 For this episode, I had the chance to catch up with the creator of the YouTube Channel The Nerd of the Rings! Matt started his channel to talk about his passion for Tolkien and it has really taken off over the past two years! I was able to have a great conversation with him about what some of his favorite topics have been, and how he was first introduced to Tolkien's world!   

The Tolkien Experience Podcast

Matt "The Nerd of the Rings"

For this episode, Sara sat down to talk with translator and scholar Aurélie Brémont! Aurélie completed her PhD in English Medieval Studies on Tolkien and the Celtic Heritage in 2009 in Sorbonne Université, Paris. Since then, she has been present in conferences in the UK and in France. In 2016 she had the opportunity to translate Tom Shippey's J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century into French and her work continues to be influential in several areas of Tolkien studies.

40 - Aurélie Brémont

For this episode, Sarah talked with a researcher who looks at Tolkien's works through a lens of trauma studies: Elizabeth King! Elizabeth is a PhD student and Graduate Research assistant at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia. Her information page on the university site says that she is currently working "on projects related to developing ecologically responsive multi-component systemic interventions for populations exposed to mass traumas." This approach informs her reading. We were so glad she could talk with us!

39 - Elizabeth King

For this episode, Sara was able to sit down with her good friend and veteran Tolkien academic: Anna Smol! Anna is currently a professor in the Department of English at Mount Saint Vincent University. Her research interests include Tolkien studies, medievalism, and Old English, and she has published her work in many refereed journals.

38 - Anna Smol

For this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with my good friend and brilliant Tolkien scholar: Mariana Rios Maldonado! Mariana is a PhD student at the University of Glasgow where she is interested in ethics, feminist theory, and encountering the Other in Tolkien's works. She received a grant from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (National Council for Science and Technology, CONACyT) and Fundación INBA (National Foundation for Fine Arts and Literature) in Mexico for her studies. She also serves as the Equality and Diversity Officer for the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic. In addition to all of her engagement with the University of Glasgow, she also holds a position on the Editorial Review Board of Mallorn: The Journal of the Tolkien Society.

37 - Mariana Rios Maldonado

This week's episode is with a scholar whose interest is art history makes for some fascinating insights about illustrations of Tolkien's works: Joel Merriner. Joel is an Associate Lecturer in Art History at the University of Plymouth. He is finishing his PhD which examines the illustrations of Tolkien's work in central and eastern Europe. He presented some of his research at the 2021 Tolkien Society Seminar on diversity (video available on YouTube) and he recently published on the same topic in Foreign Policy We are delighted to have him as our guest!

36 - Joel Merriner

For this episode, I had the chance to talk to one of the nicest people in Tolkien scholarship: Erik Mueller-Harder! Erik's scholarly focus is on cartography and map-making. This interest has led him to closely investigate the first maps that Tolkien ever created for The Lord of the Rings, and his conference presentations on the subject are mesmerizing! In addition to this personal focus, Erik has also created a website (tolkienists.org) that has helpful resources for any Tolkien fan or researcher! This is where you will find the Tolkien Society Award nominated Tolkien Art Index, as well as his LRCitations, and a forum that is a hub for researchers and scholars!

35 - Erik Mueller-Harder

For this episode, Sara sat down with our good friend and 'Tolkienian Astronomer': Dr. Kristine Larsen! Kristine is a professor of astronomy at Central Connecticut State University. Her research and teaching focus in the sometimes uncomfortable points of intersection between science and society, including: women in science,; misconceptions, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience; the popularization of science for general audiences; and the uses/misuses of science in popular culture (including zombie films, science fiction TV series, and the fiction of Tolkien, Lewis, Gaiman and more). She has been writing on Tolkien since the early 2000s, and her paper “Deconstructing Durin’s Day: Science, Scientific Fan Fiction, and the Fan-Scholar” won the 2020 Tolkien Society Award for best article! We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!

