Letters Discussion >> Discuss Carpenter #131: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldman on 1951 (late)
Discuss Carpenter #131: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldman on 1951 (late)
31 January
(edited)
2024-1-31 8:22:28 AM UTC
2024-1-31 8:22:28 AM UTC
Letter link: Carpenter #131: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldman • 1951 (late) (#152)
Can someone with a copy of the new Letters (mine is still on order, it seems I'm waiting for the second printing to get here to Australia) tell me which manuscripts listed in the new part of the letter are marked with an asterisk, noting them as being intended for publication? I saw this noted somewhere online that I cannot find again. From memory the list of asterisked items was roughly
Music of the Ainur
The History of the Eldar
The Rings of Power
The Downfall of Númenor
The Lord of the Rings
Concerning Hobbits
The Languages of the Third Age, and The Alphabets
Of Aragorn and Arwen Undómiel
[possibly other LotR-related material]
When I first heard of the existence of the list of manuscripts, I assumed it was meant to indicate all that Tolkien wanted to publish, but have since learned of the additional marking of the specific items Tolkien was proposing to Waldman.
I found it very interesting that aside from the LotR material, the 1977 Silmarillion is more or less the asterisked items, if not exactly—up to the matter of Christopher separating the Valaquenta into its own section apart.
If there are worries about too much replication of the content of the letter, I'm happy to just know the non-LotR items with an asterisk.
Can someone with a copy of the new Letters (mine is still on order, it seems I'm waiting for the second printing to get here to Australia) tell me which manuscripts listed in the new part of the letter are marked with an asterisk, noting them as being intended for publication? I saw this noted somewhere online that I cannot find again. From memory the list of asterisked items was roughly
Music of the Ainur
The History of the Eldar
The Rings of Power
The Downfall of Númenor
The Lord of the Rings
Concerning Hobbits
The Languages of the Third Age, and The Alphabets
Of Aragorn and Arwen Undómiel
[possibly other LotR-related material]
When I first heard of the existence of the list of manuscripts, I assumed it was meant to indicate all that Tolkien wanted to publish, but have since learned of the additional marking of the specific items Tolkien was proposing to Waldman.
I found it very interesting that aside from the LotR material, the 1977 Silmarillion is more or less the asterisked items, if not exactly—up to the matter of Christopher separating the Valaquenta into its own section apart.
If there are worries about too much replication of the content of the letter, I'm happy to just know the non-LotR items with an asterisk.
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