tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156277152024-03-05T00:11:53.646-05:00The Stars of ElberethAn occasional blog related to the works of J. R. R. TolkienThe Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-36752551280594933022011-01-13T18:31:00.002-05:002011-01-13T18:31:53.324-05:00Hobbit Rumors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJhsY0rBv4_m0mIe2UYZiCvYFC5Emi3msiNi0MEgSDHA6Hhx72zkTngAQ8EGt-DbDztlxfQl3SybXe6JrdZtsTixv2aulLNg68M9SIZPwZjdeUHIEXgo8P9-7L4i2FcDSRv2m/s1600/frodo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJhsY0rBv4_m0mIe2UYZiCvYFC5Emi3msiNi0MEgSDHA6Hhx72zkTngAQ8EGt-DbDztlxfQl3SybXe6JrdZtsTixv2aulLNg68M9SIZPwZjdeUHIEXgo8P9-7L4i2FcDSRv2m/s400/frodo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561817265005519666" border="0" /></a>It's a new year so there are lots of new rumors about the long-awaited <span style="font-style: italic;">Hobbit</span> movie, directed by Peter Jackson. The latest news is that Elijah Wood (pictured left) will be playing Frodo, who isn't in that book. This prompted me to look for cast info on <a href="http://www.theonering.net/torwp/the-hobbit/cast/">TheOneRing.net</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/fullcredits#cast">The Internet Movie Database</a>.<br /><br />I was surprised by two things:<br />1. The release date (Dec. 2012)<br />2. The inclusion of characters who are not in the book<br /><br />The latter includes Frodo, Saruman, Radagast, Galadriel, and Legolas. It's rumored that Orlando Bloom will be <a href="http://www.showbizspy.com/article/224116/orlando-bloom-1-million-pay-day-for-british-actor-orlando-bloom.html">paid $1 million</a> for a two-minute cameo as Legolas. Since Legolas wasn't in that book, I had hoped they wanted Bloom to play Thranduil, King of the Mirkwood Elves (and father of Legolas). Now it rumored that David Tennant (who recently played Dr. Who and Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter IV), will play Thranduil.<br /><br />Speaking of Elvish characters, what the heck is Galadriel doing here? Where is Elrond? I hope the writers don't send Bilbo and company to Lorien instead of Rivendell. (Let's all hope they stick to the book and take a good look at the map of Middle-earth before they make any radical changes).<br /><br />Perhaps Jackson has other plans for these non-<span style="font-style: italic;">Hobbit</span> characters. In the past he said the movies (yes, plural, there will be two of them) would be based on material written by Tolkien. Other than <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hobbit</span>, I wonder if he's referring the "The Book of Years" in Appendix B of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings</span> (LotR). Other than the events in <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span>, there's not much mention of these characters in that Appendix, certainly not enough for a movie, so I can't help but wonder how inventive Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be. Goodness knows, they took quite a few liberties with <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span>! At least we only have to wait 23 more months to find out...The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-17496552596954167312008-07-25T20:49:00.002-04:002008-07-25T20:54:12.845-04:00The Official Hobbit Movie BlogThe same friend who sent me the story about the Hobbit hole sent this link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thehobbitblog.com/">The Hobbit: The Official Movie Blog</a>.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-63294057580731175432008-07-25T19:14:00.005-04:002008-07-25T20:49:49.402-04:00Build a Hobbit Hole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30Md8DjYnItlsh49y39MTk64HY6lr9ARiaJhkrWXIQqBh21zQIFRfT0JR40a-OCGDJKY4t1-yU6ExrM_vX4fyeo41LKOXKCJTRg7MxHsHsgXOXeKvxxedl7VsQDNJQrfkuzF4/s1600-h/square_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30Md8DjYnItlsh49y39MTk64HY6lr9ARiaJhkrWXIQqBh21zQIFRfT0JR40a-OCGDJKY4t1-yU6ExrM_vX4fyeo41LKOXKCJTRg7MxHsHsgXOXeKvxxedl7VsQDNJQrfkuzF4/s400/square_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227095293469626786" border="0" /></a><br />It took three years, but this guy built a hobbit hole in his backyard. How cool is that?! I love the flowers and the dog door (watch the videos to see it).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uirZizU8ElE">Watch the 2006 news story</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KFWoN-559I&feature=related">See it built</a>.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-30278143741570736812008-06-27T09:28:00.002-04:002008-06-27T09:38:57.349-04:00Cleveland Public Library ExhibitThe Cleveland Public Library has an exhibit on created languages, including Quenya. Here's a link to the story in <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/1212827610320930.xml&coll=2#continue"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Plain Dealer</span></a> and, in case it disappears, I've pasted the story below.<br /><br /><hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Inventing own language, Don Boozer opened up another world</span><h1 class="red"> </h1> <div class="subhead"> <b>Cleveland </b> </div> <div class="byln">Sunday, June 08, 2008 </div> <p>Don Boozer sits at a table on the second floor of the Cleveland Public Library, recalling how he liked to track the Anglo-Saxon roots of words when he was in junior high. </p> <p> He grins, then shakes his blond head and says almost sheepishly, "I was a weird kid." </p> <p> Boozer, 43, is the library's coordinator for a statewide online reference service called <a href="http://www.knowitnow.org/">KnowItNow.org</a>. That's his vocation. His passion is conlang, the study and development of constructed languages.<br /></p>Don't despair if your Klingon is rusty or you never quite got into the groove of Lapine, the language Richard Adams gave his rabbits in "Watership Down." Conlang is a complex world, but Boozer's a fair tour guide. <p> In the corridor just outside the literature department, he has filled eight display cases with material celebrating conlang. "Esperanto and Klingon and Quenya . . . Oh My!" is on view through August, acquainting viewers with the history of languages invented by a person or small group. </p> <p> Some constructed languages are created as art, as with the Elvish that is integral to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." </p> <p> Some arise from an interest in establishing an international tongue, as with the 19th-century development of Esperanto - which now counts billionaire financier and activist George Soros among its speakers. </p> <p> And some conlangs arise as a testing ground for problems of logic or philosophy. Laadan, for instance, was created in 1982 by science-fiction writer Suzette Haden Elgin as an experiment in feminism. </p> <p> The library exhibit relays facts about Klingon, the alien language woven into the "Star Trek" stories. One case is dedicated to Tolkien, "the Shakespeare of conlang." The international conlang flag hangs from a beam. </p> <p> This plethora of information represents just a bit of Boozer's knowledge of the history and practice. Those raw, weird-kid tendencies cured into something like art. The genial librarian and father of two now possesses a type of microgenius with which he can transport himself and impress other people.