Welcome to the central hub of the Tolkien Professor world! There are several different kinds of recordings I’m working on. Click on the links below to check out my offerings so far. If you need a good copy of the Tolkien’s books in order to help you follow along, check out my Bookstore.
If you are new to my lectures and discussions, I recommend that you begin with my introduction to Tolkien studies: “How to Read Tolkien and Why.”
Exeter College, Oxford, where Tolkien studied
The centerpiece of the TP site, my lectures on Tolkien’s major works offer a careful and in-depth audio commentary on Tolkien’s major works, chapter by chapter. I have begun with The Hobbit, and I hope to follow up with the Lord of the Rings.
Update: In anticipation of the forthcoming Peter Jackson movies – and my upcoming book release – I’m publishing a new special Hobbit-themed lecture series with Mythgard Institute called Riddles in the Dark.
In the Spring 2010 semester, I recorded and uploaded every session of my undergraduate Tolkien course at Washington College. Since that was so much fun, I’ve also undertaken two new course recordings: a weekly online seminar in which I am working my way the Silmarillion and a class that I offered at WC in the Spring 2011 semester: Faerie and Fantasy.
I love to sit and discuss or debate ideas raised in Tolkien’s fiction. Occasionally, I get the opportunity to record some of these conversations that I have with my fellow Tolkien enthusiasts (other scholars, former students, and others) on some topic of interest in Tolkien’s works.
From time to time, I announce a time slot in which I will be available by Skype to answer listeners’ questions. Call-in times will be announced in an audio episode and listed on the home page of this site.
I receive many questions from listeners about Tolkien’s books by email, Facebook, Twitter, and my Discussion Board. When I get the chance, I record sessions in which I address questions I get from listeners and post recordings of some of my public lectures on the Bonus page.
Psst: Want to get right to the audio content? Subscribe directly to the Lecture feed!
Heard