The Green Dragon

So, I was v. interested to read, in the newest issue of BEYOND BREE, a paragraph by David Bratman in which he reports his discovery that Oxford once had a Green Dragon pub:

". . . According to AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OXFORD PUBS, INNS AND TAVERNS by Derek HOney (Oakwood Press, 1998) . . . a Green Dragon stood in St. Aldate's, by Christ Church, until 1926 when it and two other pubs were demolished to make way for the War Memorial Garden. This is also close to Pembroke College, to which Tolkien was attached beginning in 1925, so it's possible that he had a pint or two in Oxford's Green Dragon in his day . . ."

I'm not surprised that Tolkien might have patronized a real Green Dragon, but had I known that there was one that close to his own college at Pembroke that first year after he returned from Leeds, I would certainly have included the fact in MR. BAGGINS. A nice little discovery on David's part.

--John R.

I Am Interviewed . . .

. . . in Belgium.

With the official release date of MR. BAGGINS, Part One of THE HISTORY OF THE HOBBIT, now exactly four weeks away (Tues. May 8th), I've started getting interesting requests relating to the book. Some of these have been in the works for a while -- a possible book signing in Seattle, another in Milwaukee in connection with an event there, and even one in Holland (contingent however on my being able to make a side trip to Holland during my next research trip to England). Now I've been interviewed by TolkienLibrary.com, a Belgium-based website for collectors of JRRT's work that posts regular updates about new releases, such as the much-anticipated CHILDREN OF HURIN. They sent me a list of questions a while back, and I finally managed to get back to them with a set of answers; the results can be seen at

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/history_of_the_hobbit.php

And, as if to underscore the internationalism of Tolkien's audience, today comes a query about the book from Poland. I've known for years from Gary Hunnewell's work that we Tolk Folk are everywhere, but it's one thing to see a list of fanzines, newsletters, and journals from abroad and another to have direct contact via e-mail with people who share my interest in Tolkien and THE HOBBIT but live not just thousands of miles away but on another continent. We may have finally realized the old dream of Tolk Folk everywhere to meet others who share our enthusiasm for the Professor and his works: everywhere you go, there we are.


current reading: IN THE COMPANY OF CROWS AND RAVENS by Seattle's own Jn M. Marzluff & Tony Angell [2005]

current audiobook: HIS EXCELLENCY: GEORGE WASHINGTON by Joseph J. Ellis [2004]