<br /></p><p> Some of them, anyway. Ask Boozer how much time he spends on language study, and he answers, "Not as much as I would like and more than my wife thinks I should. She doesn't get it." </p> <p> To what end does a man fluent only in English study languages used by so few people? For that matter, why would he bother creating one of his own? </p> <p> Boozer could tell you, but he might be inclined to explain it in Elasin, one of three conlangs of his own creation.<br /></p><p> In a way, it started in New Bethlehem, Pa., where as a young boy Boozer laid eyes on a lesser-known Dr. Seuss title, "On Beyond Zebra." The book introduces newly invented letters of the alphabet that correspond with typically Seussian creatures. </p> <p> He was captivated by the back of the book, where the letters were reprinted as if in a glossary. "I remember vividly sitting down with a piece of tracing paper and tracing those letters," he says. </p> <p> Later came flirtations with an Old English dictionary, and then the first influential encounter with Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Boozer liked the stories of elves, dwarves and Hobbits, but he absolutely devoured the notes about the languages. To this day, he admits to being frustrated by the lack of information on Tolkien's Dwarvish tongues. </p> <p> In any case, those fictional encounters established the watershed. "Tolkien really jump-started the idea that you could make your own language," Boozer says. </p> <p> In high school, he began imagining his own alphabet and phonetics, and, as he says, "figuring out where all the stops and fricatives were." (These are technical terms for components of speech.) He wrote linguistic notes in the margins of his notebooks. </p> <p> Later, as a fine arts student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he incorporated his language and a corresponding world into an illustrated book for a class project. </p> <p> Thus was born Kryslan, a world he invented and dabbled with for a while until he got on with establishing a career and a family. Occupied with those concerns, Boozer didn't think much about the language play again until a few years ago, when he pulled his old notebooks out of a closet and remembered how cool it all seemed. </p> He also has started a Kryslan wiki - an online site that allows users and visitors to help develop content. (You can check it out at <a href="http://kryslan.pbwiki.com">http://kryslan.pbwiki.com</a>.) <p> So far, the world of Kryslan has three distinct (though incomplete) languages, the strangest of which Boozer calls Dritok. </p> <p> Dritok developed from an idea about certain mystic creatures of Krysland. His thought process went something like this, he says: Let's say they don't have vocal cords. What would they sound like? Well, they'd probably sound like chipmunks.<br /></p><p> Dritok emerged as a language with odd sounds and hand gestures but no vowels. Point out the fact that there are vowels in the very name of the language, and Boozer explains that "Dritok" is "the way neighboring cultures would say it." </p> <p> When he then says "Dritok" in Dritok, the sounds - a quick trill followed by vocal knocking - go by so fast, it takes a minute to understand that something has been said. </p> <p> From outside the conlang world, it can be difficult to discern the point to it all. Poets might wish for a published collection. Distance runners frame their goals in terms of finishing longer races or bettering their times. </p> <p> In a vague way, Boozer sees the expansion of the online world of Kryslan as a worthy goal, but truthfully, there is no finish line for the conlanger. Like other sorts of art, inventing a language - and, in Boozer's case, the culture to support it - is an ever-evolving enterprise shared and appreciated most by those who also toil in the trenches. </p> <p> "The pleasure comes in the creative act of bringing a language to a point where it can be presented as a language and not just a collection of notes," Boozer says. </p> <p> Or, as he might say in Dritok: </p> <p> h:qs:.p". D5Q5=Q1=D3Q3 Q1=ql.px:n.k". D5Q5=tr'.z"w. Q1=D2&=zn.tx:.hr:. B5=tr'.z"w. Q5-Q5=o.s'. o.hs.p't. D5Q5=s'.s'.t".k'. </p> <p> - Karen Sandstrom </p>The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-39783307363555988352007-12-26T09:14:00.000-05:002008-02-08T09:30:43.681-05:00The History of the HobbitFor Christmas my husband gave me John Rateliff's <a href="J.R.R.%20Tolkien%20encyclopedia%20:%20scholarship%20and%20critical%20assessment%20/%20Michael%20D.C.%20Drout,%20editor.">The History of the Hobbit</a> (a box set which includes Vol. 1 Mr. Baggins, Vol. 2 Return to Bag End, and The Hobbit with a forward by Christopher Tolkien). I hope to read part of it during the holiday break but have been pretty busy lately due to my uncle's health problems. (You can read more on my <a href="http://citadelofstars.blogspot.com/2007/11/not-so-happy-holidays.html">Citadel of Stars blog</a> if you are interested.) It looks like Rateliff's books are similar to <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_History_of_Middle-earth">Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle-earth</a>, so I know they will have lots of interesting information -- and Jason Fisher gave them a great review in <a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore/">Mythlore</a>.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-68189003722445765232007-10-13T08:16:00.000-04:002007-10-13T08:44:39.889-04:00Middle-earth meets MarquetteThe article below is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Marquette Tribune</span>, Oct. 9, 2007. They get bonus points for using the word "alumnus's" correctly but demerits for spelling Tolkien two different ways in the first sentence. I love the quote from the student who wanted to hear John speak in Elvish. LOL!