Latest Newsletter September 15th 2010

Greetings Everyone,
We hope this finds you well. We have a number of things to announce to you all! 10th Anniversary News, Calendar, New Lonely Mountain Band album and more!

Remember you can sign up on our website to recieve articles as they are posted and stay up to date on all our news!

Speaking of articles, as many of you know we have had the honor of having as a longtime member Namiko Hitotsubashi, who was so inspired by the talk given by Professor Michael Drout at our 2005 Ringbearers Day event that she is now his student and assistant at Wheaton College. If you have received Tolkien Studies 7 she is also in the acknowledgements for her help on the volume.
In our forthcoming podcast we interview Namiko about her interests in and study of Tolkien and Anglo-Saxon, plus she has contributed her first article to our site.

Musings on Bilbo Baggins the Bourgeois Burglar and Gandalf the Mythic but Door Challenged Wizard

We wish Namiko all the best at Wheaton and stay tuned for more of her studies in Tolkien and Anglo Saxon on our site!
*******************************************************************************

As you know we are rapidly approaching our 10th Anniversary event on:
Sunday, September 19th 2010
TIME: 5 pm--??
WHERE: Druids Bar & Restaurant
736 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019-7006
(212) 307-6410

The reservation in in the name of Anthony Burdge, we will be in the back pation area.

This event will include the winners selected for our Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun giveaway. If you wish to be included in the drawing all you have to do for this is CLICK HERE TO EMAIL US, with your name, address, age and why you should win this book


At 630pm on Sunday, Society chairs Anthony and Jessica will lead a toast to you all, the community who has made this anniversary of The Northeast Tolkien Society possible. We shall also be honoring with a toast longtime member of the Mythopoeic Society, Tolkien Society UK, and Northeast Tolkien Society: Alexei Kondratiev. Many of you know Alexei passed away in May and was a very large contributor to many disciplines aside from Tolkien Studies. In due course you will hear more of what is being done to preserve Alexei's papers and publications, but what we can tell you is that an event is being planned surrounding Alexei's Tolkien contribution.

We will be announcing soon a show being edited and produced by Ken Gale (Alexei's friend of 30+years) that will include highlights from their 3.5 hours discussion about Tolkien and all things Mythopoeic.

If you knew Alexei and would like to take a moment to speak on his behalf, regardless of whether its concerning his Tolkien work or not, please reply to this email or call us directly if you have our phone number.

Click here to Read more of Alexei Kondratiev


*****************************************************************

Our 2011 Northeast Tolkien Society Calendar is available for Pre-Order!
We have made it very easy for you to place your order now on our new Online shop!
Jessie and I have created an online store where we are selling alot of sci-fi/fantasy collectibles, including some Lord of the Rings items.
Click here to Place your Calendar Pre-Order Now!

**********************************************************************
As you may know Lord of the Rings Online is free to play http://www.lotro.com/ 

However, September 22, 2010 10:30pm EST - Virtual Album Release Party for "Beyond the Western Seas" : Bird & Baby on Landroval in LOTRO

Join Galenswerd and help me celebrate the release of the Lonely Mountain Band's first full length album!
What better date than Bilbo/Frodo's birthday?
What better place than the home of the Jack Lewisdown, Carlo Williams, Owen Farfield?

The party is open to all! Plenty of free Old Winyards & Old Toby for all!
LIVE INTERVIEW With CASUAL STROLL TO MORDOR - during party.

"Beyond the Western Seas" will be available to order on CD from Sept 22, 2010 - and can be digitally downloaded on that date as well. Links will be available from band's website and facebook page.

Click here to listen to Song of Durin's Awakening, a free sample from the album, free for the Tolkien fan community.

15 tracks - an hour of Tolkien inspired instrumental music and lore related tales. The album's sound combines folk, new age and celtic played on Harp, acoustic guitar and other various instruments.

The Lonely Mountain Band is a musical project created by John DiBartolo and members of the Celtic Rock band "FATHOM".

The creative venture is inspired by a love for J.R.R. Tolkien's works. As an acoustic and independent body of work in tribute to Tolkien's lore began to grow in John's songbook, it was decided to consolidate these new songs into a new "sub-creative" entity.

Follow along on this minstrel's quest to tap into the mithril lined songs of lore. You can stay up to date on the progress of the project by registering on their facebook, myspace and Twitter.

