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Roheryn
Dor-Lomin
May 22 2013, 10:19am
Post #1 of 22
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Can I just say that I would absolutely *love*
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to present a paper at this conference?
(HA! And you lot were sure I was going to write something about Thorin's hair. Gotcha!)
Talk about geek heaven -- a whole conference devoted to scholarly presentations on All Things Middle-earth. Even more than I'd love to give a paper there, I'd love to hear all the papers everyone else presents! Talk about uber-geekdom bliss. I'd especially love to hear papers on astronomy, geography, geology, flora/fauna, and the languages. And you know, if I thought I could make it to Westford, MA in 2014, I might actually start working on a paper on Middle-earth fauna.
So, would you attend the conference if you could? If you could present a paper, what would it be on?
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
May 22 2013, 10:30am
Post #2 of 22
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This conference sounds like a geek's paradise! You should definitely start working on your presentation and proposal. I'd love to go to a Middle-earth conference. There has been one that includes presentations on Tolkien's works in Kalamazoo, Michigan about 3 hrs from me, but they always seem to be on days when I'm working my 2nd job. :(
Flora and Fauna of Middle-earth. PERFECT!
4th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observation List - May 1, 2013
"There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West."
I'm SO HAPPY these new films take me back to that magical world!!
TIME Google Calendar
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists (updated soon)
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DanielLB
Elvenhome
May 22 2013, 10:40am
Post #3 of 22
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But how did I miss this before!
I'd have to do a presentation on the climate of Middle-earth.
In fact, I already have an idea (based on by own work). Ered Luin is probably a perfect location for foehn events, and the east of the mountains is probably very pleasant. Also, I've always thought that the Grey Havens would be a terrible place for a harbour - all that air passing through the mountain gap would make it near impossible to set sail.
A 2000 word essay ... I could do that!   
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Brethil
Gondolin
May 22 2013, 1:36pm
Post #4 of 22
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So cool - thanks for posting this
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What a **geekapalooza**!!!!!
Would love to ramble on about his vision of immortality would converge with biology. And I see someone may be tacking that Durin's Day question - nice! We are discussing the geography now in the Sil chapter, that's a really rich topic, especially as Daniel says once you extrapolate patterns from the topology.
So are you writing yet on flora and fauna, Ro?  Daniel?
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
(This post was edited by Brethil on May 22 2013, 1:37pm)
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 22 2013, 2:21pm
Post #5 of 22
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but too far away to travel to really  I would love to sometime sit down and think about the concept of healing in Middle Earth, tying in with my RL profession. It's something I have mused on intermittently since first reading LOTR- there's a lot to think about, both from the point of view of various herbs and medicines and also more esoteric healing eg Frodo travelling to Valinor. Alas, time is not a friend to most of us who all have busy lives
Though.... we could have our own on-line TORn conference and submit papers etc! Would take an awful lot of organisation and coordination I fear
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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DanielLB
Elvenhome
May 22 2013, 5:04pm
Post #6 of 22
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I think you're on to a good idea...
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Though.... we could have our own on-line TORn conference and submit papers etc! Would take an awful lot of organisation and coordination I fear
It doesn't have to be anything fancy - we could "host" it on the forum. I wouldn't make it regular (like weekly, fortnightly or bi-monthly) as it would be a lot to ask from everyone. Every 6 months perhaps we could call for *short* essays (maybe 500 words and less) on a topic of interest (as long as it is Tolkien related), and for them all to be posted either in the Reading Room/Main in one thread? I suppose it would be like any other Reading Room discussion, but much wider in scope, with lots of topics. That would lead up to many, many discussions.
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 22 2013, 9:46pm
Post #8 of 22
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How could we take this forward?
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I have to admit that, whilst I am enthusastic about the idea, I do not currently have time to develop it, although I should do after the summer period.
Any thoughts anybody?
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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Brethil
Gondolin
May 22 2013, 10:33pm
Post #9 of 22
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With a designated leader to organize topics? Move from Sil thru TH thru LOTR?
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 22 2013, 10:50pm
Post #10 of 22
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I'm not sure that dividing into books is the way to go, since a number of topics are sort of "pan-legendarium", eg if say Ro wrote on Fauna of ME or I wrote on Healing in ME, that would cut across all the books. It would be difficult say (sorry to use your topic as an example Ro) to divide into fauna in the Sil, Fauna in tH, fauna in LOTR per se, because there is a lot of overlap and compare and contrast.
I would foresee doing this as being a bit more like Daniel LB sets out. People can then dip into and discuss the topics that interest them, like they would if attending a RL conference. Frequency really depends on how many are interested in posting and reading. If there is a lot of interest, then more frequently would be better, because otherwise there may be too many posts, if not as much interest, then a longer interval in order to collect a decent number of topics in ( minimum 3-4 IMO)
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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Brethil
Gondolin
May 22 2013, 11:14pm
Post #11 of 22
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Yes I was thinking in book-discussion patterns, but by topic patterns we could cross over all the works much better. I think 3-4 topics is an excellent amount really, not too much at once.
