Tom
@alas-not-me.bsky.social
Always heard a different drum. Happy to talk about Tolkien on podcasts. 'Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many.' Finalist for The Mythopoeic Society Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies @KentStateUPress
Grateful and amazed to see the audiobook of "Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many," is still finding a niche on the niche list "New Releases of New Releases in British and Irish Literary Criticism"
MSWord is now failing to recognize some subordinate clauses as subordinate clauses. I began a sentence "Since x..." and Word insisted I need to separate it from the main clause by a semicolon rather than a comma. I will not comply. If this be hypotaxis, make the most of it!
I think I remember writing this papyrus in a past life.
A 3rd century papyrus conjugating γράφω in the indicative
Here is a truly fascinating item. It's a leaf of papyrus from Oxyrhynchus. On it, someone has drawn out a table of the forms of the Greek verb γράφω ("I write")! Here's a splendid image of the verso...
roger-pearse.com
Hmm, I don't remember thinking twice when I saw Lupita Nyong'o play Viola in Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. I don't think I am going to think twice when I see her playing Helen.
My thanks to all those who've been asking, and downloading, my book.
Tom@alas-not-me.bsky.social · 4w agoThe audio book of “Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many” is now available. Currently, I see it only on Amazon. I realize that many would prefer another source. It should be available on the @ksupress.bsky.social site quite soon. No doubt other vendors will follow.
On my way home from the gym, I saw a woman with a child in a stroller up ahead of me. The child was playing with a handheld fan. I was pretty sweaty. The little girl saw me, smiled, and held the fan out to me with both hands. I smiled back and waved. I'll never forget her.
If you missed the start of our The Lord of the Rings book club, you’re welcome to jump in now as we begin The Two Towers - the discussion opens for the first few chapters on July 27th! More info here: www.teawithtolkien.com/blog/2026/3/...
Join us for The Lord of the Rings Book Club 2026 — Tea with Tolkien
Our community will be journeying through The Lord of the Rings together this summer and autumn, and we’d love for you to join us! Reading and Discussion Schedule: June 1: "The Fellowship of the R...
teawithtolkien.com
Well, the prefaces to Oxford Classical Texts are now in English rather than Latin. On the one hand, I guess that shows how long it's been since I've looked at a new one. On the other hand: fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens / gloria Teucrorum.
I 1st learned the word "franchise" as a nickname for the NYM pitcher, Tom Seaver. Young, dominating, iconic with dirt on his uniform, in a much tougher. Seaver vs Gibson was like Achilles vs Hector, only nobody ran. "Franchise" has been going downhill ever since.
So there I was confusticated and bebothered to learn that the word "atonement" does in fact come from "at onement." It had always seemed just another example of ridiculous pulpit etymologies (I first heard it from a youth minister.), like "woman" comes from "womb-man." Very disappointing.
The audio book of “Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many” is now available. Currently, I see it only on Amazon. I realize that many would prefer another source. It should be available on the @ksupress.bsky.social site quite soon. No doubt other vendors will follow.
Filed under "Jokes by Tolkien Nobody Got:" Beren thrusting his hand with the Silmaril into Carcharoth's maw. "Do not give what is holy to dogs." Matthew 7:6
Happy birthday, Mel Brooks. Only 1900 years to go. Thanks for all the laughs.
Our monthly roundup of news and reviews includes attention for books by @chrisbriem.bsky.social, @ninamandell.bsky.social, @alas-not-me.bsky.social, @docsthilaire.bsky.social, and more. Congrats to all of KSUP’s authors!
June news and reviews
Christopher Briem shares new essays about the postindustrial Rust Belt in Public Source and The Conversation, both drawn from research for his KSUP book Beyond Steel. Briem’s talk at the Batt…
kentstatebooks.wordpress.com
How does an unattributed 26 word direct quote from one of an author's most studied essays slip undetected past two specialist peer reviewers and a journal editor?
This wasn't a bad place to spend some time writing this afternoon.
It's always something of a relief when I hit my daily limit of abbreviations to look up.
Including wonderful work by @germantolksoc.bsky.social, @miriamellis.bsky.social, @alas-not-me.bsky.social, @johngarthwriter.bsky.social, @forodrim.org, @shawnemarchese.bsky.social, @mythsoc.bsky.social, @tolkienguide.com, @dimitrafimi.bsky.social and many, many more...
Watching a German cop show, and they keep talking about Täters. Every time they say the word I hear Sam Gamgee.