Desire in the Lay of Leithianby Cami D. Agan
*The Power of Pity and Tears: The Evolution of Nienna in the Legendariumby Kristine Larsen
*At Home and Abroad: Eowyn's Two-fold figuring as War Bride in The Lord of the Ringsby Melissa A. Smith
[Part Four:] Earlier Literary ContextsThe Valkyrie Redux in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Galadriel, Shelob, Eowyn, and Arwen [2003]by Leslie A. Donovan
*Speech and Silence in The Lord of the Rings: Medieval Romance and the Transitions of Eowynby Phoebe C. Linton
Hidden in Plain View: Strategizing Unconventionality in Shakespeare's and Tolkien's Portraits of Women [2006]by Maureen Thum
[Part Five:] Women ReadersFinding Ourselves in the (Un)Mapped Lands: Women's Reparative Readings of The Lord of the Ringsby Una McCormack
Thus the new articles are the Introduction plus the ones by Reid, Rateliff, Schroeder, Agan, Larsen, Linton, and (presumably) McCormack; the reprints are the ones by Rawls, Enright, Crowe, Lakowski, Smith, Donovan, and Thum. So I'm in good company.
I shd mention that the front cover art is quite eye-catching: a striking piece of Yavanna Kementari by Ulla Thynell, an artist I don't know whose work I'll need to learn more about.
Here's hoping this collection sparks some interesting discussion.
--John R.
February 4, 2015
The Sting of the Dark Tower (CSL 'adaptation')
WARNING:
HERE BE SPOILERS
So, I posted some while back about a local group who were working on a radio-play version of CSL's THE DARK TOWER. Thanks to friend Allan (thanks, Allan!) I now have the link to the finished product, "The Sting of the Dark Tower" by Peter Gruenbaum:
http://coiledstories.com/dt/
Having now listened to the whole thing, I have to report that it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's good to see someone adapting a neglected CSL work. On the other, it's a pretty good sign something has gone seriously wrong when said adaptation ends by denouncing the author and urging people not to read him.
This radio-play, which is just over an hour in length, falls into two parts. The first is an adaptation of Lewis's story that pretty much covers the entire surviving fragment. They simplify and change some things but do produce something recognizable as a dramatization of CSL's work. I enjoyed the voice acting as well, for the most part, finding it pretty reminiscent of old radio plays; I'll want to save this one to listen to it again at some point down the line. The second half goes beyond what Lewis wrote and completes the story, making clear that this is only a possible conclusion and probably not the one Lewis himself wd have come up with. Nevertheless, it represents the only continuation/conclusion I've seen, and thus is of interest for that point alone.*
Ignoring lapses such as Orfieu referring to his friend Lewis as "Clive", or referring to their 1940s version of CSL as "Professor Lewis" (which mainly just goes to show the scriptwriter doesn't know much about CSL, and didn't bother to show the script to anyone who does), it's rather nice to have some dialogue from the former Stingerman in our world and see a bit of how he looks at things (he insists his sting 'brings happiness' to those whom Lewis et al consider his victims). But there's a didacticism on the scriptwriter's part that keeps breaking in inappropriately into Lewis's story, as when the intermittent frame story interjects a defense of mercy killing or warns against taking pharmaceuticals to treat mental conditions. And however good their intentions, it's purely incredible that CSL wd end the story by expressing his admiration for sassy New Yorker Camilla Bembridge with a toast "To modern women: what would we do without them?"
But I was disabused of the notion that this adaptation had 'good intentions' when the frame story ended by launching into a sudden denunciation of Lewis himself:
Screw C. S. Lewis.I mean, who cares what he would do?You know, if you want to readsome old science fictionyou cd do way better than Lewis.
The script then segues into praise for John Wyndham and especially James Tiptree; Ursula K. Le Guin and Margaret Atwood are also mention in the fade-out.
So, the whole hour-long radio-play turns out to be a set-up to tell Lewis fans (the only people likely to spend an hour listening to an adaptation of a lesser-known CSL work) that they're idiots to waste their time on Lewis and shd instead be reading other people whom the scriptwriter prefers.
