Happy Birthday to the True Ringbearer!

January 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

On January 3, 1892, John Ronald Ruel Tolkien was born, and our world has been significantly enriched by his presence in it. In addition to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, he translated Beowulf, created all of Middle Earth and its many cultures, places, and languages.and helped found a little group called The Inklings.  Professor Tolkien and the Inklings,  particularly C.S. Lewis, helped lay the foundation of the mythopoetic worldview that is so central to all we do here and to the books we love to read and discuss. Thus, as I heard someone suggest this morning, we should all lift our classes this evening and declare a toast, “To the Professor!” If you prefer, you may wish to honor him by reading some of his beautiful words, or even by enjoying some of the many creative interpretations of them. I can recommend one I’ve been enjoying lately: Ambient Works Rivendell Ambience video (very pleasant in the background on asnowy day). There are also videos for the Misty Mountains and other aspects of Middle Earth to put one in a fit state of mind to celebrate the day. Or, one could simply shoot off some fireworks or make a dramatic disappearance and go on an adventure.

Happy One Hundred and Thirtieth Birthday, Professor Tolkien, and thank you for letting us into your world!

Filed Under: C. S. Lewis, Elizabeth Baird Hardy Tagged With: ,

Does Anyone “Really” Die in Stories?

January 2, 2022 by Leave a Comment

As one year dies and another begins, and, at least in my part of the world, most outdoor growing things are dead or wisely biding their time to emerge in a few months, it is a fitting time to think about how stories, like those we analyze and discuss here, address the idea of death. Perhaps this is a rather glum subject, but it does not have to be. I sometimes joke with my literature and mythology students that no one ever “really” dies in mythology, that characters morph from one myth into another, that the stories themselves sustain thecharacters. In literature, characters can continue to live, as we revisit them, even if they “die” within the structure of the narrative. Rowling, like all the good storytellers and myth-makers who create the tales that teach and entertain us, works with the idea that those who die don’t really leave, whether they are family members or cuddly pigs; but perhaps it is a bit of stretch to assume no one “really” dies in these stories. Let’s ponder that further and see.

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Filed Under: C. S. Lewis, Christmas Pig, Cormoran Strike, Cuckoo's Calling, Elizabeth Baird Hardy

The Faerie Queene and The Christmas Pig

December 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment

One of the most wonderful features of Troubled Blood, at least for those of us who are devoted to Edmund Spenser, is the Faerie Queene subtext woven throughout Robin Ellacott and Cormoran Strike’s year-and-a-bit-long investigation into the cold case of MargoBamborough. With the publication of The Christmas Pig, it’s clear that J.K. Rowling’s Faerie Queene theme was not a one-shot effort, but evidence of Spenser’s prominence in her compost pile of influences. In addition to the wonderful connections to Scripture, Dante, and my longtime favorite, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Christmas Pig uses the Spenser template beautifully to weave an accessible, yet remarkably effective, allegory that is completely different from the latest Strike adventure while still drawing from the deep and powerful well of Spenser.

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Filed Under: Christmas Pig, Elizabeth Baird Hardy

The Inklings and Culture: A Feast of Brilliant Scholarship

May 27, 2021 by 1 Comment

One of the great joys of my work with authors like Rowling, Lewis, and others is the opportunity to interact with remarkable scholars from all over the world, and one scholar whose work never fails to impress me is Dr. Monika B. Hilder, Professor of English at Canada’s Trinity Western University. Among other accomplishments, she is the co-founder and co-director of the Inklings Institute of Canada, a remarkable group of scholars that has just produced an incredible collection of essays that is well worth the attention of any reader of the Inklings.

The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, and edited by Hilder as well as Sara L. Pearson and Laura N. VanDyke has something for everyone who enjoys the work of the most well-known Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, as well as that of less famous (to the general reader) members,  “de facto” Inklings members, and honorary or “proto-Inklings” like Charles Williams, Owen Barfield,  Dorothy Sayers, George MacDonald, and G.K. Chesterton. [Read more…]

Filed Under: C. S. Lewis, Elizabeth Baird Hardy Tagged With: ,

“Spenser Strikes Again!” at Virtual Voices Event this Saturday

March 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Since so many authors have not been able to make the usual circuit of events this past year, seventeen of the authors who publish with McFarland (including yours truly) will be speaking this Saturday at a virtual event from 1-5 EST. My McFarland book is Spenser, Milton, and the Chronicles of Narnia,  but it came out a while back, and these days, when I talk about Spenser, I like to talk about Cormoran Strike, so I’ll be giving a short talk highlighting some of the great Spenser/Strike connections that we have enjoyed exploring here. I hope you’ll join me, and some of the other interesting folks who will be speaking on topics as diverse as Terry Pratchett, Women in Sci-fi, Horror Movies, and everything in between!

Filed Under: Cormoran Strike, Elizabeth Baird Hardy Tagged With: , ,