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><br /><a href="http://media.www.marquettetribune.org/media/storage/paper1130/news/2007/10/09/News/Middle.Earth.Meets.Marquette.Tolkien.Historian.Lectures.On.Campus-3016111.shtml">Middle Earth meets Marquette: Tolkien historian lectures on campus</a><br /></span>By Jaena Wenninghoff <div id="cp_article_top" class="goner"><br /></div> <script language="Javascript"> function goPage(newindex) { currentLocation = getThisPage(); cleanedLocation = ''; // If this is an SHTML request. if (currentLocation.indexOf(".shtml") > -1) { // Detect if this is a request that already has a page specification. if (currentLocation.indexOf("-page") > -1) { cleanedLocation = currentLocation.substring(0, currentLocation.indexOf("-page")) + '.shtml'; } else { cleanedLocation = currentLocation; } // Only add the "-pageX" suffix when the page index is higher than 1. if (newindex != 1) { cleanedLocation = cleanedLocation.substring(0, cleanedLocation.indexOf(".shtml")) + '-page' + newindex + '.shtml'; } } else { // Only add the "-pageX" suffix when the page index is higher than 1. if (newindex != 1) { cleanedLocation = currentLocation + '&page=' + newindex; } else { cleanedLocation = currentLocation; } } document.location = cleanedLocation; } function getThisPage() { currentURL = '' + window.document.location; thispageresult = ''; if (currentURL.indexOf("?page=") > -1) { currentURL = currentURL.substring(0, currentURL.indexOf('?page=')); thispageresult = currentURL; } else if (currentURL.indexOf("&page=") > -1) { currentURL = currentURL.substring(0, currentURL.indexOf('&page=')); thispageresult = currentURL; } else { thispageresult = currentURL; } // Make sure the URL generated by this fuctnion is compatible with mirror image. thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(7, thispageresult.length); thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(thispageresult.indexOf('/')+1, thispageresult.length); thispageresult = basehref + thispageresult; if (thispageresult.indexOf('sourcedomain') > -1) { thispageresult = thispageresult.substring(0, thispageresult.indexOf('?')); } return thispageresult; } </script> Middle Earth came to Raynor Library Thursday with a lecture on J.R.R. Tolkien by Tolkein historian John D. Rateliff.<br /><br />The Marquette alumnus's two-volume book, "The History of the Hobbit: Mr. Baggins and the Return to Bag End," was published last month. He said his work was aided by many of the original Tolkien manuscripts housed in the library.<br /><br />"We are living in the golden age of Tolkien studies," Rateliff said, citing the vast number of books and magazines dedicated to the author's work.<br /><br />Tolkien's popularity, Rateliff said, comes from his ability to engage readers.<br /><br />"The style in which he chose to write … is deliberately done to spark reader participation," he said.<br /><br />According to Rateliff, this participation is the result of Tolkien's ability to incorporate detail. The amount of detail he included was enough to set the foundation of the story but left much to the imagination of the reader. Rateliff said "too much detail limits applicability" and that Tolkien used the right amount.<br /><br />Another thing that impacted the popularity of Tolkien's works was his ability to write as a memory as opposed to a series of events as they took place, Rateliff said. He said Tolkien wrote about "several sharp vivid scenes" just like memories to which the reader can relate.<br /><br />While Tolkien's first published book, "The Hobbit," was created for his own enjoyment, according to Rateliff, Tolkien wrote "The Lord of the Rings" at his publisher's request.<br /><br />"When 'The Hobbit' was published, they immediately asked him what else he had," Rateliff said.<br /><br />"The Hobbit" was written 17 years prior to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Rateliff said Tolkien originally wrote "The Hobbit" as a stand-alone story but said it was later revised to better accommodate the sequels.<br /><br />Rateliff concluded his lecture saying, "What we carry away from a book Tolkien wrote is the delight in the world he created."<br /><br />Attendees of the lecture said they were intrigued by the in-depth look into Tolkien literature.<br /><br />"I thought the lecture was interesting," said Logan Berens, a sophomore in the College of Engineering. "He had a lot of solid details he was able to explain thoroughly."<br /><br />Sarah McElroy, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences agreed.<br /><br />"He discussed several things I never knew about Tolkien," she said. "I just wish he would have said something in Elvish."The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-35999230898836627162007-09-30T11:23:00.000-04:002007-09-30T11:27:57.122-04:00Of Sorcerers and MenMichael Drout's lecture series <span style="font-style: italic;">Rings, Swords, and Monsters</span> is now available at Barnes and Noble. Don't be confused by the name; it's now called <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780760785232&itm=1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Of Sorcerers and Men: Tolkien and the Roots of Modern Fantasy Literature</span></a> and sells for $39.95 (much less than the $98.75 <a href="http://michaeldrout.com/">Recorded Books</a> sells it for)!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-21958788042738893022007-09-24T07:58:00.000-04:002007-09-24T08:15:01.267-04:00Coming Soon: The History of the HobbitMy friend Jason Fisher is <a href="http://lingwe.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-review-copies-of-history-of-hobbit.html">reviewing</a> John Rateliff's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618964401/ref=reg_hu-wl_item-added/105-7129992-5487645"><span style="font-style: italic;">The History of the Hobbit</span></a> weeks before the rest of us US readers even get to buy it! The books look wonderful and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A2XFN2XXI6NFOF">Jason's reviews</a> are always outstanding and I'm looking forward to reading this one, as well as Rateliff's books.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-11151073664275944652007-09-18T08:17:00.000-04:002007-10-14T08:33:19.735-04:00Frodo and HoMeAlthough I haven't posted in a long time, I've been thinking about <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span> a lot. I spent my summer reading Vols. 6-9 of <span style="font-style: italic;">The History of Middle-earth</span> hoping to see how the evidence I used in my <a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon37.html">Mythcon 37</a> paper "<a href="http://spruce.flint.umich.edu/%7Ecakers/Frodo.pdf">Frodo's Elvish Air</a>" developed. The only hint of any of these scenes was in Cirith Ungol when Sam thought Frodo was dead. Since Vol. 9 stops before the final draft, I can only assume all these interesting bits came very late in the revision process. I was also surprised that at the end of Vol. 9 Strider was still Trotter, Aduril was still Branding, and Arwen's gift to Frodo had only just been added.<br /><br />While I was looking through the index of <span style="font-style: italic;">Letters</span> for something else, I made a seredipitous discovery: I found a bit about freewill that mirrors <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boethius">Boethius</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolation_of_Philosophy"><span style="font-style: italic;">Consolation of Philosophy</span></a> that will be perfect for my paper. I'm sure Tolkien the Medievalist was familiar with this work and his quote is too similar to be coincidence.