Tag Archives: The Lord of the Rings

Let’s Talk About Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien’s Greatest Characters on the Plunge Podcast with Derek Holser

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Brenton Dickieson

Ah, Sam, what a character. When Derek Holser reached out to me about his Tolkien’s Greatest Characters series on the Plunge, Samwise Gamgee came first to mind. The most hobbitish of heroes, the gardening guardian, most faithful companion of the fellowship, … Continue reading →

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Exploring the 2025 Mythopoeic Award Inklings Scholarship Finalists

Posted on July 31, 2025 by

It is award season! The Mythopoeic Society released its 2025 Awards shortlists earlier this year. While I had good intentions to read a lot more, there is only one category I was able to work through all of the finalists: … Continue reading →

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Do the Inhabitants of Arda Know How Their Own Story Ends? A Thesis Theatre on Middle-earth Eschatology by Jeffrey Wade (Wed, Jun 4, 5:00pm ET)

Posted on June 2, 2025 by

Once again, I have had the distinct pleasure to work with a Signum University MA student through their thesis process. Jeffrey Wade has completed his thesis on “Unveiling Hope: Do the Inhabitants of Arda Know How Their Own Story Ends?” … Continue reading →

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An Abundance of Spreadsheets about Tolkien’s Expanded Letters (Part 2 of Voyaging With Voyant)

Posted on March 4, 2025 by

Introducing The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien I have confessed before how much I value the letter collections of authors that intrigue me. Besides C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, I’ve spent time in correspondence collections by Dorothy L. Sayers, James Thurber, … Continue reading →

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Voyaging with Voyant in Tolkien’s Expanded Letters (Part 1: Background and Themes)

Posted on February 19, 2025 by

In this post, Dr. Brenton Dickieson discusses Tolkien’s newly expanded letter collection, exploring its publication history and significance, and playing with some Voyant text analytical tools to understand trends in Tolkien’s correspondence and his creative practice. Continue reading →

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