English Language and Literature Commons^™

Reviews, Damien Bador, Gregory Bassham, Joe R. Christopher, Janet Brennan Croft, Hugh H. Davis, Melody Green, Holly Ordway, Robert T. Tally Jr

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

The International Relations of Middle-earth: Learning from The Lord of the Rings. Abigail E. Ruane and Patrick James. Reviewed by Robert T. Tally Jr

Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in The Lord of the Rings. Anne Marie Gazzolo. Reviewed by Damien Bador.

The Wizard of Oz as American Myth: A Critical Study of Six Versions of the Story, 1900-2007. Alissa Burger. Reviewed by Hugh H. Davis.

Plain to the Inward Eye: Selected Essays on C.S. Lewis. Don W. King. Reviewed by Holly Ordway.

Tolkien's Poetry. Ed. Julian Eilmann and Allan Turner. Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher.

The …

Fairy Elements In British Literary Writings In The Decade Following The Cottingley Fair Photographs Episode, Douglas A. Anderson

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Scholar Guest of Honor, Mythcon 2013. Explores the effects of the Cottingly fairy fraud on British literary fantasy. Authors discussed include Gerald Bullett, Walter de la Mare, Lord Dunsany, Bea Howe, Kenneth Ingram, Margaret Irwin, Daphne Miller, Hope Mirrlees, and Bernard Sleigh. Anderson also offers some speculations on the effects of the controversy on Tolkien’s early development as a writer.

Troy And The Rings: Tolkien And The Medieval Myth Of England, Michael Livingston

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Asserts that, far from abandoning his early grounding in the classics upon discovering Northern mythology and languages, Greek and Roman motifs remained an important element of Tolkien’s “soup” and he used them in many ways in The Lord of the Rings. Livingston pays particular attention to themes, characters, incidents, and Mediterranean history that have roots in The Iliad. Family structure is one place where we can see convincing parallels, with Boromir as an asterisk-Hector and Faramir as an asterisk-Paris, rewriting the deficiencies in their source-characters as Gondor is the history of Troy re-written.

Editorial, Janet Brennan Croft

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

How Trees Behave-Or Do They?, Verlyn Flieger

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Flieger takes as her departure point a passage on tree-spirits in one of the manuscripts for “On Fairy-stories,” and considers the development of Tolkien’s ideas about more-or-less enspirited trees throughout his oeuvre. Begins with the earliest appearance of Old Man Willow in the Tom Bombadil poems, progressing through his maturation as an idea in The Lord of the Rings. Pays special attention to Treebeard and the Huorns, and ends with the birch tree in Smith of Wootton Major.

Listening As Heroic Action In L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Cara-Joy Steem

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines the theme and spiritual functions of listening in the third Murry family novel, A Swiftly Tilting Planet: as participation in an interconnected universe, as embracing humility, as a witness to cosmic community, and as a sacrificial act. Connects these ideas to her larger theological and interpersonal themes.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Fanfiction, And "The Freedom Of The Reader", Megan B. Abrahamson

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Student paper award, Mythcon 2013. Abrahamson makes a particularly convincing case for the validity of fanfiction by applying Tolkien’s own statements about the “dominion of the author,” the “Cauldron of Story,” and subcreation to the issue. Discusses Tolkien’s experiences with early fanwork and his own use of sources as an author.

Tolkien's Devices: The Heraldy Of Middle-Earth, Jamie Mcgregor

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Studies a set of images Tolkien deploys with great skill to represent essential thematic elements of the opposition between forces of the Alliance and the Enemy. These include the organic and natural symbols of Gondor, Rohan, Dol Amroth as opposed to the Eye of Mordor and White Hand of Isengard. McGregor’s observations on Saruman’s choice of imagery are particularly valuable in showing how Tolkien revealed the wizard’s attempts to play both sides even at the symbolic level.

Theological Reticence And Moral Radiance: Notes On Tolkien, Levinas, And Inuit Cosmology, Catherine Madsen

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Madsen pulls together three exceedingly disparate elements—the theology of loss and obligation of the Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas; the way the Inuit peoples of the Arctic regions relate to the hardships and challenges of their physical and spiritual worlds; and incidents of self-sacrifice in Tolkien—into a challenging and rewarding whole.

The Hobbit And The Father Christmas Letters, Kris Swank

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Traces the mutual influences of Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the letters he wrote to his children in the person of Father Christmas. Similar themes in Roverandom and The Book of Lost Tales are also discussed. She tracks the development of several motifs that appear throughout, like irascible wizards, playful elves, invented languages, impudent bears, and fireworks.

October 14, 2013: English 4100, Spring 2014: Holy Road Trips, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

No abstract provided.

What Jane Saw: An Example In Digital Humanities, Janine Barchas

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

No abstract provided.

New Perspectives On Elizabeth Bennet, Toni Guthrie, Margaret M. Dunn, Lori Halvorsen Zerne

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

In this session Toni Guthrie, Margaret Dunn, and Lori Halvorsen Zerne presented the following papers:

• “Women Who Like to Read: Jane Austen’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s Views of Education” - Toni Guthrie
• “Lessons in Mentorship from Elizabeth Bennet” - Margaret Dunn
• “Ideology in ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries’” - Lori Halvorsen Zerne

At the end of the session the presenters answered questions from the audience.

Jane Austen And The Women's Movement, Devoney Looser

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

No abstract provided.

Gender In Pride And Prejudice, Stacey Donald, Douglas Murray, James Tyler

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

In this session Stacey Donald, Douglas Murray, and James Tyler presented the following papers:

• “Silly Men: Austen and the Parody of Masculinity in Pride and Prejudice” by Stacey Donald
• “‘Fine Eyes:’ Male and Female Gazes in Pride and Prejudice” by Douglas Murray
• “Failures of the Father: Mr. Bennet’s Vital Role in Establishing the New Mistress of Pemberley” by James Tyler

At the end of the session the presenters answered questions from the audience.

Teaching Pride And Prejudice: A Pedagogy, Jodi Wyett, Laura Gray, Lisa Ottum, Crystal B. Lake, Cynthia D. Richards, Sally Lamping

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

This informal round-table discussion focuses on the different strategies for teaching Jane Austen from educators across Southwestern Ohio.

English Tea Service With Mr. And Mrs. Darcy Mystery Series Author, Carrie Bebris, Carrie Bebris

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

No abstract provided.

Is Mr. Darcy A Virgin?: Masculine Sexuality In Pride And Prejudice, Robert Markley

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

No abstract provided.

Jane Austen In The Twenty-First Century, Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer, Andrea Coldwell Cabus, Karen C. Hadley, Cheryl Comparativo

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

In this session Phyllis Bottomer, Andrea Coldwell Cabus, and Lori Halvorsen Zerne presented the following papers:

• “Social Awkwardness: Viewing Some of Austen’s Characters Through the Lens of Twenty-First Century Knowledge of Autistic Spectrum Disorders” - Phyllis Bottomer
• “Imagining Future Janeites: YA Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice” - Andrea Coldwell Cabus
• “Jane Austen, Regency Zombies, and the ‘Monstrous Future’ of Capitalism” - Karen C. Hadley
• “The Austen Obsession: Jane’s Continuing Relevance and Cultural Power in the Twenty-First Century” - Cheryl Comparativo

At the end of the session the presenters answered questions from the audience.

Pride And Prejudice Goes Interactive: "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries", Marilyn Francus

Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial

No abstract provided.