<br /><br />This summer I also listened Dr. <a href="http://michaeldrout.com/">Michael Drout</a>'s <a href="http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course_id=75"></a><a href="http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course_id=75&%7Bts%20%272007%2D09%2D18%2007%3A00%3A41%27%7D"><span style="font-style: italic;">Rings, Swords and Monsters: Understanding Fantasy Literature</span></a>, a college course on CD which was mostly about Tolkien. It's very good. I downloaded mine from my local library's audio book section but it's also available from <a href="http://recordedbooks.com/">Recorded Books</a> and should soon be at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/">Barnes and Noble</a> stores.<br /><br />In the last lecture of the series, Drout mentioned that Elves and Men were closely related and that Tolkien said "Elvishness" could enter into men. This quote would be perfect for my paper! I went through <span style="font-style: italic;">Letters</span> but couldn't find it, so I e-mailed Dr. Drout. He was very nice and is looking up the quote for me. He thought it might be in a footnote in <span style="font-style: italic;">Morgoth's Ring</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">HoMe</span> Vol. 10), so I'm skimming that now. He also said to submit my finished paper to him for <a href="http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tolkien_studies/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tolkien Studies</span></a>. That's what I had in mind but I am very pleased to hear that he is interested!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-73537154450694130942007-05-02T20:05:00.000-04:002007-09-18T15:44:06.144-04:00A Very Tolkien BirthdayThis year I couldn't decide what I wanted for my big birthday present. I finally decided on the<a href="http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Companion-Guide-Two/dp/0618391134/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7129992-5487645?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190117276&sr=1-1"> J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide</a> (Two Volume Box Set) by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull for a combined anniversary and birthday present. It looks great!<br /><br />Vol. 1 is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Reader's Guide</span> (not to be confused with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion</span> by the same authors) which includes "comprehensive alphabetical entries on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons, a guide to places and institutions, details concerning Tolkien's source material, information about the political and social upheavals through which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction to his work and the 'Tolkien cult.'"<br /><br />Vol. 2 is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronology</span>. It "details the parallel evolutions of Tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of Tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature."<br /><br />I'm also really interested in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Encyclopedia-Scholarship-Assessment/dp/0415969425/ref=sr_1_4/105-7129992-5487645?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190118540&sr=1-4">J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment</a> edited by Michael Drout but don't want to spend $200, especially since <a href="http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/2007/01/reading-and-review-of-j.html">Drout and the contributors are not happy</a> with Routledge. Apparently Routledge did not incorporate the final round of editing, much to everyone's frustration. Even so, it looks like an outstanding resource, but I think I'll let my university library pay for this one! For more on the Encyclopedia read <a href="http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/2006/11/j.html">Drout's story of its imperfections</a>, visit <a href="http://squiretalk.blogspot.com/">Squiretalk</a> or Squire's <a href="http://users.bestweb.net/%7Ejfgm/EncyclopediaDiary/">Reader's Diary</a>.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to my summer vacation so I can enjoy my new books!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1167055274643271422006-12-25T08:50:00.000-05:002007-09-09T11:14:40.500-04:00A Very Tolkien ChristmasNá merye i turuhalmeri! (Merry Christmas!)<br /><br />I am very pleased with my two <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span>-related Christmas gifts: <span style="font-style: italic;">A Gateway To Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings</span> by David Salo and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion</span> by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A Gateway To Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings</span> is by David Salo, one of the language consultant for Jackson's films and moderator of Elfling (the Elvish Linguistics mailing list, dedicated to the study of Tolkien's languages). I am thrilled with this book because it puts everything I want to know about Sindarin in one place. (I don't yet own all of the <span style="font-style: italic;">HoMe</span> books, so this is really handy.) In addition to all the linguistic history and analysis, which are sometimes over my head, the book has lots of practical info: pronunciation, syntax, extant texts, a glossary, a list of Sindarin names, etc. It's expensive but a valuable source to scholars who want to better understand this language which influence so many words in <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion</span> won the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies for 2006 and I've been dying to read it ever since! The authors claim their goal was to keep this book shorter than <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span> and the manage to do so, but just barely. I haven't read much yet, but it looks very informative. The first thing I did was look up passages that relate to my paper on Frodo's Elvish air but they didn't mention any of the things I noticed. As all scholars know, it's simultaneously thrilling and terrifying to discover that no one has published anything on your topic! Even so, this book looks like a great resource!<br /><br />I'm just disappointed that the new semester starts Jan. 8, giving much less time off than I'd like to spend with my new books!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1167054404995489262006-12-05T20:34:00.000-05:002007-09-09T11:15:21.902-04:00Tolkien Audio CollectionI bought myself a Christmas present: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0694525707/105-2974931-6658843">The J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection</a>. I have it on cassette and was going to put this CD version on my Christmas wish list when I realized it was easier to buy it for myself than to try to explain it my family! ("No, not the audio books, the audio collection...")<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/491/1452/1600/187887/TolkienAudio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/491/1452/320/641032/TolkienAudio.