Click here for their facebook page

The website - (full music site to be launched very soon - right now it is gaming group site) http://www.lonelymountainband.com

STAY TUNED FOR MORE ABOUT THIS ALBUM and ALL THINGS LONELY MOUNTAIN BAND

***************************************************************************
On October 3rd Join us for our Pre-LOTR Concert The Two Towers Discussion

4:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Fiddlesticks Pub & Grill
56 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY
http://www.fiddlesticksnyc.com/

A short 5 days prior to the 2nd of the LOTR Concert Series, The Two Towers at Radio City

http://www.theradiocitylotrconcert.com/index.html

The Northeast Tolkien Society will be meeting in the back room area of Fiddlesticks Pub to discuss as a whole the events of The Two Towers Book and Film, plus everyone's plans for attending the LOTR Concert on October 8 & 9

Bring your copy of The Two Towers, be prepared to read and discuss your favorite moments from this chapter in Tolkiens epic!


Cheers!
Anthony and Jessica
Founders/Chairs
Northeast Tolkien Society
http://www.herenistarionnets.blogspot.com

Musings on Bilbo Baggins the Bourgeois Burglar and Gandalf the Mythic but Door Challenged Wizard

It is interesting how one notices such different things when one has read a book more than once but less than half a dozen times, especially when the handful of readings spans the period of nearly ten years. In the case of The Hobbit, the last time I read it, I had not yet read Tom Shippey’s The Road to Middle Earth and so the concept of an every day figure walking the path of the epic was something that had spoken to me as an every day person, but which I had not been able to name or put my finger on. As discussed in my Tolkien class , the journey of Bilbo the hobbit from the mundane world to the mythic is one of the key elements that allow the reader to slip into the world of Middle Earth and not really notice until they’ve already been carried away. For as Bilbo himself would later say, “if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”[1]

Bilbo at first is extremely conscious of the fact that he is not quite on the same level as the Dwarves, he knows he is not fierce, but “would go without bead and breakfast”[2] to be thought so. He gives his boast, Beowulf style to the Dwarves saying what he will dare and that it is in his lineage, which links him, if tenuously to the world in which the Dwarves belong. That is the mythic world. Similarly, when he encounters the trolls, he draws on what he has read of the mythic world and tries to apply it to the current situation with questionable effect. He has spent too long thinking of what a “really first-class and legendary burglar” would do.[3] In the tunnels of the goblins, Bilbo doesn’t have much time to think of what his heroic counterparts might do as he gets carried about by the goblins and Dwarves and then stumbles into Gollum’s cave. I would argue that this is truly where Bilbo begins coming into his own. He must rely solely upon his own wits, cunning and skill to save him and doesn’t have time to ponder what a heroic burglar would do in his situation, freeing himself to demonstrate these very traits on his own. By the time he arrives in the domain of the spiders, he is capable of coming up with fantastically audacious plans tailor made for his situation, without reference to past heroes, and not only of coming up with them, but carrying them out, proving that Gandalf is right. Bilbo does possess the necessary skills to take his place as a burglar and even a hero in the mythic world.

Speaking of Gandalf, there is no doubting that he is a great wizard. He is a learned lore master, is not above speaking to the “lesser” folk, and has the ability to make discussions that affect all of Middle Earth and change it for the better. But is it not odd that our dear and learned lore master either does not see the runes on Glamdring and Orcrist or cannot read them, and is unable to open a door (in this case the door to the troll’s lair) without the help of a hobbit?[4] Of course, one could argue that to the latter, there is the problem of a key, but given Gandalf’s use of magic in The Lord of the Rings one could imagine that if he could use magic to hold a door shut, he could perhaps use magic to open a door without it’s key. Yes, magic often has complex rules, so perhaps there are ways in which this would not be possible. In the door incidents, there is a good deal of comic relief as the wise wizard mutters furiously and attempts multiple complex incantations, only to be halted by the simplicity of a key or the elvish word for friend. Almost a reversal, if you will, of the Bilbo journey. Gandalf is firmly in the epic world, except when he has a “senior moment” and can’t recall the precise word for something. In fact, I would argue that Gandalf is the reverse of Bilbo. He is firmly placed in the epic world. He’s a wizard! What is more epic than that!? However, he makes mistakes. He is an old man, with some of an old man’s limitations. He is the ambassador of the epic and mythic to the bourgeois and mundane, just as Bilbo is the representative of the mundane and bourgeois to the epic and mythic. So these lapses of memory or inability to see things or read things bring the epic down to us, even as Bilbo’s deeds lift us closer to the epic.

