We’re constantly being told that bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being afraid and doing the thing anyway. But this flawed definition can lead to trouble. It implies that to be brave, we must do the thing we fear, no matter what that thing is. It ignores the fact that the thing we fear may not be right for us to do.
Continue reading The Greatest Bravery
While I still insist we should be expecting less rather than more of ourselves due to the stress and strangeness of life during the pandemic, I also believe that we should keep making things.
Continue reading Art: Comfort When You Can’t Leave Home
In these troubled times, reading can be a balm and comfort . Escaping into a favorite story is one way to get temporary relief from the stress and anxiety we are all dealing with at the moment. But not everyone approves of “escapist” reading. Since today is also Tolkien Reading Day, I want to share what J.R.R. Tolkien himself had to say about fantasy literature and reading to escape.
Continue reading Tolkien’s Defense of Escapist Fantasy
J.R.R. Tolkien’s son Christopher died this week. Fans of Middle-earth are mourning the loss, and no wonder. We owe him much. As his father’s biggest fan, he knew what the rest of longed for: more. More history and stories of the world where hobbits live, and we got it. Without Christopher, The Silmarillion would never have been published.
Continue reading Belated Thanks to Christopher Tolkien
Summertime inspires me to go to extremes, but that’s not where happiness lies.