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This collection features J. R. R. T. reading bits from <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR </span>and Christopher reading selections from <span style="font-style: italic;">Silm</span>. If you follow the link to Amazon, this work is described as abridged but it includes more than my old cassette version! The quality of some of the recordings (made in the 50s) isn't great but that's a minor complaint. It's worth the inconvenience to hear J. R. R. T. himself reading. A bonus: the set includes the unpublished poem "The Mirror of Galadriel," which was edited out of <span style="font-style: italic;">LotR</span>.<br /><br />I highly recommend this CD for anyone who like the audio books or is interested hearing J. R. R. T.'s interpretation and pronunciation.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1162386446618205582006-11-01T08:06:00.000-05:002007-09-09T11:15:33.419-04:00Builder Tries to Evoke Middle EarthThis article was in our Sunday paper: <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061008/news_1h08hobbita.html">Builder tries to evoke Middle Earth</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/491/1452/1600/home03-hobbit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/491/1452/320/home03-hobbit.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="sansmediumhead"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I want to live in this subdivision! The hardest part would be deciding what I'd want my house to look like: Bag End, Rivendell, Edoras, or Minas Tirith. OK, Minas Tirith wouldn't work, but it would still be a tough decision.</span><br /><br />This is the first subdivision I've ever heard of that has its own web site: <a href="http://www.bendshire.com/">The Shire Subdivision in Bend, Oregon</a>. Cool, eh? Just image what it must cost though!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1159877647034056492006-10-03T08:10:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:15:45.547-04:00Tolkien Audio Books in iTunesJust found this on the Tolkien Library web site: <a href="http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/tolkienaudiobooks.htm">J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Book Catalogue just added to iTunes (28.09.06)</a>.<br /><br />If you've never listened to these, you are in for a treat. I can't recommend them highly enough!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1159275306394658042006-09-26T08:51:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:16:01.844-04:00Pre-Order The Children of Hurin<a href="http://tolkiennews.net/article.php?story=20060925182506655">Tolkien News</a> and the <a href="http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/newtolkienbook.htm">Tolkien Library</a> have more info about <i>The Children of Hurin</i> and you can pre-order it on Amazon (UK only, so far). No news on when you can pre-order it on US Amazon.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158843043577115662006-09-21T08:34:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:16:15.992-04:00The Children of HurinMore news on Children of Hurin from the Mythsoc Yahoo Group:<br /><br /><a href="http://tolkiennews.net"> Tolkien News</a> has announced that the <a href="http://www.tolkienestate.com/">Tolkien Estate</a> has launched it own official website. Although the site is still under construction it does confirm the 2007 publication date for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Children of Hurin</span>. It will contain artwork by Alan Lee, and a map and editorial notes by Christopher Tolkien.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158799084567273192006-09-20T20:28:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:16:28.140-04:00(Another) Unfinished Tolkien Work to Be PublishedI found this on the <a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/">Mythopoeic Society</a> Yahoo! Group today:<br /><blockquote>Unfinished Tolkien Work to Be Published<br /><br />The Associated Press<br />Monday, September 18, 2006; 12:17 PM<br /><br />NEW YORK -- An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.<br /><br />Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on "The Children of Hurin," an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of The Children of Hurin, which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and other works, have been published before.<br /><br />"It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long version of the legend of the 'Children of Hurin' as an independent work, between its own covers," Christopher Tolkien said in a statement.<br /><br />The new book will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the United States and HarperCollins in England.<br /><br />J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" has sold more than 50 million copies and was also adapted into a blockbuster, Academy Award-winning trio of films. A stage version is scheduled to open next year.</blockquote><br />Michael Drout discusses <span style="font-style:italic;">The Children of Hurin</span> on his blog, <a href="http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/2006/09/j.html">Wormtalk and Slugspeak</a>. He says it will have a new map and artwork by Alan Lee.<br /><br />This AP article has also led to a debate about how many copies of LotR have really been sold. 50 million does seem low.<br /><br />I must say, I am impressed. Christopher must be in his 80s now and has already published 12 volumes of his father's unpublished drafts with Christopher's commentary and explanation. I figured he deserved to rest after all that, and yet he has another book for us. Thank you, Christopher!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158884240931001672006-08-28T20:16:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:16:40.097-04:00More Lord of the Rings DVDs?Tomorrow the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> Limited Edition DVDs go on sale. They've already released the theatrical edition and extended edition, so why a limited edition? According to the <a href="http://www.lordoftherings.net/index_400_hv_limiteddvd.html">official movie web site</a> the main appeal is new documentaries on each film. The sets also include the movies because "releasing these documentaries unaccompanied by the film would be nearly impossible because of agreements that are in place with the cast and crew."<br /><br />Each film is a two-disk set. Disk 1 contains the theatrical and extended edition of the film. Disk 2 is all the new behind-the-scenes documentaries. Each set is $20 on the movie web site, so they'll be somewhat cheaper at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.<br /><br />LotR and DVD geek that I am, I'm tempted. I bought both the theatrical edition and extended edition of each film so I'd have all the documentaries. Curse you, Peter Jackson, for tempting me with even more...<br /><br />UPDATE Aug. 30: Read reviews on <a href="http://tolkiennews.net/article.php?story=20060831222509656">Tolkien News</a>. General consensus: the new documentaries are enjoyable but it's not worth it if you already own the previous verisons. That might be why I couldn't find them at Wal-Mart!