34 - Kristine Larsen

For this episode, Sarah had the opportunity to talk with a blogger and fan who is new to the scene compared to our other guests, but she is already having an impact: Putri Prihatini! Putri writes the blog 'The Loremaster: Blog Tolkien Indonesia' where she writes posts in Indonesian and in English. Her article "Greed and Blood: Powerful Objects in The Silmarillion and Javanese Book of Monarchs" was nominated for the Tolkien Society Award for Best Article in 2021. Find more from Putri on her blog!

33 - Putri Prihatini

I cannot believe I get to write the following sentence: For this episode of the podcast, I was able to talk to the legendary animator who brought The Lord of the Rings to life in the 1970: Ralph Bakshi! Ralph Bakshi is most well known to our listeners as the director of the 1978 The Lord of the Rings animated movie. Ralph's work in animation is revolutionary and includes influential films like Fritz the Cat, which has been rated among the top 100 animated films multiple times and has even been added to The Museum of Modern Art's collection for preservation. In addition to his animation, Ralph has produced influential pieces in advertising, comic strips, and cartooning. Now his focus is on sculptural painting, in which he produces stunning work! You can find more from Ralph Bakshi on his website!

32 - Ralph Bakshi

This episode, we are so excited to share out interview with renowned Tolkien scholar Dr. Verlyn Flieger! Her scholarly publications include: A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie, winner of the 1998 Mythopoeic Award for Inklings Studies; Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World; Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on the History of Middle-earth, co-edited with Carl Hostetter, winner of the 2002 Mythopoeic Award for Inklings Studies. She is also published a number of fiction works, and is a co-editor of the journal Tolkien Studies.

31 - Verlyn Flieger

 Our guest for this episode is a very well-respected artist in Tolkien circles: Jenny Dolfen! Jenny has been a freelance illustrator since 2003, and has gained notoriety for her work inspired by Tolkien's texts. She has won the Tolkien Society Award for Best Art three times, in 2014, 2018, and 2020! In this interview, Sarah talks to Jenny about her experiences with Tolkien, painting or drawing inspired by his work, and how she interacts with fandom. We hope you enjoy it! 

30 - Jenny Dolfen

Our guest this week is a viral sensation on TikTok and has recently made the move to YouTube: Willie Jenkins! Willie Jenkins is a super fan of Tolkien! He also has a magnetic personality and a desire to teach. These things have combined to make him a hit as he puts together short videos that summarize different characters or events from Tolkien's work on TikTok and YouTube, where he is known as Knewbettadobetta. Video of this interview is available exclusively to our patrons on Patreon!

29 - Willie Jenkins

Our guest this week is a consummate Tolkien scholar and academic: Chris Vaccaro! Chris is the editor of two collections of scholarship about J.R.R. Tolkien: The Body in Tolkien’s Legendarium (2013) and Tolkien and Alterity (2017). He is also the organizer of the annual Tolkien in Vermont conference and a co-organizer of the Tolkien at Kalamazoo group, which organizes conference panels and an annual symposium. His current project is co-editing another edited collection of essays: Queer Tolkien. Video of this interview is available exclusively to our patrons on Patreon! Subscribing at $5/month gets you access to video interviews, behind-the-scenes information, early releases, and other bonus content!

28 - Chris Vaccaro

Our guest this week is a fantastic animator and author: Molly Ostertag! Molly is known for her work on several animated series, including Star vs. The Forces of Evil, The Owl House, and ThunderCats Roar. She is also a New York Times Bestselling author who enjoys writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction and fan comics. Her most exciting recent work is her award winning The Witch Boy series. I am so delighted to share our interview with you, where we talk about being her experience as a fantasy writer and a Tolkien fan! Show notes: luke-shelton.com/?p=2928 Support the Podcast: patreon.com/tolkienexperience

27 - Molly Ostertag

Since 2018, the Tolkien Experience Project has been collecting stories from Tolkien scholars and fans around the world. Now, we have partnered with The Prancing Pony Podcast and Dr. Sara Brown to create the Tolkien Experience Podcast — an attempt to bring the fan and scholarly communities together around our shared passion: the works of J.R.R. Tolkien! Each episode, Luke and Sara ask a notable scholar or member of the fan community to share their responses to the original Tolkien Experience Project questions.

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The Tolkien Experience Podcast

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