So for me the ending spoiled the whole -- which is a pity, since a lot of work clearly went into this. They did a great job of capturing that old radio-drama vibe. And it had some amusing or interesting touches (such as the ex-Stingerman's warm appreciation of our world's fish-and-chips), or the big reveal in the end that the master of the Stingermen is none other than the Othertime's C. S. Lewis analogue. But I found the frame story a whole lot more annoying than it was intended to be, and its conclusion spoilt the whole for me. Too bad.
--John R.
*having myself speculated in print about how Lewis may have intended to conclude the story, and knowing of at least three other such speculations.
HERE BE SPOILERS
So, I posted some while back about a local group who were working on a radio-play version of CSL's THE DARK TOWER. Thanks to friend Allan (thanks, Allan!) I now have the link to the finished product, "The Sting of the Dark Tower" by Peter Gruenbaum:
http://coiledstories.com/dt/
Having now listened to the whole thing, I have to report that it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's good to see someone adapting a neglected CSL work. On the other, it's a pretty good sign something has gone seriously wrong when said adaptation ends by denouncing the author and urging people not to read him.
This radio-play, which is just over an hour in length, falls into two parts. The first is an adaptation of Lewis's story that pretty much covers the entire surviving fragment. They simplify and change some things but do produce something recognizable as a dramatization of CSL's work. I enjoyed the voice acting as well, for the most part, finding it pretty reminiscent of old radio plays; I'll want to save this one to listen to it again at some point down the line. The second half goes beyond what Lewis wrote and completes the story, making clear that this is only a possible conclusion and probably not the one Lewis himself wd have come up with. Nevertheless, it represents the only continuation/conclusion I've seen, and thus is of interest for that point alone.*
Ignoring lapses such as Orfieu referring to his friend Lewis as "Clive", or referring to their 1940s version of CSL as "Professor Lewis" (which mainly just goes to show the scriptwriter doesn't know much about CSL, and didn't bother to show the script to anyone who does), it's rather nice to have some dialogue from the former Stingerman in our world and see a bit of how he looks at things (he insists his sting 'brings happiness' to those whom Lewis et al consider his victims). But there's a didacticism on the scriptwriter's part that keeps breaking in inappropriately into Lewis's story, as when the intermittent frame story interjects a defense of mercy killing or warns against taking pharmaceuticals to treat mental conditions. And however good their intentions, it's purely incredible that CSL wd end the story by expressing his admiration for sassy New Yorker Camilla Bembridge with a toast "To modern women: what would we do without them?"
But I was disabused of the notion that this adaptation had 'good intentions' when the frame story ended by launching into a sudden denunciation of Lewis himself:
Screw C. S. Lewis.I mean, who cares what he would do?You know, if you want to readsome old science fictionyou cd do way better than Lewis.
The script then segues into praise for John Wyndham and especially James Tiptree; Ursula K. Le Guin and Margaret Atwood are also mention in the fade-out.
So, the whole hour-long radio-play turns out to be a set-up to tell Lewis fans (the only people likely to spend an hour listening to an adaptation of a lesser-known CSL work) that they're idiots to waste their time on Lewis and shd instead be reading other people whom the scriptwriter prefers.
So for me the ending spoiled the whole -- which is a pity, since a lot of work clearly went into this. They did a great job of capturing that old radio-drama vibe. And it had some amusing or interesting touches (such as the ex-Stingerman's warm appreciation of our world's fish-and-chips), or the big reveal in the end that the master of the Stingermen is none other than the Othertime's C. S. Lewis analogue. But I found the frame story a whole lot more annoying than it was intended to be, and its conclusion spoilt the whole for me. Too bad.
--John R.
*having myself speculated in print about how Lewis may have intended to conclude the story, and knowing of at least three other such speculations.
February 3, 2015
A snippy parody
So, while I was massively disappointed in THE WOBBIT, Harvard Lampoon's recent companion volume to BORED OF THE RINGS, there were two bits of interest within it that I thought I'd share.
