“behind my stories is a nexus of language”
February 2, 2022 2:42 AM Subscribe
Nowhere and Back Again is a series of essays by Christine Kelley on Tolkien’s Middle Earth, for the Eruditorum Press blog. Kelley uses the geography of Middle Earth as a jumping off point for reflections on Tolkien’s writings, e.g. Dorwinion and wine, the Southeast and racism and Lake-town and democracy. Kelley finished Book I, focusing on Mordor, last autumn, and is now in the middle of Book II, which explores Rhovanion, also known as Wilderland.
There's a bunch of great stuff on the site -- Elizabeth Sandifer's essays have been linked previously, and Jack Graham is part of the I Don't Speak German podcast which is indispensable listening for people interested in the American Far-Right.
Back to reading about Mordor.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:12 AM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Back to reading about Mordor.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:12 AM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thanks for this post. My son just received a leather bound set of the series for Christmas. I hoped maybe we could stop with the Hobbit until he could understand better some of Tolkien's structural racism. The Southeast will be a really good article to draw on in discussions with him.
posted by Mister Cheese at 3:23 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister Cheese at 3:23 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is excellent analysis and there is so much of it. Wow!
I appreciate the textual references to letters and the other writings I haven't read myself.
A+++ would buy as hardcover.
posted by away for regrooving at 10:56 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
I appreciate the textual references to letters and the other writings I haven't read myself.
A+++ would buy as hardcover.
posted by away for regrooving at 10:56 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Mister Cheese: My son just received a leather bound set of the series for Christmas
My six-year-old son has started to be interested in various pop cultural created worlds, and Tolkien is probably already on the horizon. Of all the various nerdy things of my youth, Tolkien’s fiction is the one I both find the most fascinating, and also most problematic. I really appreciate Kelley’s series for helping me think through various aspects of Tolkien’s work that I’ve had a hard time getting to grips with. Hopefully by the time my son gets around to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I’ll be able to talk with him about it sensibly.
posted by Kattullus at 1:04 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
My six-year-old son has started to be interested in various pop cultural created worlds, and Tolkien is probably already on the horizon. Of all the various nerdy things of my youth, Tolkien’s fiction is the one I both find the most fascinating, and also most problematic. I really appreciate Kelley’s series for helping me think through various aspects of Tolkien’s work that I’ve had a hard time getting to grips with. Hopefully by the time my son gets around to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I’ll be able to talk with him about it sensibly.
posted by Kattullus at 1:04 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The illustrations are outstanding.
posted by neuron at 7:18 PM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by neuron at 7:18 PM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
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