Words Do Things

A Course on Malcolm Guite's Merlin's Isle Vol I Four Tuesdays: October 6, 13, 20, & 27, from 3-5pm eastern online Visit ⁠https://wyrdhoard.com/gg-class/⁠ to register now! ⁠‪

Put on your shining armor and come on this quest! Why is an epic retelling of the King Arthur story, told in old-fashioned ballad meter, the #1 bestselling poem in the world?! How has the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite crafted the perfect story for our times out ...

For this last interview in the “Elvish English” series, literacy expert Elise Trudel Cedeño talks about the many ways our varied human brains learn to read, including oral, visual, verbal, and tactile approaches. She shares how she uses Tolkien in her teaching, since his approach to language is both historically embedded and physically vivid. She and Sørina discuss “series theory” (a mode of analyzing books ...

Astronomer Kristine Larsen takes Elvish English in a different direction: To outer space! She and Sørina talk about how mythology makes constellations, about the origins of the moon, and about the aurora borealis JRRT saw in the skies over Oxford. Dr. Larsen shares about how objects in space get named: Can you guess which ones must be named after Tolkien characters? And as if celestial bodies aren’t enough, they also explore ...

Sørina gets to talk to Dr. Simon Horobin, Professor of English Language & Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. In one of the most scholarly episodes in the series, they discuss what C. S. Lewis did in his day job and what he thought of modern literature, how Lewis encouraged Tolkien, and what the job of a philologist is. Prof. Horobin describes Tolkien’s work at the Oxford English Dictionary. They s...

TikTok star Knewbettadobetta (Willie Jenkins) talks to Sørina about Tolkien’s special power of creating a sense of depth through the withheld image. Then he compares Tolkien’s highly rhythmical, alliterative writing style to the virtuosic poetry of today’s hip-hop stars. They lament the political and ideological appropriation of Tolkien by ill-intentioned fans and celebrate ways the lore of Middle-earth brings peo...

Was Eowyn a tradwife?! This episode tackles a triad of topics: Tolkien and source criticism, Tolkien and AI, Tolkien and politics. Filled with some of the most beautiful poetry recitations of the series and packed with both technical details and inspiring insights, this talk between Jason Fisher and Sørina Higgins dips into the cauldron of stories, coming up with rich and delicious details—and also denouncing big tech compani...

In which the host talks far too much (ahem!), but the guest—when allowed to get a word in edgewise—gives great insights into the teaching of classic literature. We need to read old books, he says, for their sheer beauty and for their themes, which we badly need today. The same goes for the works of Tolkien, and Larry and Sørina work through the complexities of how “the long defeat” and “eucatastrophe&r...

The award-winning author of Tolkien & The Great War and several other books on Tolkien joins Sørina to talk about John Ronald’s war experience, the relationship between trauma and silence, what’s wrong with generative AI, and more.

John Garth’s website: https://johngarth.co.uk/

John’s fundraising page: https://steady.page/en/john-garth-on-tolkiens-life-and-works/about

John’s blog: https://johngarth...

That’s not the only topic we discuss! Sørina gets her clearest answer yet about the relationship among consciousness, language, and mythology, and Janet solves the mystery of animal sentience! They dive into the history of Tolkien’s fame and what he’s done for the fantasy genre, and they close with a look at how The Lord of the Rings applies to their situation living in Minneapolis at the height of ICE activity an...

Please welcome my friend & hero, “the world’s least likely influencer”; poet, priest, rock-n-roller; the #1 best-selling poet in the world: Malcolm Guite! In his inimitable, inspiring fashion, the Rev. Dr. tells tales to delight the mind and the ear, praising the beauties of rhyme and meter, eschewing irony. He rhapsodizes about Tolkien’s prophetic power and genuine magic to speak worlds into being. As a...

Shawn Marchese & Alan Sisto talk Tolkien! The Prancing Pony Guys get back together for this delightful conversation about phonetic fitness, word nerdery, linguistic beauty, and personal delight in the Legendarium. What’s your favorite moment in the show? Please share!

* Be sure to subscribe to The Prancing Pony Podcast if you don't already! https://theprancingponypodcast.com/  * Follow Prancing Pony Productions for ...

Want to know a little more about what philology is, what Tolkien’s job was, and how languages work (both natural and constructed)? Then join these two professors for a long conversation asking things like: Which words are pretty? Why are they pretty? Does God think they’re pretty? Is English better than German? Is Welsh better than English? They get into the concept of “true names,” important discussions of ...