Happy Tolkien's Birthday

Once again it's time to celebrate JRRT's birthday (January 3rd, 1892).

So far as state-of-the-Tolkien goes, there are still top-notch books coming out with material by and about Tolkien (most recently THE ART OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS)and good venues for publishing scholarship on Tolkien (e.g., the newest volume of TOLKIEN STUDIES having just come out about two weeks ago).  So that's all good.

So far as the non-specialist public goes, Tolkien's popularity remains undiminished, so much so that what would once have been a note in a fanzine (e.g., the discovery of a hand-annotated LotR map) becomes a News Story and runs with a big headline.

As for pop culture, the movies have now run their course, so things shd quiet down a bit for now, until the Next Big Thing in Tolkien comes along, whatever it turns out to be.

So, a quiet time; a good time to pull some of those new purchases from this past year off the shelf and read them. And, of course, to plan for what Tolkien events I can make it to in this coming year.

So, a Happy Tolkien's Birthday to all.

--John R.
current reading: Eratosthenes & Hyginus, constellation myths (tr. R. Hard).