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Eleanor Arnason’S Fantastic Mitochondrial Humor, Sandra J. Lindow

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

Eleanor Arnason’s Fantastic Mitochondrial Humor

In this essay I explore Brian Attebery’s description of mitochondrial fantasy to explain how humor works in Eleanor Arnason’s short fantastic fiction. Mitochondria are the energy powerhouses in cells. They are symbiotic creatures that once were separate but became an evolutionary part of a female egg cell, providing a history that can be traced to a Mitochondrial Eve. In Fantasy: How It Works, Attebery uses mitochondria metaphorically to explain how fantastic ideas evolve. Attebery describes fantastic mitochondria as “a cellular dynamo that lives within the tissues” of a story (91). He demonstrates how stories lead …

Literary Tributaries: Classical And Romantic Influences In The Wind In The Willows, Landon Burgess Loftin

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

Some interpreters of The Wind in the Willows have suggested that Ratty’s beloved river should be understood as a symbol of the imagination. Whether this is true or not, we may benefit from thinking of Grahame’s own imagination as a river that derives much of its force from both Classical and Romantic tributaries. In what follows, I will explore the lower reaches of these tributaries, not only to contextualize and illuminate The Wind in the Willows, but also to address several persistent questions about its composition and reception. I turn first to the Classical tributary, which flows with the imaginings …

Saunders Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, And The Place Of Magic In Fantasy, Alexander Retakh

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

Welsh writer Saunders Lewis was, just as his almost exact contemporary J.R.R.Tolkien, a politically conservative Catholic with a deep interest in medieval myths. Both authors wrote fantasy based on Celtic tales, such as Lewis's play Blodeuwedd and Tolkien's poem The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun. While the latter follows the dicta of Tolkien's own "On Fairy-stories," Lewis created a more modernist work. Despite biographical and ideological similarities, the two approached their sources differently. Tolkien looked for unifying aesthetic principles that he called "unhazy unromantic momentariness," while Lewis used the traditional material to escape the constraints of romantic and realistic …

Fathoming The Mathom-House: Museums And Material Heritage In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Stuart Bowes

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

As a renowned author and philologist, J.R.R. Tolkien has long been associated with the processes of literary transmission performed by libraries and archives. His engagement with the comparable cultural institution of the museum is less evident. By charting the gradual integration of the Michel Delving Mathom-house into Middle-Earth, this paper considers Tolkien’s fictional interpretation of a contemporary museum and how it served to enrich his legendarium. It first traces the textual history of this collecting institution from its marginal addition in the drafts of The Hobbit to its considered treatment in The Lord of the Rings. A pivotal development …

Lothlórien: Gendered Spaces, Cartographic Nominalism, And Galadriel’S Queerness, Bo Kampmann Walther

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

Tolkien’s portrayal of Lothlórien is layered with complexities that reflect broader tensions between the feminine landscape and the masculine impulse to understand, name, and rationalize the world. This article examines the ‘fight’ over Lothlórien and its entitlement to truth from both female and male perspectives. It combines a close reading of passages from The Fellowship of the Ring with theories of name-giving, power, and mapping. The article concludes by evaluating these insights through the lens of Kristeva’s concept of the “abject” and discussing what ‘queer’ might mean in the Tolkien oeuvre.

Unknowing In Tolkien's Legendarium And The Agnosia Of The Elvish Tradition, Benjamin Blakeslee-Drain

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

The many layers of Unknowing in Tolkien’s legendarium make some of the most profound statements in his work. Unknowing creates space for the reader to have a more active and intimate experience with the text, and supports the central Christian moral message in The Lord of the Rings. The theme of Unknowing ties the legendarium to a larger set of scriptural and Christian writings, including the Book of Job, Mystical Theology, and The Cloud of Unknowing. Finally, Unknowing is shown to be a function of the legendarium reflecting a dominantly Elvish perspective. By dismissing the assumed authority of that perspective, …

Tolkien On Kennings And The River-(Woman’S) Daughter, Derek Simon

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

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

While the River-daughter is a prevalent poetic name for Goldberry, Tom introduces her as the River-woman’s daughter when singing and skipping along the banks of the Withywindle. The River-woman variant occurs only once in Goldberry’s narrative but is not easily dismissed. The contrast between the two variant names raises several questions on how to read Goldberry’s enigma. Tolkien’s brief commentaries on the kenning as a poetic device serve as the starting-point for exploring the literary function of …

“Desirable Lady” Or “She Who Desires”: Examining Aredhel’S Agency In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Lyra Keran Zhang

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

As Tolkien scholarship develops through the years, studies that focus on women in the Legendarium thrive. Among the many Tolkienian female characters who have received more attention and goodwill, Aredhel, the White Lady of Gondolin, is ‘often overlooked, under-analysed, and even maligned’, as pointed out by Clare Moore. Some have read her as a ‘fridged woman’, a symbolic female disruption that is the direct cause of the Fall of Gondolin, or else as a supportive character to Maeglin, her son, who seems to be more significant in the grand scheme of the Legendarium. Many have treated her with pity, perceiving …

Editorial, Janet Croft

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

No abstract provided.

