If I can't be a dragon-whisperer, can I at least befriend a talking dog?
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in a letter that “I am not Gandalf, … As far as any character is ‘like me’ it is Faramir — except that I lack what all my characters possess (let the psychoanalysts note!) Courage.”[1] Recently, someone asked me how Tolkien had the gall to consider himself like Faramir, who is wise,... Continue Reading →
Tolkien Reading Day: The perfect day to consider Tolkien's argument for reading to escape.
Many claim the detailed, imaginative Middle-Earth is why Tolkien's books are popular, but the faith his characters display is what makes "The Lord of the Rings" phenomenal.
I recently came across an interesting diagram that shows various statistics about thirty famous books, including how long it took to write them. Of the thirty books included, the one that took the longest was The Lord of the Rings*. Why did it take J.R.R. Tolkien twelve years** to complete his masterpiece? Some say perfectionism... Continue Reading →
Writers, dancers, painters, and musicians all have something to teach us about how create. That's why I read my way through The History of Middle-Earth: Volumes 6 - 9. These books are about how J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his masterpiece Lord of the Rings. They try their best to show when and how he came up... Continue Reading →
