The Last Homely House

After our brief holiday tangent, our hosts return to wrap up their discussion of art in Middle Earth. Today they think about Art vs. Industry. Why is making art a good thing in Tolkien's world, while being "industrious" is a bad thing? When does "making things" move from "art" to "industry," and why is "industry" such a bad thing?

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, our hosts take a moment to honor Middle-Earth's most often forgotten partner: Celeborn. Whether it's Gandalf, Elrond, or even Sauron/Halbrand...Galadriel hangs out with everyone BUT her poor husband. Join us as we remember poor lost Celeborn this Valentine's Day (because no one else will)!

Tolkien's world is full of art, but one medium that is notably absent is painting. Paintings and drawings don't have the same place in Middle Earth that sculpture, crafting, and music have. Our hosts discuss why that might be, and then talk about Tolkien as a visual artist himself. Which of Tolkien's drawings are your favorite? Do you have another favorite artist of Middle Earth?

Our hosts talk more about art, turning from sculpture and jewels to the art of music. What is the significance of music in Middle Earth? How do different peoples use it? Does it tap into something foundational for Tolkien?

Ron rejoins us, so we revisit a few questions from last week (on Kids in Middle Earth) and then we jump into a new topic. Tolkien's Middle Earth is full of art and artists. So what art stands out to you the most? Where does it show up? Who makes it? And why?

Ron is away welcoming a new grandchild to the family. So Jon and Jasmine take the opportunity to chat about children in Middle-Earth. Where are the kids in Tolkien's stories? What about his stories, his world, and his own experience in life might lead him to shy away from including too many children?

Picking up on last week's discussion on the Fate of elves and men, our hosts chat on how Fate and Free Will interact in Middle Earth. On the one hand, you have the Doom of Mandos and other prophetic voices that seem to dictate how events will turn out. On the other hand, you have characters making choices that shape their destinies. How do these things work together? Where are the Valar in all of...

Circling back to the story of Beren and Luthien, our hosts chat about the incredible choice that is presented to Luthien: the ability to embrace the "gift of men"--mortality--so that she can be with Beren forever. We talk about this gift, the fate of elves and men, and where the half elven fit into that scheme.

Join our hosts this Christmas as they discuss the giving of gifts in Middle Earth. What are some of the gifts that made an impact on Tolkien's world (for good and for ill). What makes a good gift? And as an added bonus, what would you buy for members of the Fellowship if you drew their name in a Secret Santa?

As a follow-up to their discussion of the three great tales of the First Age, our hosts revisit the characters of Turin and Tuor. Specifically, they chat about a number of similarities that come up in their two stories (even though they are also radically different). Join in as we talk about what makes good storytelling, what grows out of the leaf-mould (of course), and recurring themes like tragi...

Our hosts chat about the third and final stand-alone story from the first age (and one of the first Middle Earth stories Tolkien ever wrote): the Fall of Gondolin. Join them as they chat about the evolution of the story, the epic feel of its storytelling, and more. Which of the three First Age tales was your favorite?

Our hosts continue their journey through the three Great Tales from the First Age of Middle Earth. This week: Beren and Luthien, the story of an elf woman who falls in love with a mortal man. Join us as we talk about the story, how it mirrors parts of Tolkien's own love story, and what we think of Christopher's edited version.

Our Fellowship is reunited! And we begin our (brief...we hope) journey into three of the great tales of the first age. We start this week with the Children of Hurin, probably the most tragic story that Tolkien ever told. What do we like? What do we dislike? Will Turin ever think of someone other than himself? Listen in to find out!

Our fellowship is (temporarily) broken and Jon and Ron have travelled to San Antonio for the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Not to be discouraged by their diminished numbers, the pair get together and chat for a bit about how their Bible-Nerd-dom and their Tolkien-Nerd-dom intersect.

Tolkien had a deep love for languages and their history. In fact, his invented langauges were in many ways the impetus behind the creation of many of the cultures and stories of Middle Earth. Join our hosts as the scratch the surface on Tolkien and his langauges.

We just can't stop talking about LotR movies! Our hosts take one more spin around the "Remake" idea, thinking about characters or scenes that they'd like to see redone, and maybe a few that they hope don't get screwed up. What about you? Are there any characters or scenes that you would love to see in a remake?

Ring wraiths and spiders and...cats? Oh my! Our hosts get into the Holloween 'spirit' (see what I did there?) and talk about monsters in Middle Earth. What are some of the iconic Tolkien monsters and what makes them so scary?

It has been 20 years. Is it time for a new version of the Lord of the Rings to come to the screen? Listen in as our hosts discuss the pros and cons and what they would like to see in a remake. And give us your opinion! Is it time? What would you want a remake to look like? And who should each of our hosts be cast as?

This week, our hosts talk about a few others scenes and characters from the book they would have liked to see incorporated into PJ's films. What about you? Were there scenes in the book that you wish had made the cut for the movies?

We've finished our reviews of the films, but that doesn't mean we're done with them! This week our hosts tackle a major scene from Tolkien's work that didn't make it into PJ's movies: the Scouring of the Shire. Why did we miss it? Why was it left out? Was there any way to include it?

The final review of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy has finally arrived. Our hosts discuss their favorite and least favorite scenes of the movie, as well as the multiple endings. 

Our hosts continue their review of Peter Jackson's the Return of the King. 

After last week's all about Gollum episode, our hosts engage in a more robust discussion of Peter Jackson's Return of the King. This week's conversation includes: Sauruman's death, a better version of Faramir, Minas Ithil/Morgul, and the stairs into Mordor. 

After a month off from recording, our hosts are back together to discuss the Return of the King. This week, the entire conversation focused on Smeagol/Gollum. What made him more succeptible to the power of the ring? How did the movies treat his character? These and other topics dominated the conversation. 

Our hosts wrap up their review of the Two Towers by examining how the film ends well short of the material found in the book.