The Tolkien Professor

Insidious Rex · 02-09-2011, 05:01 PM

Not really sure where to put this since we dont have a general TOLKIEN AND HIS WORKS thread (or a Tolkien resource thread for that matter) so Ill just plunk it here. Feel free to move if necessary.

Perhaps this has been noted here before (couldnt find it after trying several searches) but I wanted to alert people to the works of one Corey Olsen who is a professor at Washington College not too far from me in Maryland. He teaches Medieval History and a lot of his course involves Tolkien's works. I know virtually all of us here would have killed to have had a chance to go to a school where we could take a full course on Tolkien Lore by a passionate expert in the field so it is very fortunate that Prof. Olsen has decided to FREELY PUBLISH/POST his lectures on a web site called The Tolkien Professor. Check it out and listen to some of the lectures. They are fascinating and especially intriguing for wonks like us.

Oh and he made a Tolkien quiz and posted it on the Washington Post's Blog Page if you want to try your luck...

EllethValatari · 02-09-2011, 05:56 PM

I've had this website bookmarked for a long time-never thought to share it here! Thanks for bringing it up, IR!

He really is an expert on Tolkien and his lectures are very good-and free to listen to! He also has a new recording from a discussion with John DiBartolo and Ted Nasmith-they're on the homepage of his site.

***Alcuin*** · 02-10-2011, 02:45 AM

Thank you, Insidious Rex.

***Valandil*** · 02-10-2011, 08:43 AM

Yes - thanks, IR! This looks cool. I'll have to give it more time later.

GrayMouser · 02-10-2011, 11:27 AM

Haven't had time to visit the blog, but the first two questions on the WaPo quiz are:

1) Do Balrog have wings?
2) What is Tom Bombadil?

The answers, very definitely, according to the Prof, are "no" and "a Maiar" respectively.

***Rían*** · 02-10-2011, 05:48 PM

Well, that's no fun! You mean we have to stop debating?

At least at the end of the quiz, it says "you agreed with the professor on x out of x questions" instead of "you are right on x out of x questions".

Thanks for the link, IR - it will be fun to browse thru

Fool_of_a_Took · 02-12-2011, 03:56 PM

I really enjoyed this quiz! Thanks for posting it.

I'm in my 4th year of college and EVERY semester, I look for a Tolkien class but sadly, none have been taught at my school while I was a student. I think we need to petition that Tolkien be taught at all public Universities

On a slightly dissappointing note, I have recently leaned that the high school I attended and many others in the area have cut the works of Tolkien from the curriculum because teachers fear that students will only watch the movies and not read the books

02-09-2011, 05:01 PM	#1
Insidious Rex Quasi Evil Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Maryland, US Posts: 4,634	The Tolkien Professor Not really sure where to put this since we dont have a general TOLKIEN AND HIS WORKS thread (or a Tolkien resource thread for that matter) so Ill just plunk it here. Feel free to move if necessary. Perhaps this has been noted here before (couldnt find it after trying several searches) but I wanted to alert people to the works of one Corey Olsen who is a professor at Washington College not too far from me in Maryland. He teaches Medieval History and a lot of his course involves Tolkien's works. I know virtually all of us here would have killed to have had a chance to go to a school where we could take a full course on Tolkien Lore by a passionate expert in the field so it is very fortunate that Prof. Olsen has decided to FREELY PUBLISH/POST his lectures on a web site called The Tolkien Professor. Check it out and listen to some of the lectures. They are fascinating and especially intriguing for wonks like us. Oh and he made a Tolkien quiz and posted it on the Washington Post's Blog Page if you want to try your luck... __________________ "People's political beliefs don't stem from the factual information they've acquired. Far more the facts people choose to believe are the product of their political beliefs." "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

02-09-2011, 05:56 PM	#2
EllethValatari Elven Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: United States Posts: 401	I've had this website bookmarked for a long time-never thought to share it here! Thanks for bringing it up, IR! He really is an expert on Tolkien and his lectures are very good-and free to listen to! He also has a new recording from a discussion with John DiBartolo and Ted Nasmith-they're on the homepage of his site. __________________ Elleth Valatari "We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil." — J.R.R. Tolkien

02-10-2011, 08:43 AM	#4
*Valandil* High King at Annuminas Administrator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming - USA Posts: 10,752	Yes - thanks, IR! This looks cool. I'll have to give it more time later. __________________ My Fanfic: Letters of Firiel Tales of Nolduryon Visitors Come to Court Ñ á ë ?* ó ú é ä ï ö Ö ñ É Þ ð ß ® ™ [Xurl=Xhttp://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=ABCXYZ#postABCXYZ]text[/Xurl] Splitting Threads is SUCH Hard Work!!

02-10-2011, 11:27 AM	#5
GrayMouser Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ilha Formosa Posts: 2,068	Haven't had time to visit the blog, but the first two questions on the WaPo quiz are: 1) Do Balrog have wings? 2) What is Tom Bombadil? The answers, very definitely, according to the Prof, are "no" and "a Maiar" respectively. __________________ Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them? "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals."- Winston Churchill

02-10-2011, 05:48 PM	#6
*Rían* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Well, that's no fun! You mean we have to stop debating? At least at the end of the quiz, it says "you agreed with the professor on x out of x questions" instead of "you are right on x out of x questions". Thanks for the link, IR - it will be fun to browse thru __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva!

02-10-2011, 02:45 AM	#3
*Alcuin* Salt Miner Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: gone to Far Harad Posts: 987	Thank you, Insidious Rex.

02-12-2011, 03:56 PM	#7
Fool_of_a_Took Hobbit Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Hobbiton, New Jersey Posts: 35	I really enjoyed this quiz! Thanks for posting it. I'm in my 4th year of college and EVERY semester, I look for a Tolkien class but sadly, none have been taught at my school while I was a student. I think we need to petition that Tolkien be taught at all public Universities On a slightly dissappointing note, I have recently leaned that the high school I attended and many others in the area have cut the works of Tolkien from the curriculum because teachers fear that students will only watch the movies and not read the books __________________ "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself down next time, rid us of your nuisance!" "We're flat broke, but hey, we do it in style."

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