David C. Downing's Blog, page 16

INKLINGS QUIP: When a correspondent wrote to C. S. Lewis that sometimes American...

INKLINGS QUIP: When a correspondent wrote to C. S. Lewis that sometimes Americans move to California for the sunshine, he answered, "I don't think I'd move somewhere just for the climate--unless I were a vegetable."

INKLINGS Q & A: Where did Tolkien originally get the idea for the character Tom...

INKLINGS Q & A: Where did Tolkien originally get the idea for the character Tom Bombadil?

A: Tom Bombadil was a Dutch doll that one of Tolkien's children accidentally lost in the lavatory. Tolkien began making up stories about the adventures of the colorful little doll, which first appeared in some early poems, then in LOTR.


Wall Photos

Tolkien once received a postcard from Switzerland with a picture of Der Berggeis...

Tolkien once received a postcard from Switzerland with a picture of Der Berggeist, "The Spirit of the Mountain," and old man with a long, white beard, a broad-brimmed hat, and a long cloak. On the back of the postcard Tolkien wrote "origin of Gandalf."


Wall Photos

INKLINGS Q & A: How did C. S. Lewis reply when asked if he answered letters from...

INKLINGS Q & A: How did C. S. Lewis reply when asked if he answered letters from anonymous fans?

A: Lewis replied that he did indeed answer fan mail, explaining that when courtesy or charity slept, "gratified vanity" always stepped forward to speak in their place (Letters, Vol 2, 641).

LOOKING FOR THE KING author David C. Downing discusses the literary artistry of...

LOOKING FOR THE KING author David C. Downing discusses the literary artistry of Lewis's A GRIEF OBSERVED (Courtesy of Ensign Media).


LewisandDante-YouTube sharing.mov
www.youtube.com
In this DVD extra from "Through A Lens Darkly: Grief, Loss and C.S. Lewis" scholar Dr. David C. Downing talks about Lewis, Dante and "A Grief Observed." http...

INKLINGS Q & A: In LOTR, the ranger called Strider turns out to be Aragorn, the...

INKLINGS Q & A: In LOTR, the ranger called Strider turns out to be Aragorn, the future king. What were his name and nickname in Tolkien's working drafts?

A: Strider was originally called Trotter. His true name was going to be Elfstone, and then Ingold, before Tolkien decided on the name Aragorn. (Bonus fact: since paper was so short during World War 2, many of these passages of LOTR were written by Tolkien between the lines of filled-out student exam books!)

INKLINGS Q &A: What was C. S. Lewis's advice to a correspondent who was struggli...

INKLINGS Q &A: What was C. S. Lewis's advice to a correspondent who was struggling with temptation?

A: Lewis said of temptations, "You can't help their knocking at your door. But you mustn't invite them in for lunch."

In PLANET NARNIA, Michael Ward argues that each of the seven Chronicles correlat...

In PLANET NARNIA, Michael Ward argues that each of the seven Chronicles correlates to one of the planetary influences in astrology. In his blog for the CSL Society of Chattanooga, the distinguished C. S. Lewis scholar Devin Brown expresses his reservations about Ward's thesis. What do you think?


The C. S. Lewis Society of Chattanooga: The Narnia Code
cslewischatt.blogspot.com
Founded 21 January, 2005 - To bring together people in the local area who share for Clive Staples Lewis a special admiration and an active interest.

Here's a question for advanced Lewis pundits: Who is Mr. Slikisteinsauga and whe...

Here's a question for advanced Lewis pundits: Who is Mr. Slikisteinsauga and where does he appear in Lewis's fiction?

A: The name means "Sleekstone Eyes" in Old Norse. (A sleekstone is a whetstone, used to sharpen blades.) This fellow shows up at the end of PILGRIM'S REGRESS; with his sharp vision, he helps the newly-converted pilgrim John see the true contours of the 20th-century cultural landscape.

INKLINGS Q & A: When C. S. Lewis was reading THE GREAT DIVORCE to J. R. R. Tolki...

INKLINGS Q & A: When C. S. Lewis was reading THE GREAT DIVORCE to J. R. R. Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, and the other Inklings, its working title was WHO GOES HOME? What did Tolkien suggest its title should be?

A: Lewis's fantasy is about the denizens of hell getting to visit heaven--though most end up returning to their infernal lair. Instead of WHO GOES HOME?, Tolkien quipped that the title should be HUGO'S HOME.