Roving Ranger Special Edition - A warm welcome
This is one of a number of Roving Ranger editions that are outside the regular order of things. They are restricted to special occasions of importance to research and fandom or - as in this case - a warm welcome.
tl;dr (Opens in a new window). I would like to thank you as one of the 400+ subscribers of the Roving Ranger for your interest in my curated newsletter and give you a few ideas about what to expect from it and my future Tolkienian ventures.
Hi there and thank you...
...for subscribing to the Roving Ranger.
When I started this newsletter in July 2020 (Opens in a new window) I certainly did not believe that I would be doing this for years and for hundreds of people - it is really quite wonderful.
At the time I tried to emulate - at least to a certain extent - what Troels Forchammer had so outstandingly done with Parma-kenta (Opens in a new window). I knew I would not be able to do what he did but many people had been clamouring for quite some time for a newsletter so I wanted to start one (and yes, the pandemic might have had something to do with this as well).
Little did I know that some very kind readers of this newsletter then proceeded to nominate it for the 2022 Tolkien Society Awards (Opens in a new window) - a tremendous honour I will certainly try and live up to.
(I would love to mention my blog (Opens in a new window) was also nominated 😄).
Things this newsletter should (probably) do and what not (so much)
Now, please note that my main interests always lie with J.R.R. Tolkien's life and works, his son Christopher's work on bringing the Legendarium to life and with those individuals and groups who mainly interact with Middle-earth on a volunteer basis in societies, smials, regular's tables, events etc.
I love many adaptations myself, I still need those Aragorn and Arwen salt and pepper shakers, and the up-coming "Middle-earth Cinematic Universe" and beyond will keep us all busy having fun for years to come so I will certainly make all the effort to provide you with the best sources of information on all these things.
Having said this, if I have limited space and/or time I will always try and give precendence to members of the community who do not represent billion dollar companies and their interests but the wonderful and heart-felt fellowship and enthusiasm so many of us have come to appreciate and love. They do not have a marketing budget to spend so I would love to promote interest in their amazing ventures in this newsletter.
Everyone is welcome in this community and I hope I can shine a light on the the funniest, most interesting, creative, and thought-provoking things happening anywhere in the world.
Please note: There is no place for those who only know negativity, even hatred for fellow fans and their engagement in Arda. We all have different approaches to Tolkien's stories but racism, sexism, classism, and their ilk will not be tolerated.
#KeepItSecret #KeepItSafe (March 2022 (Opens in a new window))
Please do share Tolkien Tidbits I might have missed!
If you happen to see something you consider of interest to other Tolkien fans please do comment on the latest edition of the Roving Ranger here with Steady or shoot me an email - marcel@thetolkienist.com is always open for suggestions!
Please note: I may not be able to get back to you (in time) or may not take up your suggestions due to a number of reasons; this is in no way meant as disregard on my part but I might just be swamped, forgetful, or may come to the conclusion that your piece of news might not fit with the newsletter - on occasion I may have simply mentioned it weeks before already!
Free in perpetuity
The Roving Ranger will always be a free newsletter in whatever format or schedule I may be running it. I do believe that curated information is of utmost importance these days what with hundreds of massive websites vying for clicks and attention.
I am quite happy to fight my way through the jungle of irrelevance with Húrin's (lesser-known) machete of no-nonsense magic to provide you with the best and the brightest Tolkienists, Tolkiendili, Tolkien afficionados, fans - and more! - and their work out there.
Let me just mention quickly that you are cordially invited to support me and my existing - as well as future - Tolkien-related projects here with your membership.
Not only will you get access to more than 200 posts at the time of writing (soon! - I am updating all former Patreon posts with additional and updated information) but many more new posts, behind-the-curtain information, news from the Gaffer's Garden Shed, maybe a podcast or two...
It has been an amazing ride so far.
Hop in for more exciting homely houses, sweeping vistas, and as much Tolkien enthusiasm as possible. 🤩
