The University of Chicago Press will be distributing "Magical Tales" in the USA. It will be available in June (about a month after the Bodleian release date).

http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/b ... ributed/M/bo15600475.html



EDITED BY CAROLYNE LARRINGTON AND DIANE PURKISS
Distributed for Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
Anna Caughey, David Clark, Hannah Field, Carolyne Larrington, and Diane Purkiss

192 pages
70 color plates
7 x 7 1/2
Paperback
$45.00
ISBN: 9781851242641

A faun carrying an umbrella. A hobbit who makes his home in a hole in the ground. An ill-treated schoolboy with a secret and a scar. Fantasy is among the most beloved genres in children’s literature— and its offerings are often just as eagerly anticipated by adults. But how is it that writers like J. K. Rowling and Philip Pullman are able to create such remarkable images?

Magical Tales traces the origin of the genre back through Norse mythology, Arthurian legend, and medieval literature. Drawing on manuscripts and rare books in the renowned collection of the Bodleian Library, the essays turn the spotlight on spell books; grimoires, or magical textbooks; and books of legend and myth whose themes writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis incorporated into their work, inspiring generations of writers that extend to the present day. In serving as a source of inspiration for later literary works, the contributors show, myths and legends have themselves been altered in interesting ways.

Richly illustrated, Magical Tales offers an enchanting take on the development of this wildly popular genre.

Thanks Urulókë for that one--I wasn't aware of that book.

As most of you already know, the reprint of _J. R. R. Tolkien, Scholar and Storyteller: Essays in Memorium_ is now available: https://www.amazon.com/J-R-Tolkien-Sch ... collsguid-20&linkCode=osi

I'd highly recommend it if you don't already own it.

"It includes his obituary notices from The Times of London [frequently and erroneously attributed to C.S. Lewis] and his valedictory address at Oxford in which he points out, eloquently and purposefully, the artificiality of the split between language and literary study." I think the version printed here is slightly different than the one that appears in _Monsters and the the Critics_. The collection also contains an early piece by Shippey.

Urulókë wrote:
As far as I can tell that Silmarillion is just new cover art. Yes?

Presumably, yes. It looks like it's intended to match this existing Hobbit/LR set:

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/titles/65867/the-hobbit-and-the-lord-of-the-rings-boxed-set-j-r-r-tolkien-9780261103566

The cover's up:

BH

This is blatant self-promotion, but even so, the new issue of Mythlore will be coming out soon: http://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore/mythlore-121-122/.

The Tolkien Estate has been extremely kind in allowing me to quote from a previously unpublished Tolkien letter in my article, in which Tolkien briefly discusses Narnia.

For those interested in previously unpublished material from Tolkien, you might want to pick up a copy.

Josh

Congrats Josh! Looking forward to reading it.

Many congratulations, Josh! I will order this issue (and I really need to become a member of the Mythopoeic Society).

Blatant self-promotion is fine with us Josh --thanks for letting us know!

BH

You'll all have heard about this by now, but unfortunately the news spread in the Tolkien circles based on a link to a dubious newspaper article. This is the link to the original source (and I feel sorry for Dr Brown who got so much bad publicity for what appears to be mere invention by the author of the newspaper article):

http://rydalpenrhos.com/news/13/04/lifelong_passion_for_tolkien

My question:

As I have never attempted to do the following -- is it possible to purchase a copy of a PhD thesis (i.e., Sara Brown's thesis)? A thesis is a public document, right? How would I proceed?

Morgan wrote:
You'll all have heard about this by now, but unfortunately the news spread in the Tolkien circles based on a link to a dubious newspaper article. This is the link to the original source (and I feel sorry for Dr Brown who got so much bad publicity for what appears to be mere invention by the author of the newspaper article):

http://rydalpenrhos.com/news/13/04/lifelong_passion_for_tolkien

My question:

As I have never attempted to do the following -- is it possible to purchase a copy of a PhD thesis (i.e., Sara Brown's thesis)? A thesis is a public document, right? How would I proceed?

If it is anything like the dissertation for my Bachelors, we had to provide two bound copies (bound specifically according to the requirements of the University), and one copy was returned after marking, and the other was lodged with the University library. I can't remember whether copyright was transferred to the University or if it remained with the author. I expect the library copy was shredded years ago, as they were mostly only of interest to future students working on their own dissertations.