Call To Submissions Volume 74, Issue 1, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviving Independent Reading: A Review Of Just Read It, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

This is a book review of Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms by Jarred Amato in 2024. Reviewed by a high school Reading Specialist, this thorough review of Amato's book for educators includes many strategies and tools for having an effective independent reading program in the classroom.

Letting Students Amaze Us: Teaching For Success In A 4th Grade Classroom, William D. Smyth

Virginia English Journal

A look back at a year in a 4th grade classroom with highly motivated students that came about when a former student, now 48 years old, returned home to visit his 4th grade teacher. According to this student, this was the seminal year that launched his engineering career that he now enjoys in Portland, Oregon. And, speaking for others, this was the turning point in his classmates' educational journeys too.

Fixing Our Failures With Data: Data Literacy And Global Issues In A Middle School Novel Study, Mary Grace Scartz

Virginia English Journal

This paper explains the rationale behind and need for teaching data literacy approaches in an English classroom. It outlines a unit of study based on the book by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohammad, When Stars are Scattered, which follows the true story of Omar as he navigates education and family responsibilities in a refugee camp in Kenya. Because of the relevant and important global challenges that arise in the story, students need a wealth of background knowledge to approach the text. This paper argues that this background knowledge is best delivered through the use of real-world data about refugees …

Language As Power In Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter, Liz Shanks

Virginia English Journal

Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter offers a fresh counternarrative for students in the ELA classroom, opening new doors for students to see themselves and others more accurately reflected in a thrilling, page-turning novel. This article dives into the way power manifests in educational systems, and how students can advocate for themselves in such educational settings through Boulley's novel.

The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching The Worlds Of Black Poetry To High School Students, Mary Beth Cancienne Phd, Hermione Dewitt, Zoe Mcdowell, Kaleigh D. Phelps, Liz Shanks James Madison University

Virginia English Journal

This article titled The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching the Worlds of Black Poetry to High School Students features lesson plans that high school English graduate candidates wrote in a high school English methods course after participating in the decennial Furious Flower Poetry Conference in September of 2024 at James Madison University. High School poetry lessons featured are based on the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, Jericho Brown, Nikki Giovanni, Sophia Elhillo, DaMaris B. Hill, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and Yalie Kamara. Poetic themes and craft taught and discussed in the lesson plans include identity, language, culture, hope, symbolism, tone, diction, and …

A Model Research Synthesis Essay: Gender Justice In Contemporary Texts In Conversation With Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Jennifer Golobic

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Reflections From A Summer Literacy Intervention: Unlocking A Love Of Literacy In Struggling Readers, Rory K. Cantwell, Jenny M. Martin

Virginia English Journal

Summer literacy interventions offer a solution to the devastating impacts that summer literacy loss can have on struggling readers and writers. However, these interventions should consider the impact of student attitudes towards literacy on their learning and strive to develop positive associations between literacy and enjoyment. Camp Curious, a summer literacy intervention developed as a collaboration between the Virginia Association of Teachers of English and Shrine Mont, a retreat and conference center, embodies this idea. The intervention, in the form of a week-long camp experience, strives to provide third through sixth graders with positive and varied experiences related to literacy. …

Windows Into Refugee Lives: Using Graphic Novels To Cultivate Empathy And Understanding Across K-12 Classrooms, Donna Fortune, Anna Kambach

Virginia English Journal

Graphic novels, like When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar

Mohamed, provides a powerful gateway for teachers to foster empathy and understanding with K12 students. This article explores how graphic novels combine visual storytelling with text to engage learners of all ages in discussions about refugee experiences. By integrating reflective activities and critical literacy strategies adaptable across grade levels, educators can use graphic novels to build cultural awareness, deepen comprehension, and inspire students to connect with global issues meaningfully. The article offers grade-specific implementation strategies that can be scaled appropriately for elementary, middle, and high school contexts.

Vej Volume 73 Issue 2 - Letter From The Editor's Desk

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

A Real Taste For Fairy-Stories: Essays (2025), By Verlyn Flieger., Marilyn R. Pukkila

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Marilyn R. Pukkila, of A Real Taste for Fairy-stories: Essays (2025) by Verlyn Flieger.

