The Tolkien Professor (Education)

The Intro Lecture, in which I discuss Tolkien's understanding of the nature and importance of storytelling. Primary Text: Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories"

The Hobbit Series Lecture 1, in which I examine how Tolkien introduces his fantasy world through his flustered little protagonist. Text: Chapter 1, "An Unexpected Party"

The Hobbit Series Lecture 2, in which I look at the beginning of Bilbo's burlarious career and examine the natures of trolls and elves. Text: Chapters 2 and 3, "Roast Mutton" and "A Short Rest"

The Hobbit Series Lecture 3, in which we come to the turning point of Bilbo's career. Containing a discussion of orcs and a careful reading of the Gollum encounter, riddle by riddle. Text: Chapters 4 and 5, "Over Hill and Under Hill" and "Riddles in the Dark"

An informal podcast Q&A, in which the Tolkien Professor discusses his views on the winglessness of Balrogs and the identity of Tom Bombadil

TP Bonus Content: A live recording of a joint lecture I gave in October 2008 with a former student, Shannon Holste, Washington College '07

A second informal podcast Q&A, in which the Tolkien Professor discusses Smaug's family history and the social life of orcs

A third informal podcast, in which the Tolkien Professor doesn't exactly answer anybody's questions, but talks about some of the issues involved in doing so

The Hobbit Series Lecture 4, Part 1, in which we look at the changes in Bilbo and his relationship with Gandalf and the dwarves. Text: Chapters 6 and 7, "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire" and "Queer Lodgings"

The Hobbit Series Lecture 4, Part 2, in which we take a close look at the goblins, the wargs, and the eagles. Text: Chapters 6 and 7, "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire" and "Queer Lodgings"

The Hobbit Series Lecture 4, Part 3, in which we examine Beorn, then step back and draw some conclusions about the Wild, followed by a brief discussion of fate and a close reading of the dwarves' song, "The Wind Was on the Withered Heath." Text: Chapters 6 and 7, "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire" and "Queer Lodgings"

A chat with Ben Kozlowski, Washington College Class of '08, about the knowledge of evil in Tolkien's world.

A chat with Tara Holste, Washington College Class of '07, about class relations in Tolkien's fiction, with a primary focus on the relationship between masters and servants.

Announcements of imminent events and upcoming new content.

The Tolkien Professor takes calls by Skype from listeners. Topics covered include the Eye of Sauron, the death of the Witchking, and Gandalf's death.

The Hobbit Series Lecture 5, Part 1, in which we consider the forest of Mirkwood and its denizens. Text: Chapters 8, 9, and 10: "Flies and Spiders," "Barrels Out of Bond," and "A Warm Welcome."

Introductory material from the first session of my Tolkien course at Washington College. Recorded 1/18/10.

"On Fairy-Stories," Part 1. Recorded 1/20/10.

"On Fairy-Stories," Part 2. Makeup recording following a lamentable software crash in the midst of the live recording (on 1/22/10).

Tolkien's poem "Mythopoeia." Also contains a bonus unabridged recording of the poem. Recorded 1/25/10.

End of "Mythopoeia" and "Leaf by Niggle," Part 1. Recorded 1/27/10.

"Leaf by Niggle," Part 2. Recorded 1/29/10.

"Smith of Wootton Major," Part 1. Recorded 2/1/10.

"Smith of Wootton Major," Part 2. Recorded 2/3/10.

Silmarillion: Ainulindale and Valaquenta. Recorded 2/5/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 1-7. Recorded 2/12/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 8-12. Recorded 2/12/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 13-17. Recorded 2/12/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 18-19. Recorded 2/15/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 20-21. Recorded 2/17/10.

Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion 22-24. Recorded 2/19/10.

Silmarillion: Akallabeth. Recorded 2/22/10.

Silmarillion: Of the Rings of Power. Recorded 2/24/10.

The Hobbit: Chaps 1-4. Recorded 2/26/10.

The Hobbit: Chaps 5-7. Recorded 3/1/10.

