The One hundred and fourteenth Roving Ranger
Have a look at all Roving Rangers published so far. (Si apre in una nuova finestra)
Life and Works
Nov 15, 1892. Arthur (Si apre in una nuova finestra), Mabel (Si apre in una nuova finestra), two household servants, and the nurse holding Ronald pose for a picture in the garden at Bank House. The photograph is used in Tolkien Christmas cards sent to family and friends. The image is reproduced in J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Si apre in una nuova finestra) and The Tolkien Family Album (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Nov 16, 1917. The Tolkiens’ first child is born, John (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Nov 18, 1916. The Battle of the Somme (Si apre in una nuova finestra) ends. Neither side wins. Tolkien is officially stricken off as a casualty by his battalion.
Nov 19, 1913. The Exeter College Smoker (Si apre in una nuova finestra) happens, with an illustration by Tolkien.
Nov 21, 1924. Christopher (Si apre in una nuova finestra) is born.
Nov 22, 1962. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Si apre in una nuova finestra) are published.
Nov 24, 1964. Robert Graves, Oxford's Professor of Poetry, introduces Tolkien to Ava Gardner (Si apre in una nuova finestra). They had never heard of one another, and both did not know why the other was famous.
Nov 25, 1951. Tolkien writes a letter to Iona and Peter Opie (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Nov 26, 1963. Tolkien, Dundas-Grant (Si apre in una nuova finestra), Havard (Si apre in una nuova finestra), Barfield (Si apre in una nuova finestra) and Christopher attend the funeral of C.S. Lewis (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Nov 27, 1914. Tolkien reads The Voyage of Eärendel the Evening Star (Si apre in una nuova finestra) at a poorly attended meeting of Exeter College (Si apre in una nuova finestra)'s Essay Club.
Nov 29, 1971. Edith Tolkien (Si apre in una nuova finestra) dies after a short but severe illness.
Both Parma Eldalamberon 23 and 22 are now available with Barnes & Noble (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
The Eagle & Child (Si apre in una nuova finestra) in Oxford is one of the places with a strong Tolkien connection; renovations are happening as we speak. [Oxford Mail]
The Folio Society is doing another limited edition, this time on the Hobbit (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
If you feel like buying the The Tolkien - Donald Swann Archive you should have more than half a million pounds (Si apre in una nuova finestra) at the ready.
The Roving Ranger and other of my ventures are reader-supported publications. To receive additional posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Events & Shows
The Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [Nov 23-24; full programme (Si apre in una nuova finestra)]
The Koninklijke Oude Harmonie van Eijsden (Si apre in una nuova finestra) will do a jubilee concert in Maastricht, including parts of Johan de Meji’s Lord of the Rings symphony. [Instagram]
Waynesville’s Lord of the Rings Festival Brings Middle-Earth To Ohio (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [Columbus Navigator]
Philippa Boyens will be at Merton College in Oxford (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
The Lure of Middle-earth (Si apre in una nuova finestra) has a very special guest for its 25th Anniversary (March 2025): Ted Nasmith.
For all events check out the International Tolkien Fellowship (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [FB] and the Tolkien Guide Calendar (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Scholarship & Fandom
Robin Reid has Queen Berúthiel is a Childless Cat Lady! (Si apre in una nuova finestra)
An obituary of Greg Hildebrandt (Si apre in una nuova finestra), legendary illustrator [also Legacy (Si apre in una nuova finestra); Hollywood Reporter (Si apre in una nuova finestra); Locus (Si apre in una nuova finestra); PPP interview (Si apre in una nuova finestra)]
Call for Papers: Tolkien & War (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [via Anna Smol; h/t Tolkien in Vermont]
Putri Prihatini has Rivendell and Śrīksetra Garden: A Tale of Two Sanctuaries. (Si apre in una nuova finestra)
In a recent edition of GEO (Si apre in una nuova finestra) in France statements were made on behalf of French publishing house Christian Bourgeois Éditeur (Si apre in una nuova finestra) that more or less negated twenty years of work leading scholar Vincent Ferré has put into making Tolkien in France possible. He has written a public rebuttal (Si apre in una nuova finestra) of this; legal proceedings are ongoing as the changes of ownership (Si apre in una nuova finestra) of the publishing house in recent years has been causing issues. There is a petition (Si apre in una nuova finestra) with Avaaz to show your solidarity with Vincent Ferré, signed by leading French Tolkien scholars.