The first is the passage, near the end of the book, where parody versions of J. R. R. Tolkien ("J. R. R. Toking"), George R. R. Martin ("G. R. R. Marauding"), J. K. Rowling ("J. K. Rousing"), and C. S. Lewis ("C. S. Losing") all show up to try to re-assert control over their creations. The odd thing about this section is that they only bring up Lewis to bash him. When first introduced along with the others we're told he's "the one with no business here" (p. 135). Later, "feeling al little left out of the fun", he jumps into the conversation with a complete non-sequetor ("Did you know I'm a devout Catholic?" asked C. S. Losing"; a footnote to this comment opines "Getting left out of the fun is, debatably, the whole point of Catholicism" (p. 136). His final comment comes immediately after Rowling reveals that she is a woman, and thus has introduced an actual female person into the all-male world of THE WOBBIT; to the cry "She's a woman!" the Lewis-character responds " 'This might go against my Catholic faith,' C. S. Losing let it be known, as if anyone cared what he had to say." (p. 137).
So, all I can conclude is (a) that the Harvard Lampoonians really don't like C. S. Lewis, and (b) that they know next to nothing about him, not even enough to parody him properly -- i.e., such as the fact that he's NOT CATHOLIC.
The second, and far superior, passage comes v. near the end (and yet not near enough), where they re-write Bilbo's first song, "Roads Go Ever Ever On", into an indictment of the modern commercialism of fantasy:
Franchises go ever ever on,Over-budget and under-seen,Through sequels that are quickly gone,And prequels that never should have been . . .(p. 146)
--And there it is; even a dud can include a passage worth sharing.
--John R.
current audiobook: none
current dvd: DESOLATION OF SMAUG 'Appendix IX' documentaries
current reading: THE SUMMER TREE (GGKay), AS CHIMNEY SWEEPERS COME TO DUST (Flavia de Luce), THE CIVIL WAR (Foote).
The first is the passage, near the end of the book, where parody versions of J. R. R. Tolkien ("J. R. R. Toking"), George R. R. Martin ("G. R. R. Marauding"), J. K. Rowling ("J. K. Rousing"), and C. S. Lewis ("C. S. Losing") all show up to try to re-assert control over their creations. The odd thing about this section is that they only bring up Lewis to bash him. When first introduced along with the others we're told he's "the one with no business here" (p. 135). Later, "feeling al little left out of the fun", he jumps into the conversation with a complete non-sequetor ("Did you know I'm a devout Catholic?" asked C. S. Losing"; a footnote to this comment opines "Getting left out of the fun is, debatably, the whole point of Catholicism" (p. 136). His final comment comes immediately after Rowling reveals that she is a woman, and thus has introduced an actual female person into the all-male world of THE WOBBIT; to the cry "She's a woman!" the Lewis-character responds " 'This might go against my Catholic faith,' C. S. Losing let it be known, as if anyone cared what he had to say." (p. 137).
So, all I can conclude is (a) that the Harvard Lampoonians really don't like C. S. Lewis, and (b) that they know next to nothing about him, not even enough to parody him properly -- i.e., such as the fact that he's NOT CATHOLIC.
The second, and far superior, passage comes v. near the end (and yet not near enough), where they re-write Bilbo's first song, "Roads Go Ever Ever On", into an indictment of the modern commercialism of fantasy:
Franchises go ever ever on,Over-budget and under-seen,Through sequels that are quickly gone,And prequels that never should have been . . .(p. 146)
--And there it is; even a dud can include a passage worth sharing.
--John R.
current audiobook: none
current dvd: DESOLATION OF SMAUG 'Appendix IX' documentaries
current reading: THE SUMMER TREE (GGKay), AS CHIMNEY SWEEPERS COME TO DUST (Flavia de Luce), THE CIVIL WAR (Foote).
February 2, 2015
A New Idea About Madlener
So, the story's well known from Carpenter's biography how Tolkien bought a picture postcard of a mountain-spirit known as a Berggeist, an old man with a beard and hat, during his 1911 trip to Switzerland and years later wrote on the envelope he kept it in 'Origin of Gandalf'.