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 22 2013, 11:30pm
Post #12 of 22
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I should start a separate thread on here and als in RR- recruit some of the crew there. I'll sleep on this tonight (going to bed now- is 00:30 here!) and post something tomorrow.
Thanks to Ro for starting the whole idea off!
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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Asclepias
Ossiriand
May 23 2013, 3:47am
Post #14 of 22
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I've got the flora! Mellyrn trees, elanor, niphredil, and Huorns (those count, right?) here I come!
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DanielLB
Elvenhome
May 23 2013, 7:02am
Post #15 of 22
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And if I'm writing about weather and climate, that constitutes as work, doesn't it?
I definitely wouldn't split it into books, because you'll/we'll just end up with a normal Reading Room discussion. We want slightly zanny topics, that aren't related to each other, but give all of us different insights in to various topics relating to Tolkien.
6 months is probably the maximum for each thread, and 1 month the minimum. There is no way I could contribute an essay once a month - every 2/3 months is more realistic. Perhaps put the idea out there, and have a test run in July/August and see how well it goes.
As an idea, we could advertise it like this:
We welcome short essays on all aspects of Tolkien's works; in the physical, social and political sciences, including; climate and weather, biology and ecology, geology, marine and terrestrial flora and fauna; relevant cultural, social, economic and political issues; as well as essays on Tolkien's inspiration, how Tolkien inspires you (artistically), and a place to share poems and songs.
We could always take this to email/PM, if you like?
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 23 2013, 7:07am
Post #16 of 22
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I'll PM you in a little while re this
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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Roheryn
Dor-Lomin
May 23 2013, 8:56am
Post #17 of 22
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And I'm happy to help a bit too as I can.
I'm with you, Daniel, on the timing; I think monthly is too often, at least if we want to keep the quality of the essays reasonably high. Such things take time to write, and few of us could do that on a monthly basis.
However, we might be able to do it monthly if, beforehand, we draw up a potential list of topics, and ask people to sign up for a topic and a month. Depending on levels of interest, we could have, say, several people post essays on a single topic (or maybe a couple of closely related topics) in a given month, with a new topic (and different people posting their essays) the next month; alternately, in a given month, we could have several people post essays, each on a different topic, and then different people posting the next month. Either way, there's sign-up involved, and no one need feel that they need to write an essay every month. If there's not enough interest, of course, this could happen every two or three months instead.
As for potential topics, I'd specifically include languages and linguistics too. And I'm not sure poems and songs belong; while I love for people to share them, maybe this would be a bit more semi-scholarly? This could be a really fun way for people to apply their professional -- or just geeky, it need not be professional! -- expertise to whatever aspects of Tolkien's works most interest them.
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elaen32
Mithlond
May 23 2013, 6:53pm
Post #18 of 22
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Stop Press- see new thread in Reading Room
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Some of us are trying to go ahead with the idea of having an online symposium here on TORn. Details of what we propose are in the Reading Room. Nothing too taxing or too academic- just some fun exchanging our own writings etc on Tolkien topics (please note this does not include fan fiction at the moment). Please pop over to the RR, have a read and let us know what you think,
"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold"
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silneldor
Gondolin
May 23 2013, 11:15pm
Post #19 of 22
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I'd like to do a scholarly M.e. high brow dissertation on this contemplative subject. *raises nose way up*
''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants or dragons; it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are one in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted."
— J.R.R. Tolkien
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 23 2013, 11:56pm
Post #20 of 22
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You might appreciate this addition to your dissertation.
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Christchurch long-drops after the Feb 2011 earthquake. With the sewerage broken a lot of people took to creating long-drops in their back garden. Some were so creative that a competition was born - and the rest is hygiene history.
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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N.E. Brigand
Gondolin
May 23 2013, 11:58pm
Post #21 of 22
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FYI: Jan Howard Finder, the conference's "Thain", died in February.
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This doesn't seem to have been mentioned on TORN. Here's an article in the Times Union and a note by David Bratman on the death of the superfan known as "Thain Peregrin" and "The Wombat".
Who's running the conference (the website for which doesn't mention Finder's death)? Lin Daniel? (There's some neat info on Finder at that blog, by the way.)
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Discuss Tolkien's life and works in the Reading Room!
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How to find old Reading Room discussions.
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silneldor
Gondolin
May 24 2013, 1:56am
Post #22 of 22
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Talk about 'exhaustive' research material...
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 . Now that was a through tour of Christchurch i must say. It was quite the avenue for humor.
I liked Toddy's hole, complete with shake-proof wine glass holder. The umbrella ones i like for their . convertible roof features. The ones with a view offers a nice feature, as long it is a one way view. I like the flexible plywood base designed for the 'variety of aftershocks'. And the poignant one was the one illustrating the potty that made its rounds about the garden with the many digging and filling in's. Goes to show the marathon undertaking this event was.
Thanks Ataahua for ingenious footnote material and hilarity it produced.
''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants or dragons; it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are one in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted."
— J.R.R. Tolkien
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