---

[1] J.R.R. Tolkien, FOTR, p. 72, Houghton Mifflin paperback.

[2] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, p 18, Houghton Mifflin paperback.

[3] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, p. 33, Houghton Mifflin paperback

[4] This incident is very similarly mirrored in FOTR when Merry’s phrasing suggests the opening words of the Moria gate.

Win a Copy of The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun Trade Paperback

In honor of the release of the trade paperback version of
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún tomorrow September 10th 2010, our friends at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have been kind enough send us a few to give away to everyone!
If you wish to be placed in a drawing for a copy, all you have to do is simply send an email to:


HerenIstarionnets AT gmail DOT com


with your NAME, ADDRESS (USED FOR SHIPPING IF YOU WIN), AGE, and a brief sentence as to why you want to win this book

We have several to give away the first two winners will be announced at our 10th Anniversary Dinner September 19th 2010.


Click Here For more information on this event

READ MORE ON The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún

Many years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien composed his own version of the great legend of Northern antiquity, recounted here in The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún


In the Lay of the Völsungs is told the ancestry of the great hero Sigurd, the slayer of Fáfnir, most celebrated of dragons; of his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild, who slept surrounded by a wall of fire, and of their betrothal; and of his coming to the court of the great princes who were named the Niflungs (or Nibelungs), with whom he entered into blood-brotherhood.


In scenes of dramatic intensity, of confusion of identity, thwarted passion, jealousy, and bitter strife, the tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild, of Gunnar the Niflung and Gudrún his sister, mounts to its end in the murder of Sigurd, the suicide of Brynhild, and the despair of Gudrún.


The Lay of Gudrún recounts her fate after the death of Sigurd, her marriage against her will to the mighty Atli, ruler of the Huns (the Attila of history), his murder of her brothers, and her hideous revenge.

Tickets for NYMF performances of Fellowship!

Tickets for NYMF performances of Fellowship! Go on sale to the public Sept. 1st,
However we can get you advance tickets that are cheaper!
Fellowship! the Musical Parody of "Fellowship of the Ring"
at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin) 314 West 54th Street (between 8th and 9th)


Click here to submit ticket request via email

Info required when sending email:

name on ticket:

performance date/time:

number of seats:

name on credit card (cc):

cc number:

cc expiration:

CVV2 code:

Price - $20.85 each

Dates and times:

Thursday, Oct 7th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Friday, Oct 8th, 2010 at 10:30 pm

Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Sunday, Oct 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Lord of the Rings Online Free to Play Starts September 10th

AS FIRST REPORTED ON LOTROREPORTER.COM


by Chris "Almazar" Perry


"Today Turbine announced that the Free-to-Play transition will occur on September 10th. This is much sooner than most of us expected (me included!) and I’m quite excited to see this major change to the game take place. I think that my biggest excitment is for the fact that we will not have to wait long to see how the game that we all play and love will be changed by this new business model. We’ve all heard the “the sky is falling” comments about the influx of new players, and also the “nothing is going to change” comments that seem to ignore that the game is evolving at all. My thought, as I’ve stated before, is that yes, things are going to change. How? Most likely for the better or very little. The only thing that is certain is that the game will be different…..somehow.

I’m also excited because this means that all of the game mechanics (Instance Join, Class Change, Plugins, etc) and the new content (Enedwaith) will be in game in just a few weeks!

I’m very impressed with the efficiency with which Turbine has gone through this Beta. Remember, the Beta only launched in June, and we’re already going live in September! That’s wonderfull when you compare it to the much longer drought that DDO had during their transition to Free to Play.

To quote Kate Paiz, Executive Producer of LOTRO, in Turbine’s Official Announcement:

“Our LOTRO beta program has been a huge success and we want to thank all of our players who worked with us to get the game ready for launch. Our unique pricing model has revolutionized the industry and starting in September, players will be able to choose how they pay for and play one of the world’s best online games and we can’t wait to welcome millions of new players to Middle-earth!”

View the official Press Release here.

