Birthdays and Tolkienian This and That

[eldritchhobbit]

Happy birthday to brighteyed_jill, and happy early birthday to scribblerworks, mjolnir1964, altariel, pwilkinson, lukeski, seemag, and pinkfinity, and thrihyrne. May you enjoy many happy returns of the day, my friends!

I'm doing the start-of-semester shuffle as my classes get underway.

I thought this might be of interest to some of you. It's a 2003 documentary narrated by Sir Ian Holm called The Real Middle-earth, and it investigates how actual locations that featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's life helped to inspire his created world. There are some lovely insights and visuals here, and since I was sharing it with some of my students, I thought I'd share it here, too.

And speaking of all things Tolkien, just in case anyone missed this...
* from Le Monde: "My Father's 'Eviscerated' Work - Son Of Hobbit Scribe J.R.R. Tolkien Finally Speaks Out"
* from TheOneRing.net: "Concerning Christopher – An Essay on Tolkien’s Son’s Decision to Not Allow Further Cinematic Licensing of His Work"
* from The Tolkienist: "A Commentary on 'Concerning Christopher'" (Thanks to jan_u_wine!)


“I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama..."
- J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldeman, about his Middle-earth works

Comments

[marici.livejournal.com]

Wow, do I ever live in a different culture than the "Concerning Christopher" author. I was reading his test (does Christopher love the source, does he love his father, is this what JRR would have wanted) with astonishment. None of those questions seems relevant to me coming from internet fanfic culture, and strongly feeling that 'what the author wanted people to think and do' is low-value for deciding what I want to think or do about a creative work. Assuming I didn't just give blanket permission, I feel like the important questions to ask are "Do you respect the source, and can your work add something to the original?" Thanks for the links.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I feel like the important questions to ask are "Do you respect the source, and can your work add something to the original?"

Yes! This! *nods emphatically*