Reading Romance As An Act Of Resistance, Amy K. Krug

English Faculty Publications

A podcast discussion about how popular romance represents many different populations, including people of color, people with disabilities, and people who are LGBTQ+. Reading these romances with diverse characters can be a powerful mode of resistance against current anti-diversity efforts becoming more prevalent in society.

Listen to the episode. The transcript is available for download.

From Fort To Prison: The Production Of Iloilo City, Ram Paulo A. Anayan

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

The foundation of colonial cities in the Philippines rests on violence. The Spanish policies of the reducción forced the natives to settle in pueblos where colonial power is ensured. The resistance of some natives brought about the divide between tagabayan (town dweller) and tagabundok (mountain dweller)—respective connotations of civilization and savagery (Lumbera and Lumbera, 36). This paper examines how this centripetal-centrifugal force of simultaneous identity-production and displacement is echoed in the metonymy of the fort on which the origins of Iloilo City stand. I navigate how this movement manifests in the consciousness of the city across historical periods represented by …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) In Zoulfa Katouh’S As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow, Mai Hazem El Gebali

English Language and Literature

This paper aims to analyze the representation of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Zoulfa Katouh’s novel, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow (2022). Katouh, a Canadian-Syrian author who specializes in drug sciences, sets her debut novel against the backdrop of the war in Syria in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. The protagonist, Salama, a teenage girl pursuing an undergraduate degree in pharmacy, faces the harrowing realities of war and volunteers as a surgical assistant amidst the chaos of bombings and sniper attacks. As a result of the war, Salama tragically loses almost all her family members, and in …

Proceedings Of The Tolkien 2019 Conference (2025), Edited By Will Sherwood, Ross Smith

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Ross Smith, of Proceedings of the Tolkien 2019 Conference (2025), edited by Will Sherwood.

The Mismeasure Of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment Of Tolkien’S Demonized Creatures (2025), By Robert T. Tally, Jr., Andrew Higgins

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Andrew Higgins, of The Mismeasure of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment of Tolkien’s Demonized Creatures (2025), by Robert T. Tally, Jr.

"Cold Words, Heartless And Miserable": Tolkien's Approach To Supernatural Horror, Dylan L. Henderson

Journal of Tolkien Research

For the most part, scholars of supernatural horror do not consider J. R. R. Tolkien a contributor to that genre, a conclusion supported by many Tolkien specialists. And yet, horror plays a major role in many of Tolkien’s works, specifically The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, “Fog on the Barrow-downs” is basically a tale of supernatural horror that Tolkien has incorporated into his epic. This article examines that chapter in that context, comparing it to a similar short story by E. F. Benson, and this approach not only highlights the links between Tolkien and contemporaneous supernatural horror—the shares themes …

Nancy Drew Turns 100 In 2030!, Sally E. Parry

Faculty Publications – English

No abstract provided.

"It Is Always Too Late For Truth:" Surveillance And Masculinity In "Wide Sargasso Sea", Kaz S. Schofield

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Significant analysis has been done on Jean Rhys’ 1961 novel Wide Sargasso Sea examining gender in relation to the women in the novel, but very little analysis has been conducted on the men. Using the work of Simone Browne, who has theorized how racial categories are maintained through surveillance, I examine how three men in the novel: a white colonist and two mixed race colonial subjects are restricted or otherwise kept docile through their differing masculinity. I argue that it is not only the women in the novel who are oppressed or otherwise disenfranchised by their race and gender, but …

New Suns: Fantasy And Science Fiction For A Better World, Jennifer Rosenstein

Social Justice Week

This event is inspired by the Octavia Butler quote "There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns." We will explore examples of fantasy and science fiction from the library collection that imagine worlds that are more just and varied. To work for a more just world we need to be able to imagine it. We will briefly present each book and explain how the world of the books presents a radical reimagining of some aspect of society.

Cultural Diagnosis And The Monsters Of Victorian England, Victoria Elizabeth Kuykendall

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the representation of invisible disability and neurodivergence in nineteenth-century British literature, arguing that literary texts both reflect and shape cultural understandings of disability. While much scholarship has focused on visible or physical impairments in Victorian fiction, comparatively little attention has been given to characters whose behaviors, emotions, or identities align with what today might be described as neurodivergence.

Drawing on Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and cultural theory, I propose the concept of cultural Diagnosis as a framework for analyzing how fictional characters become “Diagnosable” within both their historical and contemporary cultural contexts. Through close readings of Arthur …