Except it's not true, as various Tolkien scholars (most notably Manfred Zimmerman) discovered: the Madlener painting actually dates from the mid to late 1920s and could not have been purchased during that 1911 trip.* The dating is important because there's still some debate about whether Tolkien started THE HOBBIT in the summer of 1930 (as I believe) or sometime in the 1920s (as a minority opinion holds). If we cd date this image and also date when Tolkien first came across it, it might narrow down the field a little.
Now comes a new suggestion breathtaking in its simplicity, in the essay "Merlin, Odin, and Mountain Spirits: The Story of Gandalf's Origins" by Leila K. Norako, in the otherwise somewhat disappointing collection THE HOBBIT AND HISTORY.** Norako suggests
by saying that Der Berggeist was the origin of Gandalf,Tolkien could easily have been pointing to the broader Rubezahl tradition as source of inspiration rather thanto Medlener's specific rendering of the figure (p. 168)
That is, what if it's not the Madlener image that Tolkien meant by 'Origin of Gandalf' but the thing represented: Der Berggeist itself? If that were the case then Tolkien's annotation could be entirely accurate and yet be of no help dating THE HOBBIT whatsoever.
Of course we can always assume Tolkien came across this picture at some point after beginning THE HOBBIT and simply though it a good likeness, but I'm reluctant to accept that explanation because it directly contradicts Tolkien's simple and straightforward statement that in some way the Berggeist was the 'origin' of Gandalf.
In any case, an interesting suggestion, I thought; one I've not seen before, and one I'll have to mull over.
--John R.
*For a good account of the Madlener painting, see Doug Anderson's THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT pages 36-39; this book also reproduces Madlener's original in color on the lower half of Plate 5 (between pages 178 and 179).
**not because the essays aren't well done but because of a kind of diminishing returns: I've read so many essay already on the topics included herein (e.g., Beorn and Bothvar Bjarki) that I already knew most of what they had to tell me.
Except it's not true, as various Tolkien scholars (most notably Manfred Zimmerman) discovered: the Madlener painting actually dates from the mid to late 1920s and could not have been purchased during that 1911 trip.* The dating is important because there's still some debate about whether Tolkien started THE HOBBIT in the summer of 1930 (as I believe) or sometime in the 1920s (as a minority opinion holds). If we cd date this image and also date when Tolkien first came across it, it might narrow down the field a little.
Now comes a new suggestion breathtaking in its simplicity, in the essay "Merlin, Odin, and Mountain Spirits: The Story of Gandalf's Origins" by Leila K. Norako, in the otherwise somewhat disappointing collection THE HOBBIT AND HISTORY.** Norako suggests
by saying that Der Berggeist was the origin of Gandalf,Tolkien could easily have been pointing to the broader Rubezahl tradition as source of inspiration rather thanto Medlener's specific rendering of the figure (p. 168)
That is, what if it's not the Madlener image that Tolkien meant by 'Origin of Gandalf' but the thing represented: Der Berggeist itself? If that were the case then Tolkien's annotation could be entirely accurate and yet be of no help dating THE HOBBIT whatsoever.
Of course we can always assume Tolkien came across this picture at some point after beginning THE HOBBIT and simply though it a good likeness, but I'm reluctant to accept that explanation because it directly contradicts Tolkien's simple and straightforward statement that in some way the Berggeist was the 'origin' of Gandalf.
In any case, an interesting suggestion, I thought; one I've not seen before, and one I'll have to mull over.
--John R.
*For a good account of the Madlener painting, see Doug Anderson's THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT pages 36-39; this book also reproduces Madlener's original in color on the lower half of Plate 5 (between pages 178 and 179).
**not because the essays aren't well done but because of a kind of diminishing returns: I've read so many essay already on the topics included herein (e.g., Beorn and Bothvar Bjarki) that I already knew most of what they had to tell me.
