Words Do Things

As I prepare the next series of the show, enjoy this rerun of the guys from the Prancing Pony as they share from their vast experience of J. R. R. Tolkien's works! #Tolkien #middleearth #lordoftherings #consolation #happyending #eucatastrophe #books #literature #

As I prepare the next series of the show, enjoy this rerun of Prof. Drout's excellent insights into the work of J. R. R. Tolkien! #Tolkien #middleearth #lordoftherings #consolation #happyending #eucatastrophe #books #literature 

For this last interview in the “Elvish English” series, literacy expert Elise Trudel Cedeño talks about the many ways our varied human brains learn to read, including oral, visual, verbal, and tactile approaches. She shares how she uses Tolkien in her teaching, since his approach to language is both historically embedded and physically vivid. She and Sørina discuss “series theory” (a mode of analyzing books in a series), narrative shapes, and the power of reading to change the world.
Elise’s Signum University profile: https://signumuniversity.org/people/elise-trudel-cedeno/
Her blog Teaching with Magic: https://teachingwithmagicdotblog.wordpress.com/about/
Her Substack Teaching With Magic: https://teachingwithmagic.substack.com/
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Astronomer Kristine Larsen takes Elvish English in a different direction: To outer space! She and Sørina talk about how mythology makes constellations, about the origins of the moon, and about the aurora borealis JRRT saw in the skies over Oxford. Dr. Larsen shares about how objects in space get named: Can you guess which ones must be named after Tolkien characters? And as if celestial bodies aren’t enough, they also explore cosmology and the apocalypse: the beginning and the ending of Middle-earth.
#Tolkien #Middleearth #LordoftheRings #astronomy #science #stars #geeks #geek culture #Eärendil
Here’s Dr. Larsen’s faculty page: https://www.ccsu.edu/person/kristine-larsen.
Here’s Kristine’s Tolkien Gateway profile: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Kristine_Larsen.
If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle: https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina.
If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/.
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Sørina gets to talk to Dr. Simon Horobin, Professor of English Language & Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. In one of the most scholarly episodes in the series, they discuss what C. S. Lewis did in his day job and what he thought of modern literature, how Lewis encouraged Tolkien, and what the job of a philologist is. Prof. Horobin describes Tolkien’s work at the Oxford English Dictionary. They speculate whether spelling is becoming more or less standardized, survey the current Oxford English syllabus, and dig into meaningful metaphors.
#Tolkien #CSLewis #LordoftheRings #language #literature #fantasy #linguistics #philology #Oxford #English #books #dictionary #dictionaries #OED #OxfordEnglishDictionary #translation
Professor Horobin’s Oxford Faculty Page: https://www.english.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-simon-horobin
Professor Horobin’s Magdalen College Faculty Page: https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-simon-horobin/
Simon’s books on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/152360.Simon_Horobin
If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina
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(In)famous Tolkien punsters Dr. Rebecca Davis-Lock and Arthur Harrow, MD, join Sørina to talk about (and make) Tolkien-related jokes. They discuss what kinds of laughter Tolkien's writing evokes, what's the purpose of humor, and how the fandom has gone to town in creating Middle-earth amusements.

TikTok star Knewbettadobetta (Willie Jenkins) talks to Sørina about Tolkien’s special power of creating a sense of depth through the withheld image. Then he compares Tolkien’s highly rhythmical, alliterative writing style to the virtuosic poetry of today’s hip-hop stars. They lament the political and ideological appropriation of Tolkien by ill-intentioned fans and celebrate ways the lore of Middle-earth brings people together.
Knewbettadobetta on TikTok
Knewbettadobetta on YouTube
Knewbettadobetta on Instagram
Knewbettadobetta on Patreon
Voices of Arda Podcast
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Was Eowyn a tradwife?! This episode tackles a triad of topics: Tolkien and source criticism, Tolkien and AI, Tolkien and politics. Filled with some of the most beautiful poetry recitations of the series and packed with both technical details and inspiring insights, this talk between Jason Fisher and Sørina Higgins dips into the cauldron of stories, coming up with rich and delicious details—and also denouncing big tech companies who appropriate names from Middle-earth while opposing Tolkien’s ethics. It ends with a thoughtful examination of why people from opposite religious and political positions all claim Tolkien as their own.
#tolkien #lordoftherings #literature #books #fantasy #reading #rhetoric #languages #language #fairies #faeries #myths #myth #mythology #politics #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #generativeAI #LLM #palantir #anduril
Jason’s blog: https://lingwe.blogspot.com/
Jason Fisher on Tolkien Gateway: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Jason_Fisher
If you like my work, please support me by joining my Author’s Circle: https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina
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In which the host talks far too much (ahem!), but the guest—when allowed to get a word in edgewise—gives great insights into the teaching of classic literature. We need to read old books, he says, for their sheer beauty and for their themes, which we badly need today. The same goes for the works of Tolkien, and Larry and Sørina work through the complexities of how “the long defeat” and “eucatastrophe” are both true.
#tolkien #lordoftherings #literature #books #fantasy #reading #rhetoric #languages #language #myths #myth #mythology #theology #heaven #eucatastrophe
Dr. Larry Swain’s profile at Bemidji State University: https://www.bemidjistate.edu/directory/facstaff/larry-swain/
Larry’s profile at Signum University: https://signumuniversity.org/people/larry-swain/
If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina
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The award-winning author of Tolkien & The Great War and several other books on Tolkien joins Sørina to talk about John Ronald’s war experience, the relationship between trauma and silence, what’s wrong with generative AI, and more.
John Garth’s website: https://johngarth.co.uk/
John’s fundraising page: https://steady.page/en/john-garth-on-tolkiens-life-and-works/about
John’s blog: https://johngarth.wordpress.com/
If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina
If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/
If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins