What's your TTF Story?

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Today I checked my email and very randomly saw that some old thread I was in had been resurrected on here, and I had no idea that the site was still connected to my email or even still in existence!

In that case, it sounds like we need to resurrect more old threads! ☺

 

[Barliman]

I joined some Tolkien forum around 2000, give or take, when I heard there was going to be films made. Silly me, I had great hopes.
I don't remember if it was this one or another as I quit visiting it when people were raving about how wonderful the movies were, like Faramir taking Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath didn't detract from the story.
Though I did get an email from a High School GF to whom I'd give a copy of the red bound single volume. She said she knew it was me based on my comments about the movies. Apparently even as a teenager I wore my admiration for Tolkien on my sleeve. 🤣
I joined TTF (again?) in 2018 when SES sent me some links to the site.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

And things have gone downhill ever since. 😁

 

[Maeglin]

Welcome back, Maeglin.

Your being an English teacher immediately made this question pop up in my mind:

Are any of JRRT's works on the curriculum? I'd guess "The Hobbit" for younger kids, LoTR for the older ones (you didn't state what grades you teach).
I went to school for seven years in the US (NY), 1966 to high school graduation in 1973, then two more years of college until I returned to Germany.
Oddly, somehow I missed LoTR, though it was the time of the first craze ...

Thanks for the welcome and kind words!

Sadly no, none of JRRT's works are in most curricula that I've come across. For the first two years of my career I taught middle school (ages 11-13) and had some freedom with material, so I did read "The Hobbit" with a small group of students in need of high-engagement texts for reading skills intervention purposes.

I only teach high school now, mostly 11-12th graders, and I have never seen or heard LOTR taught. I have tried to encourage some of my own students to read it in their free time and a few have, but for the most part they aren't interested. I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.

 

[Olorgando]

I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.

Sounds like that tired old snobbery saw about fantasy not being "serious" enough.

 

[Lithóniel]

Thanks for the welcome and kind words!

Sadly no, none of JRRT's works are in most curricula that I've come across. For the first two years of my career I taught middle school (ages 11-13) and had some freedom with material, so I did read "The Hobbit" with a small group of students in need of high-engagement texts for reading skills intervention purposes.

I only teach high school now, mostly 11-12th graders, and I have never seen or heard LOTR taught. I have tried to encourage some of my own students to read it in their free time and a few have, but for the most part they aren't interested. I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.

Yes, I’m a high school student and sadly there aren’t any mentions of Tolkien in any of the literature classes I’ve heard of which saddens me. 😕

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.

Odd, given its popularity. I recall having "The Pedestrian" in an early class -- admittedly a looong time ago. My introduction to Bradbury. And 1984 later.

 

[Persephone]

Well, this is a blast from the past! Today I checked my email and very randomly saw that some old thread I was in had been resurrected on here, and I had no idea that the site was still connected to my email or even still in existence! It just so happens that I started re-reading LOTR for the first time in years last month, so it was serendipitous to get the email and I figured I'd poke around and was pleasantly surprised to see some old names I remember (Erestor, Ancalagon, the former Ciryaher...wow this makes me feel old)!

My original username was Glorfindel1187 (or some number like that). You might be able to tell from the grainy avatar picture that I haven't accessed this site in some time (according to my profile, I think I last updated info in 2009, but I don't think I've posted since the much earlier 2000s). Anyway, I remember discovering TTF for the first time when I was 15 years old and my parents had just moved us to a new town where I knew absolutely no one and it was the middle of the summer, 2002, so it wasn't like I could just make friends in school at the time and it was pre-cell phone era, so I was pretty much alone and friendless. Reading Tolkien always felt like (and still does) going home, so I don't remember what possessed me but I must have done a search for something about the books and it led me here, to this amazing place of Tolkien nerds like me, and discovering this was an awesome escape from my summer of loneliness and gave me a sense of community. I posted quite regularly for maybe 2-3 years, right up through the end of high school, then college and all the tomfoolery that comes with it took over and I pretty much drifted away.

All that said, I can't believe it's been 20 years since I found TTF and that it still exists with some of the same people! I'm obviously much older now, and I've got an amazing family (wife and 2 kids: 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy) and career (English teacher - go figure...a fantasy lit nerd is an English teacher) and working on my Ph.D.

I'll try to check in semi-regularly, especially as I'm slowly re-reading the series now and my daughter is soon approaching the age where I can at least try to read The Hobbit to her. It truly did warm my heart and give me some great nostalgia to find this place again today. Wishing you all the best!

Welcome back ... I, too, was surprised to see this place still ALIVE and actually THRIVING!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Maybe not up to the heady days of a couple of decades ago, but more than most, at least. 😀

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

Thanks for the welcome and kind words!

Sadly no, none of JRRT's works are in most curricula that I've come across. For the first two years of my career I taught middle school (ages 11-13) and had some freedom with material, so I did read "The Hobbit" with a small group of students in need of high-engagement texts for reading skills intervention purposes.

I only teach high school now, mostly 11-12th graders, and I have never seen or heard LOTR taught. I have tried to encourage some of my own students to read it in their free time and a few have, but for the most part they aren't interested. I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.

At some of the Russian primary schools "The Hobbit" is in curricula.

 

[Lómelindë Lindórië]

I remember quite clearly that I definitely had no interest at all in LOTR or Tolkien when I first came across his works...that was younger me.