Gabriel Schenk has C.S. Lewis in Addison's Walk.
https://youtu.be/MB195JszDbA?si=BEUkgnexBTO5w8t2 (Si apre in una nuova finestra)Dennis Wilson Wise has “The New Poets of Rum-Ram-Ruf: The Norse Connection and JRR Tolkien (Part I+II - The Career) (Si apre in una nuova finestra)” as well as parts III (Si apre in una nuova finestra) (the Skald) and IV (Si apre in una nuova finestra) (The Hitches) [Stratofanatic]
Thus Tolkien is the ultimate model, the undisputed Lord of Alliterative Meters. The one person in whom technical skill and scholarly erudition have combined with sheer productivity to yield an astounding corpus of modern poetry in old, archaic alliterative traditions. [Stratofanatic]
The Literary Review has We Shall Fight in the Buttery (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [Oxford’s War 1939–1945], a book certainly mentioning Tolkien.
doubtfulsea has Paleo-Tolkien (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Get your Beyond Bree Calendar (Si apre in una nuova finestra) for 2025 as long as they are still available.
One of the leading artists with Tolkien-inspired renditions, Donato Giancola, has some very choice words to say: MTG Artist Donato Giancola Reveals Wizards’ “Take It Or Leave It” Contract Policy (Si apre in una nuova finestra). [DraftsIM]
Kili from Happy Hobbit (Si apre in una nuova finestra) has talked to some Tolkien artists at NYCC. [TORn]
I am counting his visit to Oxford as a ‘fandom tour’: A Stop at Oxford (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [Not a Blog by GRRM]
David Bratman has a review of Fantasy: Realms of Imagination (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Merchandise & Franchise
Games Workshop is ramping up its pre-War of the Rohirrim product line (Si apre in una nuova finestra) , including people like Shank, Wrot and the Snow-Troll (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Fellowship: Tolkien & Lewis (Si apre in una nuova finestra), the film, is set for Winter 2025.
A number of guild screenings are happening for LotR: WotR (Si apre in una nuova finestra). [WarnerBros]
Also, a song from the film with scenes included has been published: The Rider (Si apre in una nuova finestra) by Paris Paloma [Youtube]
‘Lord Of The Rings’ Owner Embracer Sees Entertainment Sales Fall 10% In “Slow” Quarter (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [Deadline; ‘Tolkien IP’ is blamed (Si apre in una nuova finestra) (Variety)]
Inter alia & Back in the Day
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett to become a Penguin Modern Classic (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [TP.com]
Tad Williams’ new book, The Navigator’s Children, has come out Nov 12th (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
Jeri Taylor has passed away (Si apre in una nuova finestra) [StarTrek.com; Legacy (Si apre in una nuova finestra); TrekMovie.com (Si apre in una nuova finestra)]
The NFL does have its share of fans of movie Aragorn (Si apre in una nuova finestra). [Athlon Sports]
After more than twenty years… WoW offers housing (Si apre in una nuova finestra). [Youtube]
Thinking about starting a newsletter, podcast, Patreon, Substack etc.?
Then do consider using Steady (Si apre in una nuova finestra) - it is an exceptionally easy to use option for all needs. Built originally for an independent journalists’ collective, Krautreporter (Si apre in una nuova finestra), it is run by creative minds for creative minds. Think Patreon, just better. Do use my invite link (Si apre in una nuova finestra) and start with three months fee-free.
[Transparency note: I get a small referral bonus with no extra costs to you.]
According to German law I have to inform you all links to enterprises, artists, products etc. are [unpaid advertisements.] Some purchase links may earn me a small commission from Blackwell's (Si apre in una nuova finestra), Bookshop.org (Si apre in una nuova finestra), or Genialokal (Si apre in una nuova finestra), the (independent) bookshops of my personal trust (one with a Tolkien connection!)
If you are interested in my other Tolkien-related work please have a look:
The Tolkienist Blog (Si apre in una nuova finestra) : Facebook (Si apre in una nuova finestra) : Bluesky (Si apre in una nuova finestra) : Instagram (Si apre in una nuova finestra) : Threads (Si apre in una nuova finestra) : Mastodon (Si apre in una nuova finestra).
As this is 2024 I would like to note that this newsletter is 100% human-made, curated by me, Marcel R. Bülles. This also holds true for everything I write with my blog and here at Steady. Also, the average time of curating this newsletter ranges from 12-16 hours.
