Sunday, August 10, 2014

BONES OF THE OX wins the Mythopoeic Award!

So, thanks to Janice for the news that TOLKIEN AND THE STUDY OF HIS SOURCES (Jason's original title having been the much better  THE BONES OF THE OX), edited by Jason Fisher [McFarland, 2011] has just won the Mythopoeic Award for Inklings scholarship. As one of the contributors ("SHE and Tolkien, Revisited", a reworking and expansion of a piece I did way back in 1981) I'm very pleased, and I know Jason must be excited to have this, his first book of Tolkien scholarship, recognized.


And there was tough competition too: the newest bid to be the definitive Lewis biography, McGrath's ECCENTRIC GENIUS, RELUCTANT PROPHET, as well as Boenig's CSL AND THE MIDDLE AGES on the Lewis side, and Atherton's and Olsen's books on the Tolkien side. I usually volunteer to be on the award committee but had to sit it out this year, since one of the books I contributed to was a finalist (and, now, winner).* So, obviously, I'm pleased by the news.

Here's the link to the announcement:

http://www.mythsoc.org/news/mythopoeic-awards-2014-winners-announced/

Congratulations to all the winners, and all the finalists, and all the nominees.

--John R.


*I also contributed a blurb to Corey Olsen's book on THE HOBBIT, but that's probably within the bounds and hence no conflict of interest.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Jason, and all of the contributors. Although I am still angry at McFarland for refusing to use that great title!

Jason Fisher said...

Thanks, John, for posting the news! I'll be sharing this on my blog too, as soon as I get a little more time to compose something fitting. :)

And yes, we all agree "The Bones of the Ox" would have been a much more interesting and memorable title! Maybe the award will give me the ammunition to get my way next time. ;)

David Bratman said...

It's a good and fascinating book. Of the other nominees I'd recommend the Atherton and Boenig in particular.