February 1, 2015
The New Arrivals (nine books)
So, over the last month or so a number of new Tolkien books have arrived, the greater part of them due to my having taken in the change jar (which formerly held five pounds of Tupilo honey) and exchanged its contents for an amazon.com voucher. So several newish books that had been parked in my check-out cart at amazon are now here waiting for me to find places for them all on the Tolkien shelves.
THE HOBBIT AND HISTORY, ed. Janice Liedl and Nancy R. Reagin [Wiley, 2014]
subtitled on cover "The Unoffical Movie Tie-In to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", a subtitle that does not appear on the title page or elsewhere. Its links, such as they are, are more with the second movie (and, to a lesser degree, the first) than the third -- naturally enough, since none of these authors could have seen the third and final HOBBIT film at the time they wrote their essys.
Part of the Wiley Pop Culture and History Series, along with Star Trek and History, Star Wars and History, Harry Potter and History, and Twilight and History, all of them edited either by Reagin or by Reagin and Liedl.
--disappointing, though one essay did have a brilliant suggestion re. Tolkien and the Madlener picture.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN, ROBERT E. HOWARD[,] AND THE BIRTH OF MODERN FANTASY by Deke Parsons [MacFarland 2015]
--claims that Tolkien, Howard, and Superman (who for some reason didn't make it into the title) are the main inspirations for modern fantasy. If by 'modern fantasy' you mean D&D, then I'd say Parsons is on more or less solid ground, but as a sourcing for modern fantasy in general it's either too narrow (excluding figures like Dunsany) or too wide (failing to recognize Tolkien's pre-eminant position). Have no idea why he threw Superman into the mix. No doubt all will become clear when I have a chance to actually read this.
TOLKIEN AND THE MODERNISTS: LITERARY RESPONSES TO THE DARK NEW DAYS OF THE 20TH CENTURY by Theresa Freda Nicolay [MacFarland, 2014].
--One of several recent books to acknowledge that Tolkien was in fact a twentieth century author.
A potentially good topic; won't know until the reading whether Nicolay makes a good case.
THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF MIDDLE-EARTH: LEARNING FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS by Abigail E. Ruane and Patrick James [Univ. of Mich. Pr, 2012]
--I've recently been seeking out and reading a series of oddball books on Tolkien: new approaches to Tolkien from unusual perspectives. This one has more charts and diagrams than I expected but at the very least won't be the same-old same-old.
THE UNOFFICIAL MIDDLE-EARTH MONSTER'S GUIDE by 'The Mordor Collective' [2013]
--this is parody by the same folks who published THE UNOFFICIAL HOBBIT HANDBOOK a few years back; looks to me that if you liked that, you'll probably like this as well (and vica versa).
THE BODY IN TOLKIEN'S LEGENDARIUM: ESSAYS ON MIDDLE-EARTH CORPOREALITY, ed. Christopher Vaccaro [MacFarland, 2013]
--a rather unusual thematic choice for a book on Tolkien, with an unusual grouping of contributors, some of whom I know from Kalamazoo or recognize their names from TOLKIEN STUDIES, a few of them new to me. The lead essay is by Verlyn Flieger (always a good way to lead a collection of essays on Tolkien, given the opportunity).
THE LOSS AND THE SILENCE: ASPECTS OF MODERNISM IN THE WORKS OF C. S. LEWIS, J. R. R. TOLKIEN[,] & CHARLES WILLIAMS by Margaret Hiley [Walking Tree Press, 2011]
--in the abstract, this one sounds to me like Charles Moorman's AUGUSTINIAN CITY revisited; shd make for an interesting contrast to the other recent book on Tolkien and modernism by T. F. Nicolay.
THE HOBBIT PARTY: THE VISION OF FREEDOM THAT TOLKIEN GOT, AND THE WEST FORGOT by Jonathan Witt and Jay W. Richards [Ignatius, 2014]
--Of all these, this is the next one I intend to read. I gather it tries to align Tolkien with Belloc's Distributists and to place JRRT within today's political scene and suggest what position he'd take on current issues, which seems to me a forlorn undertaking. In any case, it's been the subject of heated discussion on Joseph Pearce's website, which I plan to hold off reading until I've read for myself the material they're arguing over.
