Roheryn writes: Just a reminder for those interested in attending the Tolkien Conference at Marquette University, Milwaukee on October 22 – 23, 2004, Early Bird registration ends on March 31. After that, the cost goes up. Here is some general information, including the impressive line-up of Tolkien scholars delivering papers. [More]
Month: March 2004
The Lord of the Rings: 1954-2004: Scholarship in Honor of Richard E. Blackwelder
On October 22-23, 2004, the Department of Special Collections will host “The Lord of the Rings, 1954-2004” The conference will offer new scholarship upon the 50th anniversary of the publication of Tolkien’s masterpiece.
Papers will be delivered by Douglas A. Anderson, Jane Chance, David Bratman, Marjorie Burns, Michael Drout, Matt Fisher, Verlyn Flieger, Michael Foster,
John Garth, Wayne G. Hammond, Carl. F. Hostetter, S. Gary Hunnewell, John D. Rateliff, Christina Scull, Thomas A. Shippey, Arden R. Smith, Paul Edmund Thomas, Richard C. West, and Patrick Wynne.
A fall 2004 exhibit of sketches and drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien is also planned by Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art. Early-bird registration is available online. http://www.marquette.edu/library/registration.html Price of conference registration goes up after March 31, 2004.
General link to Marquette Archives web site: http://www.marquette.edu/library/collections/archives/tolkien.html
Hannah writes: ‘For Better of for Worse’, a television program from TLC in which a couple’s friends plan their wedding for them, is airing a Tolkien-themed wedding this week. The website tells us that “wedding planner Angie Bloom-Hewett pulls out one of her most inventive ideas yet when she melds the groom’s love of Tolkien’s LOTR with the bride’s passion for pink.” Sounds interesting enough. It looks like most of the inspiration is coming from Rohan, as the preview shows some folks looking at Eowyn’s white dress online. The episode premieres at 9:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, March 24, and will be shown again on Thursday at 12:00 a.m. EST and on Friday at 5:00 p.m. EST.
The troubled life of Calle the Elephant, one of the San Francisco Zoo’s most beloved residents, will soon come to an end. The zoo has decided to euthanize the 37-year-old, 10,000-pound creature because her health has been declining since October…Her vocalizations were recorded and used in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which just won 11 Oscars. “She should have been eligible for an Academy Award,” Chan said. [More]
My own personal punching bag Sala Baker is in Utah with the folks from ‘Celebrity Autograh Expo’ this weekend. Sala was at the Jordon Commons Mall today, and will be at the MegaPlex 12 Theatres at Gateway tomorrow. Stop by and say hi! [More]


Happy Birthday Lawrence! Lawrence Makoare was born on March 20th 1968 in Bastion Point, Auckland, New Zealand. That makes him 36 years old today! Happy Birthday Mr. Kil!