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158798181351362882006-08-10T20:21:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:17:05.079-04:00Terror in the SkyThe first thing I heard when I got up this morning was that New Scotland Yard and MI-5 had foiled a terrorist plot to blow up at least six planes en route from the UK to the US. You can read the <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207710,00.html">latest news</a> on Fox News.<br /><br />Apparently the plan was to make bombs from innocent-looking liquids that could be carried aboard in carry-on luggage and mixed on the plane. Maximum security is preventing all carry-on luggage except insulin and baby formula. I feel sorry for the innocent passengers who have to check their electronics (including laptops, iPods, and handheld games) into checked luggage.<br /><br />I'm so proud of the Intelligence folks who stopped what could have been "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" (as Fox News is calling it) and I'm so glad I'm not in the UK trying to get home. (Last year's Mythcon was in England, so that could be us Mythies on those planes!) The passengers must range from nervous, to terrified, to annoyed. I wonder which I'd be? Probably all three.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158798081230268682006-08-07T20:20:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:17:17.379-04:00Mythcon Day 4 (Monday): The Last DayThe only events schedule for today were breakfast, the annual Mythopoeic Society Meeting, and Closing Ceremonies.<br /><br />I tried to be virtuous at breakfast and limited myself to eggs and cereal. After breakfast we packed and checked out. I decided to wear shorts and <span style="font-weight: bold;">did</span> manage to stuff everything in my suitcase (a carry-on wheely bag), though zipping it was quite a struggle. :)<br /><br />The Mythopoeic Society Meeting was brief and ended with an auction of the remaining three ducks. The lady who made them numbered and signed them for us and I'll just bet these silly ducks show up at Mythcon next year.<br /><br />Closing Ceremonies involved singing a couple of songs about the Inklings (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams) and "What Shall We Do With a Drunken Hobbit?" The latter was hysterical with folks making up their own lyrics about things that happened at this year's Mythcon. Here's a sample (to the tune of "What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor" of course):<br /><br />What shall we do with a drunken hobbit?<br />What shall we do with a drunken hobbit?<br />What shall we do with a drunken hobbit,<br />Early in the morning?<br /><br />Way-hey the Mythcon's over<br />Way-hey the Mythcon's over<br />Way-hey the Mythcon's over<br />Early in the morning.<br /><br />Ask him if a duck was involved,<br />Ask him if a duck was involved,<br />Ask him if a duck was involved,<br />Early in the morning.<br /><br />Way-hey the Mythcon's over<br />etc.<br /><br />You get the idea, I'm sure. Other lyrics were things like "Make him eat dessert twice a day" and "Make him dinner with a T-Rex." I wish I could remember all the lyrics because they were all very funny.<br /><br />After four interesting and fun-filled days, I was sad to leave my new friends, but also glad to be heading home.<br /><br />Our flight didn't leave until 4:45 p.m., so we stopped by <a href="http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/">The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum</a> for an hour. There's a recreation of a western town, a rodeo hall of fame, Great Performers section (John Wayne is their most popular attraction), exhibits of the art of Frederick Remington and Charles Russell, lots of Native American art, a gallery of American firearms, and lots more. Most surprising to me was the statue of Abraham Lincoln (for his contributions to the settlement of the west). If you are ever in OK City, plan to visit the Cowboy Museum. I could easily have spend a whole day there!<br /><br />We got to Will Rogers Airport in plenty of time to check in for our flight. Two years ago, the first time I'd flown since Sept. 11, 2001, everyone told me not to wear my cowboy boots when flying because Security would make me take them off. I wore my tennis shoes and on that trip Security only randomly asked people to remove their shoes. This trip, everyone removed their shoes. I was impressed that Security at Will Rogers Airport provided a bootjack (only in Oklahoma, right?). Of course, I was wearing tennis shoes so I didn't need the bootjack, but I appreciated it anyway.<br /><br />Once we got through security and we started looking for someplace to eat lunch. As luck would have it, we ran into a couple of other folks on their way home from Mythcon and were able to make conference last a bit longer by having one last meal together.<br /><br />Our flights home were all on time, uneventful, and air conditioned. :)<br /><br />I’m glad I went to Mythcon. I had a lot of fun, made some new friends, and got some really good feedback on my paper. I’m excited about continuing my paper and looking for new scholarly books I heard about here. I’m also be very glad to be home with my husband and kitties. Now if I could just get that drunken Hobbit song out of my head...The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158798028704917232006-08-06T20:19:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:17:29.670-04:00Mythcon Day 3 (Sunday): Ducks and Sue the T-Rex!First things first: my presentation went well and my paper was very well-received. I got lots of good feedback and was encouraged to expand my paper. I also got some very nice comments regarding my scholarship, things like:<br /><ul> <li>Your paper was inspirational </li> <li>Wow, I’ve read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of The Rings</span> many times and I never made the same connections you did. </li> <li>When I expressed surprise that no one has written anything on my particular topic a couple people suggested that probably meant that just as Frodo was meant to have the ring, I was meant to write on this topic, and that perhaps the big guy himself (J. R. R. Tolkien, not God :) was trying to tell me something. I doubt that, but it’s nice to know other Tolkien scholars are so impressed with my work. I know some of my readers are not familiar with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings</span> so they might not get the context, but this is high praise indeed and I am pleased.</li> </ul> The banquet tonight was in the Natural History Museum and we did indeed get to eat in the same room at Sue the T-Rex. In fact, we all got buttons that say “I ate with Sue.” The food was fabulous, like all our other meals: roast beef, a chicken dish, vegetarian lasagna, salad, veggies, three desserts, and wine. I’m just glad the hotel room does not have a bathroom scale because I’m <span style="font-weight: bold;">sure</span> I’ve gained weight.