The Hobbit: Chaps 8-11. Recorded 3/3/10.

The Hobbit: Chaps 12-19. Recorded 3/5/10.

The FOTR: Forw, Prol, Chaps 1-2. Recorded 3/15/10.

TP Bonus Content: Lecture on Food for Hobbit Luncheon. Recorded 3/17/10

The FOTR: Book I, Chaps 3-6. Recorded 3/18/10.

The FOTR: Book I, Chaps 7-10. Recorded 3/19/10.

The FOTR: Book I, Chap 11 - Book II, Chap 1. Recorded 3/22/10.

The FOTR: Book II, Chap 2-3. Recorded 3/24/10.

The FOTR: Book II, Chap 4-6. Recorded 3/26/10.

The FOTR: Book II, Chap 7-10. Recorded 3/29/10.

The TT: Book III, Chap 1-3. Recorded 4/2/10.

The TT: Book III, Chap 4-6. Recorded 4/5/10.

The TT: Book III, Chap 7-9. Recorded 4/7/10.

The TT: Book III, Chap 10-11; IV.1. Recorded 4/9/10.

The TT: Book IV.2-5. Recorded 4/12/10.

The TT: Book IV.6-10. Recorded 4/14/10.

TP Bonus Content: Michael Drout Lecture: "Whole Worlds Out of Single Words: Tolkien and Language." Recorded 4/15/10

The ROTK: Book V.1-3. Recorded 4/16/10. Special Guest: Michael Drout!

The ROTK: Book V.4-7. Recorded 4/19/10.

The ROTK: Book V.8-10, VI.1. Recorded 4/21/10.

The ROTK: Book VI.2-5. Recorded 4/23/10.

The ROTK: Book VI.6-8. Recorded 4/26/10.

The ROTK: Book VI.9. Recorded 4/28/10.

A chat with Liz Bateman, Washington College Class of '09, about the power of tragedy in Tolkien's world.

A chat with Professor Michael Drout, editor of Tolkien Studies, about Tolkien's metafiction and the study of philology.

A conversation with KMO, host of the C-Realm Podcast, on the Silmarillion and Tolkien's mythology.

Discussing orcs v. goblins, the Watcher in the Water's targeting of Frodo, the lands east of Mordor, the possibility of Gandalf's torturing of Gollum, what happens to Frodo across the Sea, and the absence of religion in Middle-Earth. Students present: Caroline Knuth, Kelly Topita, Rachel Field, Mac Boyle, Will Malkus, and Eve Nealon.

The second Tolkien Professor open Skype Session, recorded on May 20, 2010. Topics discussed include Eowyn's career as a healer, the creation of the world in the Ainulindale, Arwen's jewel, Aragorn's early career, the depiction of the Rohirrim in the films, the eagles, and the dead guy in the Paths of the Dead.

A conversation with listeners Scott Holbrook-Foust and Eric Singletary, priamrily on written and oral cultures in Middle-Earth.

The third Tolkien Professor open Skype Session, recorded on June 3, 2010. Topics discussed include recording my class, goblins and orcs, Bilbo's luck, and Frodo's experiences in Mordor.

Discussing Aragorn's prophecies, Goldberry, and Glorfindel's identity. Students present: Rachel Field, Tessa Fox, and Trevor Williams.

A recording of the two papers on Tolkien I read at the Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo in May 2010: The Poetry of the Hobbit and Tolkien's Typology

Discussing the Nazgul's flying mount, the Ring's conferring of invisibility, and the theology of Middle-Earth. Students present: Allison Fischbach, Tessa Fox, and Trevor Williams.

A conversation with Tara Holste, a Washington College alum, about Tolkien's thoughts about and depictions of government.

The inaugural session of the new Silmarillion Seminar, discussing the Ainulindale.

The fourth Tolkien Professor open Skype Session, recorded on October 13, 2010. Topics discussed include the Ring and invisibility, Anglo-Saxon, religion, Sam's dialect, death, and the Children of Hurin.

