Jo-Anna writes: Tolkien-based journal “Silver Leaves” Issue Two, has released as of Saturday, Jan. 10. The theme is The Inklings and we are very excited about getting it into folks’ hands. It’s a superb issue, with contributors including Douglas Gresham, Colin Duriez, Brian Sibley, and Jef Murray, along with many others. Ordering information is at www.whitetreefund.org.

Daniel Fienberg sends this along: What better way to kick off this January’s Television Critics Association press tour than with Sir Ian McKellen discussing his upcoming Great Performances version of “King Lear,” which he acknowledges is generally a career-capping role for most Shakespearean actors. “If, like me, you’ve worked your way through Shakespeare as an actor, waiting up there is King Lear and beyond him a shadowy Prospero maybe or a Falstaff,” says McKellen, who admits to being terrified of Falstaff. McKellen adds, “It’s the challenge. It’s the expectation that it will complete your journey through Shakespeare.” Of course, no matter how much acclaim McKellen gets for his stage work, he knows that he’ll always be recognized in the street for something different. Press Tour: King Lear is semi-nude and Gandalf may be gay

Dutch composer Arjan Kiel (keyboardplayer for Sister Sledge(?!)) sent us along some of his Tolkien themed work he created for fun. Kiel is working with Toby and Cody McClure & Peter Bateman on ‘Born of Hope’, the fan film about Arathorn, Gilraen and little Aragorn, when the Dunedain were in peril. Take a look at the YouTube videos and Arjan’s official site (arjankiel.com). Continue reading “A Look at ‘Born of Hope’ Composer Arjan Kiel”

Happy Birthday JRR TolkienTheOneRing.net raises its glass to today to join fans the world over in toasting the master of Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born January 3rd 1892.

If you’d like to join in the worldwide toast, The Tolkien Society has its annual event organized where fans can sign up to toast by hoisting the liquid beverage of your choice to “The Professor”.