"I see the Star above my mast!"

[eldritchhobbit]

New semester preparations are holding me hostage, but I have escaped long enough for a few quick notes:


* I am deeply saddened at the untimely passing of Humphrey Carpenter, the great biographer of J.R.R. Tolkien and the editor of Tolkien's letters. I owe Mr. Carpenter a personal debt for the many ways in which he made Middle-Earth more real and known to me.

* The wonderful Tim O'Shea from Pop Thought has just published a thoughtful interview with editor Janet B. Croft about the Tolkien on Film: Essays on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings anthology from The Mythopoeic Press. (I have previously mentioned the book in detail here.)

* Thanks to sneezythesquid and USA Today I have a glimmer of hope about Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith:

Star Wars alums Neeson and Jackson both offered hints that George Lucas has shot a top-secret cameo of Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn's ghost, à la Alec Guinness, for May's Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. "I can't speak about it," Neeson joked. "Jedi code of ethics."

Say it's so, George. Say it's so.

* 24 still has it. Enough said.


And now, in memory of Humphrey Carpenter, a quote:

"...Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I'll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship, my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the Star above my mast!"

from "Bilbo's Last Song," J.R.R. Tolkien

Comments

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

*Must put Damien Rice CD in tomorrow* I too hope to see Qui-Gon's ghost! That would be great! The more Neeson the better.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yea to Damien Rice! I understand he does a song with Tori Amos on her forthcoming album The Beekeeper (due out next month). Should be good! And more Neeson is always very good. :) You and I definitely agree!

[faramirgirl.livejournal.com]

Beautiful poem. I am a star wars fan too and I can not wait until the movie comes out.

((((Humpherey Carpenter and family)))

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for your reply. I share your feelings, both for the film, and for the Carpenter family!

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

Jack Bower, American Bad-Ass. I'm always amazed how they manage to keep the tension so high throughout all 24 episodes. At least this go around Jack had a good night's sleep before the world when a la Hell/Handbasket.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed! If they'd simply followed the next chronological day, it would've been 24 hours of Jack snoozing. (Of course, I'd've watched that, too! LOL.) You're right about the tension. It's remarkable that they've maintained the pace over several seasons with such success.

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

There was a Fark photoshop contest that I loved: Unlikely sceens from TV shows. My fave was Jack snuggled up under a blanket on a couch. :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

LOL! That's perfect.