THE WOBBIT by The Harvard Lampoon [2013]. The folks behind the infamous BORED OF THE RINGS [1969] return for an uninspired second try at parodying Tolkien. Only two goodish bits: one an appearance by JRRT, CSL, GRR, and Rowling in an ultimately vain attempt to regain control over their creations and the other a parody of the closing poem; more on these later. All I can say about this book as a whole is that if you enjoyed BORED OF THE RINGS, don't spoil those memories by reading this dreck. And if you didn't like BORED OF THE RINGS, you're not likely to like this wan imitation either.
Finally, there's one new e-publication to note: J. R. R. TOLKIEN's LOST ENGLISH MYTHOLOGY by Simon J. Cooke [2014], the e-equivalent of a T-K Graphics pamphlet or the occasional Tolkien Society booklets. Think we'll probably be seeing more like this in the future.
Also, I shd probably note three magazines as well: the inaugural article from THE JOURNAL OF TOLKIEN RESEARCH (already noted in a post of its own a few days ago), the arrival of the latest issue of VII, and the current EMPIRE magazine (January 2015 issue). I'd been surprised when the December issue did not feature the release of the third and final HOBBIT movie as its cover story, as had been the case with the previous installments in the movie trilogy. Well, they've more than made up for it with this new issue, which is guest-edited by Peter Jackson himself. Lots of behind-the-scenes information about the making of the movies; definitely intend to get round to some of this once I have time to do more than skim it.
It'd be nice to say that this recent influx of books meant I now had all the new books that've come out in the last year or two, but it wdn't be the truth. There are at least twenty more I know about that I don't have, and no doubt more I haven't heard about yet. Still, there shd be some interesting reading among them -- though it'll take me time to work my way through them.
--John R.
current reading: AS CHIMNEY SWEEPERS COME TO DUST by Alan Bradley (an attempt to re-start his 'Flavia de Luce' series), THE SUMMER TREE (Book One in THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY) by Guy Gavriel Kay (re-reading for Book Group)
current dvd: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, extended edition, with commentary, plus extras.
THE HOBBIT AND HISTORY, ed. Janice Liedl and Nancy R. Reagin [Wiley, 2014]
subtitled on cover "The Unoffical Movie Tie-In to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", a subtitle that does not appear on the title page or elsewhere. Its links, such as they are, are more with the second movie (and, to a lesser degree, the first) than the third -- naturally enough, since none of these authors could have seen the third and final HOBBIT film at the time they wrote their essys.
Part of the Wiley Pop Culture and History Series, along with Star Trek and History, Star Wars and History, Harry Potter and History, and Twilight and History, all of them edited either by Reagin or by Reagin and Liedl.
--disappointing, though one essay did have a brilliant suggestion re. Tolkien and the Madlener picture.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN, ROBERT E. HOWARD[,] AND THE BIRTH OF MODERN FANTASY by Deke Parsons [MacFarland 2015]
--claims that Tolkien, Howard, and Superman (who for some reason didn't make it into the title) are the main inspirations for modern fantasy. If by 'modern fantasy' you mean D&D, then I'd say Parsons is on more or less solid ground, but as a sourcing for modern fantasy in general it's either too narrow (excluding figures like Dunsany) or too wide (failing to recognize Tolkien's pre-eminant position). Have no idea why he threw Superman into the mix. No doubt all will become clear when I have a chance to actually read this.
TOLKIEN AND THE MODERNISTS: LITERARY RESPONSES TO THE DARK NEW DAYS OF THE 20TH CENTURY by Theresa Freda Nicolay [MacFarland, 2014].
--One of several recent books to acknowledge that Tolkien was in fact a twentieth century author.
A potentially good topic; won't know until the reading whether Nicolay makes a good case.
THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF MIDDLE-EARTH: LEARNING FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS by Abigail E. Ruane and Patrick James [Univ. of Mich. Pr, 2012]
--I've recently been seeking out and reading a series of oddball books on Tolkien: new approaches to Tolkien from unusual perspectives. This one has more charts and diagrams than I expected but at the very least won't be the same-old same-old.
