The One hundred and twenty-eighth Roving Ranger

Events & Shows

Register with the Zurich conference Omentië Nolwë (online and for free (Opens in a new window)) happening tomorrow [March 15; I’ll be there; places in Zurich are fully booked, afaik, but give it a try; online still available!]

The AGM and Springmoot (Opens in a new window) of the Tolkien Society is happening [Apr 25-27]

The Tolkien Poetry Colloquium (Opens in a new window) at Baylor University will have Christina Scull, Wayne Hammond and Michael Drout speaking. It is fully booked for this year but Michael’s lecture is public: “The Origins of Tolkien's Fantasy: The Éarendel poem, Beowulf 1208b, Christ I, the synthesizing impulse, and textualization” ; 4pm, April 4, Alexander Reading Room. [Apr 3-5]

The 21st Annual UVM Tolkien Conference: Tolkien and War (Opens in a new window) will have John Garth as a keynote speaker [April 4-5] Please also note his Fireside Reading (Opens in a new window).

The Tolkien Tapestries will be on display in Paris (Opens in a new window), following March 21, with a preview event on March 20th. [Sortir à Paris]

I am a little bit miffed that with the naming process of Wagga Wagga Public Library’s five robotic cats not a single Tolkien name has been suggested - but at least I can vote for Greebo (Pratchett) (Opens in a new window)! P.S. I get it - Tevildo is not the best idea![Wagga Wagga News]

Rehearsals are underway (Opens in a new window) for the Hobbit with Arden Theatre [Instagram]

The Open Stage (Opens in a new window) (Harrisburg, PA) will do a Hobbit musical. [Apr 24-27]

The Ocean K-12 school in Port Townsend, WA, will perform the Hobbit in March (Opens in a new window).

The Ohio Shakespeare Festival will put on the Hobbit (Opens in a new window) [Oct 2-26]; (casting calls have gone out (Opens in a new window) and I’ld love to know more about Thranduil, the Elven Queen!)

The Silmarillion Writers’ Guild is offering So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation (Opens in a new window) (sessions are available on video.)

For all events check out the International Tolkien Fellowship (Opens in a new window) [FB] and the Tolkien Guide Calendar (Opens in a new window).

Scholarship & Fandom

Marquette University has a public showing of “The J.R.R. Tolkien Manuscripts” on March 21st (Opens in a new window).

Stephen C. Winter has “He Came to Me Because He Trusted Me at First, I’m Afraid.” Frodo and the Capture of Gollum in the Pool Beneath Henneth Annûn. (Opens in a new window)

doubtfulsea has Riddle Me Ree (Opens in a new window).

Brenton Dickieson has An Abundance of Spreadsheets about Tolkien’s Expanded Letters (Part 2 of Voyaging With Voyant). (Opens in a new window)

The latest book by the Pope mentions Tolkien (Opens in a new window). [Vatican]

Douglas A. Anderson has Tolkien on de Camp's "Swords & Sorcery" Anthology (Opens in a new window).

Michael Martinez gets an honourable mention for this title: “Pedo Barbarians A Minno.” (Opens in a new window)

The upcoming McFarland “Studies in Tolkien” now has a webpage. (Opens in a new window)

Cameron Bourquein and Rachel Crane have added to the Journal of Tolkien Research (vol 21, iss 1 (Opens in a new window)).

David Bratman has John Wain (Opens in a new window).

VARIATIONS AND EPISODES for solo piano by Paul Corfield Godfrey (Opens in a new window) are available now. [TolkienGuide]

Merchandise & Franchise

First look at LEGO The Lord of The Rings: The Shire set (Opens in a new window) [BrickFanatics; also a very close look at similiar projects and their evolution (Opens in a new window).]

Lord of the Rings Online server transfer situation stands as queues (Opens in a new window) surpass 48 hours [MassivelyOP; updated more recently as Lord of the Rings Online speeds up 64-bit server transfer rate but sees more failures in the process (Opens in a new window).]

Lord of the Rings Online devs talk about Rivendell housing and a new homestead currency (Opens in a new window) [MassivelyOP]

Bruce Hopkins’ Stunning 69 Backflips for Local Charity And More… (Opens in a new window) [TORn]

The Tolkien & Donald Swann archive on sale is offering the full catalogue online (Opens in a new window) [Jonkers Books]

The Tolkien Visual Collection Guide now has the full Warner Brothers 100th Anniversary Tolkien Trading Cards (Opens in a new window).

Inter alia

On Tour with Fantasy: Realms of Imagination (Opens in a new window) [File770]

‘Sign our own death warrant’: Australian writers angry after Melbourne publisher asks them to sign AI agreements (Opens in a new window) [Guardian]

Terry Brooks announces semi-retirement from writing (Opens in a new window) [Wertzone]

'I was lucky to be Sir Terry Pratchett's agent' (Opens in a new window) [BBC]

In an age of open hostility, Terry Pratchett’s militant decency is more urgent than ever (Opens in a new window) [Independent]

The Magical Humanism of Sir Terry Pratchett (Opens in a new window) [The Magical Humanist]

Signs of Terry Pratchett’s dementia may have been hidden in his books (Opens in a new window) [New Scientist]

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