cs-lewisFrom HarperOne’s blog on C.S. Lewis: “Did C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien collaborate on a project that was never published? It is well known that the two were close friends and relished each other’s praise and criticism. However, there is little evidence that the two intended on working together on any manuscript. Steven A. Beebe, professor and chair of communication studies at Texas State University, believes he has found a fragment of an unpublished work. CSLewis.com recently interviewed Dr. Beebe to get more insight on his findings. More…

J.R.R. TolkienAs part of its “Clash of the Gods” series, the History Channel is airing an episode tonight on what it calls “The greatest myth of modern times:” J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Similar to the other episodes in the series, this episode features an impressive array of experts on Tolkien and mythology, including Michael Drout (Wheaton College), Corey Olsen (Washington College), John Davenport (Fordham University) and many others. Readers of Tolkien’s complete mythology will be delighted that the episode branches out from the realm of The Lord of the Rings into some of the myths and legends of The Silmarillion. But beware! If you haven’t read The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings trilogy yet, major plot points are revealed!

Continue reading “History Channel Episode on LOTR; J.R.R. Tolkien Tonight”

J.R.R. TolkienThanks to our friend Corey Olsen at The Tolkien Professor for alerting us that The History Channel will air an episode on J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings as part of its “Clash of the Gods” series. Corey and Michael Drout are among Tolkien scholars who are interviewed as part of the program. The episode airs at 10:00 p.m. EST, Monday, October 5 and again at 2:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, October 6.  You can see The History Channel’s schedule here and check out more about the series at the production company’s site, kpitv.com.

J.R.R. TolkienWhile not quite as famous as the anniversary of the publication of ‘The Hobbit,’ J.R.R. Tolkien penned what would become an important part of his larger mythology 95 years ago. Marc wrote to remind us of the event which is talked about in John Garth’s “Tolkien and the Great War,” and according to Marc, “Tolkien’s Gedling.” The poem, published in “The Book of Lost Tales Part 2,” contained the linguistic and imaginative seeds that helped inspire Middle-earth. In short, celebrate Tolkien today and perhaps read of Eärendel!

WIRED.com: J.R.R. Tolkien 1916J.R.R. Tolkien was a leading scholar of the English language’s Anglo-Saxon roots, and he invented entire languages for his legendary Middle Earth narratives. According to a new restricted exhibit at Britain’s intelligence-agency Government Communications Headquarters, the acclaimed author and philologist also trained to crack a few languages at the top-secret Government Code and Cypher School before World War II. More..