For those of you who have not been following the news about LOTRO’s Free-To-Play transition, take a look at the Free-To-Play category for more columns on this topic. What do you think about this date? Have you been in the beta and feel that the game is ready? Almost ready? Not even close? Comment and let us know!

Fellowship! the musical parody of "The Fellowship of the Ring"

FELLOWSHIP! IS COMING TO NEW YORK!!!

The award-winning musical parody of The Fellowship of the Ring hits the Manhattan stage as part of the New York Musical Festival.

Six performances only - starting Oct. 7th and ending Oct. 17th.

Thursday, Oct 7th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Friday, Oct 8th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Oct 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

There are two ways to GET TICKETS:

1) Get tickets now by purchasing a membership to the festival.

2) Buy tickets when they go on sale to the public on Sept. 1st.

Get your tickets before they're gone!!

Now your quest is to forward this to all of Middle Earth (especially anyone you know on the East Coast) and help the world discover just how hilarious one little hobbit's adventure can be!

The Full Cast of Fellowship!

(Front Row) Edi Patterson, Ryan Smith,

(Middle Row) Peter Allen Vogt, Cory Rouse,

Steve Purnick, Lisa Fredrickson,

(Back Row) Kelly Holden-Bashar, Brian D. Bradley,

Matthew Stephen Young.

PHOTO CREDIT: Blake Gardner, 2005

ABOUT FELLOWSHIP!
In 2004, Kelly Holden-Bashar and Joel McCrary had the crazy idea to attempt the impossible: Make a parody musical of The Lord of the Rings... or more precisely, of Tolkien's first book, The Fellowship of the Ring.


After several drafts of the book, Kelly and Joel brought in composer Allen Simpson to start work on the songs, and they soon realized that the impossible might actually be within their grasp. They assembled the cast from some of the funniest and most talented actors and improvisers in Los Angeles. The original cast was also instrumental in helping to develop the book and all of the songs.

Six years later, after numerous awards and sold-out runs at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, The Met in Hollywood, The Lyceum Theatre in San Diego and most recently, 2009's hugely successful run at Garry Marshall's Falcon Theatre in Burbank, Fellowship! is still going strong!

Tolkien Fandom Review: From its beginnings to 1964

Tolkien Fandom Review:

From Its Beginnings to 1964

by Sumner Gary Hunnewell

(Hildifons Took)

2010 The New England Tolkien Society

Since meeting with the Mythopoeic Society's keeper of the Golfimbul head and gear, S. Gary Hunnewell sometime ago we have been fascinated in all things Tolkien fandom.  When founding our society we were very much aware of the early New York Tolkien Society founded Richard "Dick" Plotz.  Plotz as you know is cited on several occasions throughout the Letters of JRR Tolkien.  With many thanks to Gary Hunnewell we have in our possession some early fanzines from that era, and perhaps for another feature we will discuss the later societies of the New York/Northeast US Areas. 

However, we recently received Gary's latest publication on Tolkien Fandom and it is a brilliant look at early fandom.  Gary provides a short overview of fandom up until 1964, and admits that this volume is by no means exhaustive as "most fanzines were created in limited quantities and are difficult to track down." (pg. 2)

One note we admired is "Lest anyone thing there is anything new under the sun, these are Tolkien fandom firsts during this time," (pg.2)

• 
  
  A film treatment of The Lord of the Rings
• 
  
  The Silmarillion is almost ready to be published
• 
  
  Possible homosexual overtones in The Lord of the Rings
• 
  
  Tolkien based filksong, story and poetry
• 
  
  Tolkien and racism
• 
  
  Human-elf interbreeding
• 
  
  Origin of the Orcs
• 
  
  Tolkien's literary predecessors/sources (Beowulf, The Elder Edda)
• 
  
  The Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy

If you do not know already, Gary has a growing collection at Marquette University where numerous Tolkien manuscripts and collections are housed.  Click here to view the S. GARY HUNNEWELL COLLECTION, 1960-

If you are member of one or numerous Tolkien Societies then you may recognize a number of the periodicals listed . Our very own Parma Nole Journal is also a part of the collection.

While in the New England area a few years ago, founding chairman of the German Tolkien Society, Marcel R. Bülles  conducted this interview with .S. Gary Hunnewell for us.  They of course discussed all things Tolkien,  fandom, and Gary's collection of fanzines

Click here to read the full interview