A conversation with Allison Fischbach, a Washington College alum, about mortality and immortality in Tolkien, with special attention paid to the case of Turin Turambar and his family.

A roundtable discussion with John DiBartolo, Ted Nasmith, and Corey Olsen. This is the first of a three-part series.

The second session of the new Silmarillion Seminar, discussing the Valaquenta.

In preparation to the Faerie and Fantasy course, I have put together this brief introduction to reading Middle English, since the first few texts we will be discussing in class are in Middle English.

An unabridged recording of the poem Sir Orfeo, in Middle English. This is the first text we will be discussing in my Faerie and Fantasy course.

An unabridged recording of Sir Launfal, in Middle English. This is the second text we will be discussing in my Faerie and Fantasy course.

The Introductory Ramble for my new class, Faerie and Fantasy. Recorded 1/24/11.

The third session of the new Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 1 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Beginning of Days."

A discussion of the first 194 lines of Sir Orfeo, in the WC Faerie and Fantasy class. Recorded 1/26/11.

Sir Orfeo Part 2, in which we discuss Sir Orfeo's time of exile in the forest. Recorded 1/28/11.

Sir Orfeo, Part 3, in which we enter Faerie and find weird stuff. Recorded 1/31/11.

An unabridged recording of Dame Ragnelle.

An unabridged recording of The Wife of Bath's Tale.

Sir Launfal, Part 1, in which we meet our protagonist, his king, and his king's sketchy wife. Recorded 2/2/11.

Sir Launfal, Part 2, in which we examine the relationship between our protagonist and his fairy benefactors. Recorded 2/4/11.

The fourth session of the new Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 2 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of Aule and Yavanna."

Sir Launfal, Part 3, in which we see our protagonist's strange trial and unexpected deliverance. Recorded 2/7/11.

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, Part 1, in which we meet a knight with a funny name and a preternaturally ugly woman. Recorded 2/9/11.

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, Part 2, in which we discuss Sir Gawain's big choice. Recorded 2/11/11.

Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale, Part 1, in which we look at some of the remarkable differences between Chaucer's version of this story and Dame Ragnelle. Recorded 2/14/11.

Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale, Part 2, in which we look at some of the remarkable differences between Chaucer's version of this story and Dame Ragnelle. Recorded 2/16/11.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 1, in which we discuss happy endings and relatively jolly green giants. Recorded 2/18/11.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 2, in which we look carefully at our protagonist and his values. Recorded 2/21/11.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 3, in which we learn how to resist seduction with tact and aplomb. Recorded 2/23/11.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part 4, in which we look at the irregularities of the ending of this great poem. Recorded 2/25/11.

An essay exploring the representation of the Celtic Otherworld in Arthurian Literature, with a particular focus on Morgan Le Fay in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

A recording of the special live broadcast on the Middle-Earth Network Radio station a few weeks back, in which I unveiled my Big News.

The fifth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapters 3 and 4 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of the Elves" and "Of Thingol and Melian."

Andrew Lang Session 1, in which we discuss "Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," and "Aladdin." Recorded 2/28/11.

The sixth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 5 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalie."

Announcing the Mythgard Institute, offering courses in Tolkien Studies and related fields, beginning Fall 2011. Part one of two shows originally broadcast on the Middle-Earth Network Radio.

Part Two of the show announcing the grand opening of the Mythgard Institute in the Fall 2011 semester. Both parts were originally broadcast on the Middle-Earth Network Radio.

Andrew Lang Session 2, in which we discuss "Rumpelstiltzkin," "Hansel and Grettel," and "Beauty and the Beast." Recorded 3/2/11.

The seventh session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 6 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor."

After a brief message to Stephen Colbert, we move on to the eighth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 7 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor."

The ninth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 8 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Darkening of Valinor."

The tenth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 9 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor."

The eleventh session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 10 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Sindar."

The twelfth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, discussing Chapter 11 of the Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Sun and the Moon and the Hiding of Valinor."