Hobbit festivities here in the Ozarks...

[cairistiona]

I hope to have a Hobbity sort of weekend, or at least, a Hobbity afternoon tomorrow, if it works out.  There's a speaker coming to our local library tomorrow afternoon, Justin Noetzel, who teaches British Lit and composition at St. Louis University. As a student, he sat under Tom Shippey when he taught there, so I'm very much looking forward to what he has to say about Tolkien and his life and influences.  There's another session in the evening, mostly about the movies, but with my mom's health being what it is, I won't be able to attend that one.  Still, I'm very much looking forward to the afternoon one. Living where I do, and with the situation with my mom's health, there's not exactly a plethora of opportunities to listen to Tolkien scholars, so I really hope it works out for me to slip away for a few hours to hear him.

Mr. Noetzel is a member of the Woode-walkers, the Grad Student Medievel Reading Group at the university, and they have a blog that occasionally deals with Tolkien, and today's post has a lot of links to articles and symposiums about The Hobbit. I've not had the time to look into all of them, but I'm sure they're very interesting.   He even mentions Emil Johansson's LOTRProject, which is an outstanding "family tree" of all the Tolkien characters (and an App I really must download now that I have a better phone that actually lets me use apps).

If I get to attend, I'll post a review of sorts.  I'm terrible at synopsising anything (which is a new word, by the way), so it won't exactly be exhaustive, but I'm going to take notes and hope I can put together something coherent.

Comments

[mikononyte.livejournal.com]

That there is anything at all in your part of the world is a plus. I'm in the desert out here unless you are a fawning sycophant of Jack Kerowak. *sigh*

BUT

I thank you deeply for the link to the Woode web blog. I love reading medieval lit and while no one I know is in to it I can at least read what the experts and masters have to say. *bows* Thank you very much!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

There you go, then! My work here is done. Well, not really...

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

I so hope you at least get to some of this, if only for the fun of meeting up with fellow fans.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I don't know how much socializing something like this will include, it being at a library, but it will be interesting to see how many people show up. I doubt I'll know a soul!

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

I'm soooooooooooooooooooo hoping you get to attend. Then you can have a blast, and as a bonus we'll get to read a wonderful report of the conference.

And thanks for that link. I've bookmarked it, and mean to explore it most thoroughly.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! I hope you find something new amongst all those links.

I'm keeping all fingers crossed I can go. My mom's not been feeling well this afternoon despite a good morning, so I won't know until tomorrow. *fingers crossed*

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll make it. Have a great time! :)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I hope I make it, too.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I do hope you get to it - it is just so good to meet other people who have read what you have read, and like what you like. Like LJ but with talking out loud...

Also - what an excellent picture of Gandalf.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Like LJ but with talking out loud...

Exactly! *g*

And that photo of Gandalf is from one of the character posters from The Hobbit. I really like it.

[shirebound]

I know you'll enjoy the afternoon. What a treat!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I can't wait! :)

[suzll.livejournal.com]

Oh, how fun!! I hope you enjoy it! :D

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I'm positive I'll enjoy it... it will feel a bit like college again, but without any pressure of taking notes for things that will be on a test. *g*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what the Tolkien conference this summer felt like.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I hope it has been a fun and hobbity weekend for you! As for me, I watched the trailer of The Hobbit when I went to watch Skyfall yesterday. Can't wait to see it!!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

It was a fun weekend; the lecture was excellent. :)

I was hoping they'd show The Hobbit trailer before Skyfall here, but they didn't, drat it. Oh well. Not like I have to wait very long to see it in its entirety!

Did you like Skyfall? I thought it was pretty good.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I watched Skyfall TWICE!