David C. Downing's Blog, page 11

INKLINGS Q & A: Who are these two gentleman and which one was an Inkling?A: On...

INKLINGS Q & A: Who are these two gentleman and which one was an Inkling?

A: On the right is W. B. Yeats. On the left is his friend Charles Williams. Besides his fellow Inklings C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, Williams was also a friend of W. B. Yeats, as well as T. S. Eliot, and W. H. Auden. (As a young man, C. S. Lewis also met Yeats, who he later described to his brother Warren as a fascinating blend of poet, wizard, lunatic, and "the most eloquent drunk Irishman you know.")

Here's a rare audio of Tolkien reading from The Lord of the Rings, the passage w...

Here's a rare audio of Tolkien reading from The Lord of the Rings, the passage where Gandalf translates the secret writing on the One Ring. Tolkien is an excellent interpretive reader of his own work. What a privilege it must have been to gather in Lewis's rooms on Thursday evenings in Oxford and listen spellbound while "Tollers" shared the latest episodes of his unfolding tale!


J.R.R. Tolkien recites the Ring Verse
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This is a recording of J.R.R. Tolkien reciting the Ring Verse, from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past'. "Three rings for the Elven-kings under t...

INKLINGS Q & A: Where did Lewis find the name Aslan?A: Aslan means "lion" in T...

INKLINGS Q & A: Where did Lewis find the name Aslan?

A: Aslan means "lion" in Turkish, a name Lewis found in a classic translation of THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS.

Here's a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Peter Jackson's upcoming Hobbi...

Here's a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Peter Jackson's upcoming Hobbit movies. It's a bit odd to peek behind the scenes before we've watched the scenes, but they are careful not to reveal too much--only to reveal that the Hobbit movies are being made with the same care that made Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films such instant classics.


'The Hobbit' production team releases another behind-the-scenes video
www.csmonitor.com
Director Peter Jackson's new 'Hobbit' video shows location shots in New Zealand's mountains and the filming of a pivotal scene where dwarves float down a river in barrels.

Here's a delightful BBC interview and tour of Magdalen College with actor Robert...

Here's a delightful BBC interview and tour of Magdalen College with actor Robert Hardy, who plays the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, in the Harry Potter movies. Who knew he was tutored by both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien? Turns out he was also a great friend of actor Richard Burton and is a renowned expert on the medieval longbow!


Phil Gayle speaks to Robert Hardy
www.bbc.co.uk
Actor Robert Hardy takes BBC Radio Oxford's Phil Gayle to visit Magdalen College in Oxford.

The video trailer for a fairly recent book, THE INKLINGS OF OXFORD, with beautif...

The video trailer for a fairly recent book, THE INKLINGS OF OXFORD, with beautiful color photographs and an insightful text by Hal Poe. Author David C. Downing reviews the book at http://booksbycslewis.blogspot.com/2009/07/picture-perfect-look-at-inklings-oxford.html


The Inklings of Oxford: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Their Friends - Book Trailer
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"The Inklings of Oxford" is the first full-color introduction to the Inklings, a group of influential English writers that included C.S. Lewis (The Chronicle...

If you want to know what people's names mean among the Riders of Rohan, get out...

If you want to know what people's names mean among the Riders of Rohan, get out an Anglo Saxon dictionary. Eowyn, for example, means "horse-friend."

One of the delights of being a novelist in the age of the 'net is getting instan...

One of the delights of being a novelist in the age of the 'net is getting instant feedback from readers. This week LOOKING FOR THE KING author David C. Downing got these appreciative notes on his FB account:

K. A. "You did a superb job of bringing "The Inklings" to life on paper!
Well written, fast paced plot. A+!"

M. E. "Being a member of The Tolkien Society takes me to Oxford every year for our Oxonmoot, so this year I will not only feel the presence of The Inklings, but also a young American gentleman [Tom McCord, the fictional hero of the story]."

Thanks for the appreciative comments and, yes, Downing is working on a sequel!

Here's some more Tolkien-inspired original art at theonering.net on Facebook

Here's some more Tolkien-inspired original art at theonering.net on Facebook

Casting is complete for the upcoming "Hobbit" films. It's good to see there is a...

Casting is complete for the upcoming "Hobbit" films. It's good to see there is a Scottish branch of the hobbit clans.


Billy Connolly joins 'The Hobbit'
nz.entertainment.yahoo.com
Scottish funnyman Billy Connolly is joining the star-studded cast of 'The Hobbit'.