THE UNOFFICIAL MIDDLE-EARTH MONSTER'S GUIDE by 'The Mordor Collective' [2013]
--this is parody by the same folks who published THE UNOFFICIAL HOBBIT HANDBOOK a few years back; looks to me that if you liked that, you'll probably like this as well (and vica versa).
THE BODY IN TOLKIEN'S LEGENDARIUM: ESSAYS ON MIDDLE-EARTH CORPOREALITY, ed. Christopher Vaccaro [MacFarland, 2013]
--a rather unusual thematic choice for a book on Tolkien, with an unusual grouping of contributors, some of whom I know from Kalamazoo or recognize their names from TOLKIEN STUDIES, a few of them new to me. The lead essay is by Verlyn Flieger (always a good way to lead a collection of essays on Tolkien, given the opportunity).
THE LOSS AND THE SILENCE: ASPECTS OF MODERNISM IN THE WORKS OF C. S. LEWIS, J. R. R. TOLKIEN[,] & CHARLES WILLIAMS by Margaret Hiley [Walking Tree Press, 2011]
--in the abstract, this one sounds to me like Charles Moorman's AUGUSTINIAN CITY revisited; shd make for an interesting contrast to the other recent book on Tolkien and modernism by T. F. Nicolay.
THE HOBBIT PARTY: THE VISION OF FREEDOM THAT TOLKIEN GOT, AND THE WEST FORGOT by Jonathan Witt and Jay W. Richards [Ignatius, 2014]
--Of all these, this is the next one I intend to read. I gather it tries to align Tolkien with Belloc's Distributists and to place JRRT within today's political scene and suggest what position he'd take on current issues, which seems to me a forlorn undertaking. In any case, it's been the subject of heated discussion on Joseph Pearce's website, which I plan to hold off reading until I've read for myself the material they're arguing over.
THE WOBBIT by The Harvard Lampoon [2013]. The folks behind the infamous BORED OF THE RINGS [1969] return for an uninspired second try at parodying Tolkien. Only two goodish bits: one an appearance by JRRT, CSL, GRR, and Rowling in an ultimately vain attempt to regain control over their creations and the other a parody of the closing poem; more on these later. All I can say about this book as a whole is that if you enjoyed BORED OF THE RINGS, don't spoil those memories by reading this dreck. And if you didn't like BORED OF THE RINGS, you're not likely to like this wan imitation either.
Finally, there's one new e-publication to note: J. R. R. TOLKIEN's LOST ENGLISH MYTHOLOGY by Simon J. Cooke [2014], the e-equivalent of a T-K Graphics pamphlet or the occasional Tolkien Society booklets. Think we'll probably be seeing more like this in the future.
Also, I shd probably note three magazines as well: the inaugural article from THE JOURNAL OF TOLKIEN RESEARCH (already noted in a post of its own a few days ago), the arrival of the latest issue of VII, and the current EMPIRE magazine (January 2015 issue). I'd been surprised when the December issue did not feature the release of the third and final HOBBIT movie as its cover story, as had been the case with the previous installments in the movie trilogy. Well, they've more than made up for it with this new issue, which is guest-edited by Peter Jackson himself. Lots of behind-the-scenes information about the making of the movies; definitely intend to get round to some of this once I have time to do more than skim it.
It'd be nice to say that this recent influx of books meant I now had all the new books that've come out in the last year or two, but it wdn't be the truth. There are at least twenty more I know about that I don't have, and no doubt more I haven't heard about yet. Still, there shd be some interesting reading among them -- though it'll take me time to work my way through them.
--John R.
current reading: AS CHIMNEY SWEEPERS COME TO DUST by Alan Bradley (an attempt to re-start his 'Flavia de Luce' series), THE SUMMER TREE (Book One in THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY) by Guy Gavriel Kay (re-reading for Book Group)
current dvd: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, extended edition, with commentary, plus extras.
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