<br /><br />A joke I made last night in the hospitality room has become a running joke. Sarah, who writes for Jeopardy and attended the same U as Berke Breathed, was telling us that Breathed’s Bloom County comic strip started in the college paper. She was describing one particular strip where he lampooned an administrator. It sounded much like a later joke in Bloom County, where Milo’s grandpa was always hunting ducks because he was sure they were communists. In fact, the comic from the college papers sounded so much like Milo’s grandpa I asked Sarah “Was there a duck involved?”. This question struck us all as very funny (we were so tired everything was funny) and we laughed about it all day today.<br /><br />Tonight’s entertainment included a skit by the Not Ready for Mythcon Players. Ducks featured prominently. Duck props (made of duct tape, of course) were involved. As the source of the joke, I asked for one of the ducks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/491/1452/1600/duck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/491/1452/320/duck.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Isn't that clever? (In case you can't tell: it's made of styrofoam, duct tape, and a popsicle stick.) It was taped to an upside down plastic cup so it would stand up.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158797815156172722006-08-05T20:15:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:17:42.320-04:00Mythcon Day 2 (Saturday): So Much To Do, So Little TimeAccording to our conference schedule, the hotel provides free breakfast. I skipped that since I paid for the conference meal plan and, like dinner, breakfast was a Hobbit-approved assortment of comfort food (biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage, bacon, French Toast, and cereal).<br /><br />Opening ceremonies were this morning after breakfast. They are usually done in full academic regalia but since it was 103F today most people wore shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. What a casual, fun conference!<br /><br />I heard several interesting papers today, including an afternoon-long session of four papers on Tolkien and Shakespeare. Look for three of them in an essay collection of the same name early next year.<br /><br />Nathan, you will be glad to know I turned the AC off (briefly) in my room this morning. LOL. It has two settings: on and off. I wore shorts again today. The sessions and vendors are in one building, meals in another, and the hotel another. The buildings are nice and cool, but the few steps outside between buildings are like stepping into an oven.<br /><br />Dinner tonight was another Hobbit-approved meal (where it snowed food and rained drink). We had Chicken Kiev and Salmon for dinner with the usual salad, potatoes, bread, and choice of three desserts. (I had key lime pie.) This was after a similar lunch featuring pasta. I'm sure I've already gained weight!<br /><br />At dinner I learned that the banquet Sun is at the Natural History Museum we visited Fri! Judy and I are glad because we liked it so much we were talking about going back. I forgot to mention that the museum has a replica of Sue the T-Rex from Chicago's field museum. We are hoping the banquet will be in a room with dinosaurs!<br /><br />I feel like a real author now. Tonight when I was hanging out in the hospitality room Wendell Wagner handed me a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Tolkien on Film</span> and asked me to sign my essay. I was quite flattered! I wrote "thank you" in Elvish and signed my name. (Don't be impressed. It's only two words and most of my Elvish vocabulary.)<br /><br />My presentation is tomorrow, in the last time slot before the banquet. I figure that means I'll have no one or everyone. I'll let you know how it goes!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158797701790270252006-08-04T20:14:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:17:54.344-04:00Mythcon Day 1 (Friday): Dinosaurs and HobbitsToday's plans were to drive from OK City to the University of Oklahoma in Norman, check in to the Sooner Hotel on campus, check in to the conference, and find out what activities they had planned for us.<br /><br />Norman is very close to OK City so it only took a few minutes to get here. We couldn't check in until this afternoon so we spent much of the day in the campus <a href="http://www.snomnh.ou.edu/">Natural History Museum</a> -- lots of Dinosaurs and American Indian stuff. :)<br /><br />We checked in to the <a href="http://www.housing.ou.edu/soonerhotel">The Sooner Hotel and Suites</a> in the later afternoon. My room is very nice, with two beds (a queen-size and a single), a desk for the TV, and a larger desk with a 'fridge and microwave but also room for a computer. The free wireless works well, so I can stay in touch with family and friends via e-mail -- and get my daily weather, comic, and news fix every morning.<br /><br />After checking in to the conference I stopped by vendor's room where I purchased a t-shirt (everyone is wearing shorts and t-shirts!) and a tote bag for the stupid jeans and polo shirt I wore Thurs., don't plan to wear again, and don't have room for in my suitcase. (Mental note: Kill Nathan for advice about "dressing warm" to compensate for extremely cold air conditioning.)<br /><br />Dinner was excellent: catfish, bbq ribs, coleslaw, corn fritters, bread, salad, and a choice of deserts (chocolate chip cheesecake, double fudge cake, and strawberry Bavarian cream cake; I had the latter). The ice tea was really good (brewed and still hot)!<br /><br />There was a book signing tonight at a nearby bookstore followed by fun in the hospitality room (just a few steps from our rooms), but after two nights of much less than adequate sleep I decided to go to bed early.<br /><br />Before you ask: yes, I examined my bed layer by layer before getting into it and am pleased to report that the Sooner hotel is spider-free. :)The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158797643786788992006-08-03T20:13:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:18:07.918-04:00Mythcon Day 0 (Thursday): From MI to OKOur travels plans for today were to fly out of Flint at 3:30 p.m. and end up in Oklahoma City at 10:30 p.m. We eventually arrived in OK City, but things didn't quite go as planned.<br /><br />Our flight from Flint to Detroit was good but the plane was very warm. Our first clue that it would be a warm flight was when the pilot welcomed us to "Northwest Sauna." I was glad I had tossed a battery-operated hand-held fan in my flight bag at the last minute (in case of air conditioner- or power-failure). I was really annoyed that decided to wear jeans and a medium-weight silk polo shirt. My friend Nathan convinced me that the air conditioning would be so cold (to compensate for the extreme Oklahoma heat) that I'd want jeans and probably a sweater. I about died of heat stroke on the plane! I was ready to mug someone for a pair of shorts and a tank top -- and there were lots of potential victims. Everyone else I saw all day was dressed much more sensibly than I!