Now, Tolkien takes top spot, especially The Silmarillion (although I haven't read enough of his works to make a full-fledged judgement yet; I know there are a lot more out there, for the world of Arda awaits me!)

I think the Valar intervened there to greatly "bend" my interests...or could it have been Eru who did so, due to how drastic the change was?

 

[Annatar]

I remember quite clearly that I definitely had no interest at all in LOTR or Tolkien when I first came across his works...

My first encounter with Tolkien was the German paperback of The Hobbit, which I received as a gift when I was about 12 years old. After briefly leafing through it, I first put it aside for a longer time because I was quite put off by the rather special illustrations by Klaus Ensikat:

Rolozo Tolkien

Rolozo Tolkien image gallery

fan.theonering.net

From today's perspective I find them good again or at least interesting in a way. But still not suitable enough to make a 12 year old a Tolkien fan, and with the Hobbit it is important not to be artificial in a too modern or abstract way, but to appeal to young people (although in a timeless way, of course). In the meantime there are fortunately also other editions.

Here's a fun example:

Gollum as a giant frog (which doesn't hold up to today's interpretation) and Bilbo as a fine English gentleman (which would still kind of fit) with a big hat.

I think the Valar intervened there to greatly "bend" my interests...or could it have been Eru who did so, due to how drastic the change was?

In your case, it was certainly Morgoth. 😜

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I find some of the illustrations rather charming.

But I see what you mean. And Gollum looks like he owes more than a bit to Lovecraft.

 

[Annatar]

But I see what you mean. And Gollum looks like he owes more than a bit to Lovecraft.

Yes, I also had just edited this funny example into my original posting.
I suspect that the illustrations were created before The Lord of the Rings was published, or Ensikat didn't know The Lord of the Rings.

This picture of Bilbo smoking a pipe in comfort can be found under the headline "Dumbest Tolkien illustrations.... ever!" ( https://banazir.livejournal.com/247422.html )

In the meantime, however, I also find it quite good.

Probably one of the most underrated Tolkien artists, because he doesn't care about mass tastes, but is very particular and you need some prior education to grasp the artistic references.
Still, it's all rather ugly overall. 😄

Stylistically, he seems to have oriented himself primarily to medieval illustrations and also a bit to more or less modern comics.

 

[Lómelindë Lindórië]

In your case, it was certainly Morgoth. 😜

Manwe, Varda and Námo: I certainly wouldn't be so sure of that.
Melkor: And I certainly wouldn't be so sure of your immediate decision just now.
Annatar: Indeed, we have a new member over here. *Melkor drags me into Angband and restrains me with chains*
Manwe and Varda: We never expected her to leave us...
Námo: ...I actually think they took her by force instead...unless you missed that pivotal moment of her being dragged into there...

Meanwhile, in Angband...

Melkor and Annatar: *Smiles at each other secretly*
Me: This was not meant to happen! This was not meant to happen! How could this happen to the Ninth Arata of Arda? *Vigorously attempts to break free but fails*

(Congratulations, Melkor and Annatar, you just prevented one of the most powerful of the Ainur from escaping Angband- )

 

[Olorgando]

I remember quite clearly ...

I remember quite clearly that your avatar was different yesterday; and different again a few days ago ...
This can be confusing (as it was in the other two JRRT sites I used to visit), as the names can be somewhat difficult to keep in memory, not quite being those common in Germany or the English-speaking world. (@m4r35n357 represents a very special case - the terms "pin-numbers" and "login passwords" keep arising unbidden ... )

Maybe it's just me, but I think humans generally have a fixation for faces (=> avatars), and less for abstract squiggles on a sheet of paper or a screen ...

Which made me just think that at least on-line, the use of a keyboard is very beneficial - I hesitate to think of you having to decipher my handwriting (now almost exclusively used for signatures and shopping lists). I'm guessing that the handwriting of some others here is approaching hieroglyphics, or at least cuneiform, in legibility 😬 . But we'd be in good company, as The Professor's handwriting, when his thought far outraced his hand, defeated even the skills of his highly-trained son Christopher ...

 

[Lómelindë Lindórië]

I remember quite clearly that your avatar was different yesterday; and different again a few days ago ...

I remember quite clearly, that ever since I joined and took notice, your avatar has never changed from the day I joined.

 

[Olorgando]

I remember quite clearly, that ever since I joined and took notice, your avatar has never changed from the day I joined.

My avatar is the same one I used (and kept) for "Council of Elrond", which I joined in November 2013 - in fact, I found the avatar there; and used it again when I joined "Arwen Undomiel" in March 2017. Probably I've become attached to it because the resemblance has increased over the years. I mean, I'm now older than Ian McKellen was when the RoTK Extended Editions went on sale ...

 

[Lómelindë Lindórië]

My avatar is the same one I used (and kept) for "Council of Elrond", which I joined in November 2013 - in fact, I found the avatar there; and used it again when I joined "Arwen Undomiel" in March 2017. Probably I've become attached to it because the resemblance has increased over the years. I mean, I'm now older than Ian McKellen was when the RoTK Extended Editions went on sale ...

Hmm...I think I'll leave you to your own thoughts there then.

 

[m4r35n357]

the terms "pin-numbers" and "login passwords" keep arising unbidden ... )

I have explained my nick in the appropriate place, although I don't see why I would need to . . .

Apparently it is not "PC enough" to satisfy certain childish cosplayers here.