<br /><br />When we got to Detroit they rolled out the covered walk to the plane and the darn thing broke. It wouldn't open or move. We sat around in a hot plane while they tried to fix it. We offered to exit the plane via the emergency slides but the stewardess thought we were kidding. Just as they decided to move the covered hallway and use the open air stairs to the ground, a huge rainstorm broke. Fortunately, at that point they fixed the covered hallway and we were able to deplane.<br /><br />Judy and I enjoyed walking around Detroit Metro a bit, then took the people mover to the end of Concourse A and had a nice dinner at Quiznos. I'd never been through the tunnel that leads to Concourse A: its sides are lighted with panels of multi-colored lights which change to the accompanying music. It was beautiful, sort of like the northern lights.<br /><br />After dinner we found our gate a settled down to wait... and wait ... and wait for our flight. It was delayed twice and the gate was changed twice. We left nearly four hours late (almost 10 p.m.). I'm so glad I was traveling with Judy! Having someone to visit with made the wait much nicer.<br /><br />The flight to OK City was good. I don't think I've ever flown at night. I could see the nearly-full moon and the cities under light cloud cover looked like Christmas lights shining through snow. I even got to see what a t-storm looks like from above! Very cool. The only down side (besides being exhausted) is that Judy and I were very crowded in seats obviously not made for tall or large people. I was so glad when we finally landed so I could stretch my legs! Unfortunately, when we did we were delayed again because another plane was at our gate. <span style="font-style: italic;">And</span> they turned off the air at first so the plane was very warm.<br /><br />By the time we finally deplaned, got our rental car, and got to the hotel (the Red Roof Inn near the OK City airport) it was 3 a.m. I hadn't slept well Wed. night due to the lightning so I was more than ready drop into bed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Warning</u></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">: Arachnophobes stop reading <u><i>now</i></u></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /></div><br />When I flipped back the bedcovers I developed a whole new sympathy for my acrophobic husband: I found the biggest spider I've ever seen in my life. It was nearly the size of a quarter!<br /><br />After nearly having a heart attack I called Judy to ask for advice. Then I called the desk and asked the nice young man who checked us in to come kill the big nasty spider. He had to dismantle the bed down to the floor to get it but I didn't care. That just assured me that Mr. Humungous Garden Spider wasn't living with all his family and friends under my bed. The nice guy not only put my bed back together (with military corners), he shook out each layer of bedding (including taking the pillows out of the pillowcases) so I'd know there were no more spiders -- and he wouldn't let me tip him! I told everyone at the desk this morning how impressed I was and got a business card so I can write a letter to his manager. His name is Ryan and he just got out of the Army and he didn't make feel like a whimp!<br /><br />Despite exhaustion and knowing the room was spiderless, I had trouble falling asleep. All I could think about was spiders. First, I tried to relax and picture something pleasant, like my cats (who would have killed the spider for me...). Crap.<br /><br />Next, I tried to meditate using a guided meditation on my iPod. "Imagine you are sitting on a cliff looking over the ocean..." (where there are no spiders). "Now imagine the sunrise..." (now I can see that there are no spiders). Crap.<br /><br />Third, I scrolled through my iPod for something else to listen to. I lamented loading <span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</span> (the one with the spiders!) on my iPod. Crap.<br /><br />Finally, I decided to listen to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fellowship of the Ring</span>. I chose the "Lothlorien" chapter because our characters find a safe -- and spiderless -- haven there. Finally feel asleep. Woke up repeatedly because the bed was too hard. Kept listening to "Lothlorien" to keep away the spiders. Thank God for audio books!The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15627715.post-1158785808595726342006-08-02T16:55:00.000-04:002007-09-09T11:18:19.657-04:00Mythcon 37For the second time ever, I will be attending Mythcon, the annual conference of The Mythopoeic Society.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/">The Mythopoeic Society</a> is a non-profit international literary and educational organization for the study, discussion, and enjoyment of fantastic and mythic literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams (aka The Inklings). <span style="font-style: italic;">Mythlore</span> is the Society's peer-reviewed journal that publishes scholarly articles on mythic and fantastic literature. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mythlore</span> is part of the MLA database available in UMF's library via FirstSearch (in case you want to look it up).<br /><br />The Society gives out four awards each year at Mythcon:<br /><ul> <li>The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature</li> <li>The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature</li> <li>The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inkling Studies</li> <li>The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies</li> </ul> This year's <a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon37.html">Mythcon</a> is at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. It's about 20 degrees hotter than Michigan. My first Mythcon was Mythcon 35 in Ann Arbor two years ago. Since it was close to home, I drove home each night and missed all the evening fun and entertainment, so I'm excited about attending and presenting a paper.<br /><br />The theme of this year's Mythcon is "The Map & The Territory: Maps and Landscapes in Fantasy with a track on Native American Fantasy/Native Americans in Fantasy." I'm very interested in the Native American aspect because we will be in Cherokee country. My grandmother was part Cherokee and I know very little about that part of my heritage. I'm hoping to find good info on the Cherokee while we are there.<br /><br />My paper, "The Light of Stars: Frodo's Elvish Air," has nothing to do with maps or Native Americans but Tolkien papers are always appropriate. I'm pretty happy with the draft I'll be reading and looking forward to lots of good feedback from Tolkien scholars who are even geekier than I.<br /><br />I'll be traveling with Judy Kollmann. I'm a little nervous about flying (terrorists, actually, not flying itself) but I'm sure having a friend to travel with will make me more relaxed. We leave tomorrow (Thurs., Aug. 3) and get home Monday (Aug. 7). Mythcon itself is Aug. 4-7. I'll try to post daily so you can share our Mythcon adventures, even if I have to post them all after we get back home.The Cat Bastethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08766507614966971022noreply@blogger.com0