The Tolkien Podcast

Larry D. Curtis
  • 4.3 (4)
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Help support The Tolkien Podcast to allow more time and attention to be devoted to it: https://buymeacoffee.com/larrydcurtisYou've found THE TOLKIEN PODCAST where we will explore three essential things you need to know about J.R.R. Tolkien: 1. Why he is THE author of the 20th Century2. Why six movies made outside of Hollywood in New Zealand have earned a stunning $6 billion just at the box office from all around the globe while earning so much more money in so many other ways3. And maybe especially, why and how the author's words changed and will continue to influence the world we all live in.That's the launching point of the The Tolkien Podcast where as your host, my voice will be one of many you will hear from every corner of our world including scholars, artists, craftspeople, film makers, and Tolkienites, all reflecting on his works including the legendarium of Middle-earth. While we will delve deep into the past, Tolkien fans also have a lot to look forward to, as more works directly and indirectly inspired by The Professor continue to follow in his incomparable footsteps of creation.Another way to support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436415/supporters/new

  1. The Hobbit calendar and other calendars of Middle-earth

    6D AGO

    The Hobbit calendar and other calendars of Middle-earth

    Send us a text Tolkien is known for his language creation, but he was also masterful at creating calendars for the cultures and peoples that inhabit Middle-earth. The Shire calendar is beautifully practical - twelve months, thirty days each. Every month lines up neatly with the phases of the moon. That makes it much more regular than our messy Gregorian calendar, with its whole "thirty days hath September" guessing game. The hobbits liked their schedules steady and predictable. In fact, it's one of the few calendars where every date falls on the same day of the week every single year. So, if your birthday's on a Friday this year - bad news if you don't like Fridays - it's always on a Friday. Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    27 min
  2. The 25th Anniversary of LOTR (extended) celebration in theaters vs. the 25th celebration fans deserve

    DEC 12

    The 25th Anniversary of LOTR (extended) celebration in theaters vs. the 25th celebration fans deserve

    Send us a text In 2001, a film many thought would ruin a movie studio — a big budget fantasy film based on books by J.R.R. Tolkien — hit theaters on Dec. 19. It blew even the highest opening weekend predictions completely out of the water and went on to make and change cinema history. Next year the 25th Anniversary of the the LORD OF THE RINGS film trilogy will start with the extended editions returning to theaters. That's great but it isn't the 25th Anniversary version or celebration of the films Peter Jackson and company wanted and it isn't the 25th celebration that fans deserve. In this edition of The Tolkien Podcast, we will examine the long hoped for  Ultimate Edition of the film trilogy AND how that relates to the ongoing battle to buy Warner Bros., and therefore the LOTR films. "I'd love to do an ultimate edition, a final, definitive version when the time is right. There's still a lot of great material that hasn't been seen." - Peter Jackson, 2004 "There's so much more we could do. The amount of material we have is staggering. It's just a matter of finding the right time and format to release it." - Michael Pellerin, 2006 "Fans have been clamoring for an ultimate edition of the films for years, and both Jackson and Pellerin have hinted that it's something they'd like to do when the timing is right." - Larry D. Curtis, TheOneRing.net, 2009 Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    1h 2m
  3. The Tolkien Gift Guide & Collectibles

    DEC 4

    The Tolkien Gift Guide & Collectibles

    Send us a text We start with a most remarkable letter from Tolkien available on auction today, the highest-priced Tolkien artifacts / books ever sold and then launch into a gift guide with some pretty amazing discounts available now, at least in the U.S., maybe everywhere. But long after those discounts are gone, here is a helpful list of Tolkien-themed gifts. In this episode we use affiliate links and offer a podcast-only discount code on one special item. The transcript contains links to all the goodies to help you find a perfect present for your fellow Tolkienites! UPDATE: Hours after publication I spotted this desk that belonged to J.R.R. Tolkien for sale. It is believed LOTR was edited on it. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r7pq9xlplo Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    51 min
  4. The Mythic J.R.R. Tolkien

    NOV 22

    The Mythic J.R.R. Tolkien

    Send us a text With a stage play about J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis currently running  — a popular topic — we examine how the myth maker who died more than a half century ago has himself become a myth. Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    29 min
  5. What belongs in your Tolkien library?

    NOV 14

    What belongs in your Tolkien library?

    Send us a text While moving recently, to a fourth-floor apartment with no elevator, I had to carefully evaluate which book — including which Tolkien books — are worth boxing, lifting and moving and keeping, in the face of space restrictions and physical exhaustion. What's on your Tolkien bookshelf or what's in your Tolkien library? We take a look at the essential books that make up the core, the books that sit just outside the inner circle and then a lot of other books that fill out your shelf space. See the transcript for a full list of what this episode looks at. These are works by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien and Tolkien scholars. Not mentioned, and omitted by accident is the essential "Tolkien and the Great War," by John Garth and "The Atlas of Middle-earth" but, the last episode was dedicated to that key work. If other important works were missed send me at not at TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com THE LIST OF BOOKS UNDER DISCUSSION *Tolkien And The Great War *Atlas of Middle-earth The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings The Silmarillion Unfinished Tales The Children of Húrin Beren and Lúthien The Fall of Gondolin The Book of Lost Tales Part 1 The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 The Lays of Beleriand The Lost Road and Other Writings Morgoth's Ring and The War of the Jewels The Shaping of Middle-earth The Lost Road and Other Writings The Return of the Shadow (The History of The Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1) The Treason of Isengard (The History of The Lord of the Rings, Vol. 2) The War of the Ring (The History of The Lord of the Rings, Vol. 3) Sauron Defeated (The History of The Lord of the Rings, Vol. 4) Morgoth's Ring (The Later Silmarillion, Part One) (1993) The War of the Jewels (The Later Silmarillion, Part Two) (1994) The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996)The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poetry) Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham Roverandom The Fall of Arthur The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (edited Carpenter) J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter Letters from Father Christmas 1976 J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator Tolkien On Fairy-stories (his essay on fantasy literature) The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century  The Road to Middle-Earth: How J. R. R. Tolkien Created a New MythologySplintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World Interrupted Music: The Making of Tolkien’s Mythology The Art of The Hobbit and The Art of The Lord of the Rings * These titles were omitted but are essential part of the Tolkien Library. Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    1h 8m
  6. Hidden gem: The Atlas of Middle-earth

    JUN 16

    Hidden gem: The Atlas of Middle-earth

    Send us a text In this episode of The Tolkien Podcast we discuss a hidden gem THE ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH and how it helps readers of THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION enhance their reading experience. We also take a look at how its late creator, Karen Wynn Fonstad, produced the work as a fan turned creator, with host Larry D. Curtis. Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    22 min
  7. How to successfully read Tolkien's THE SILMARILLION

    MAY 7

    How to successfully read Tolkien's THE SILMARILLION

    Send us a text J.R.R. Tolkien's THE SILMARILLION provides the cosmology behind his best know works THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT. It presents all that came before, preparing Middle-earth for the War of the Ring. But lacking the same storytelling structure of those best known works, Tolkien's legendarium can present challenges to readers. Here we talk strategies, resources and tips for readers who may find the names, geography and massive volume of characters to be a challenge. But if you are for the challenge, arm yourself with this advice and prepare to be richly rewarded by one of Tolkien's essential works.  Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    39 min
  8. Who is The Mouth of Sauron?

    APR 9

    Who is The Mouth of Sauron?

    Send us a text Unlike many of the servants of Middle-earth's Dark Lord, The Mouth of Sauron was a mortal man who rose through the ranks to become the general and communicator of the great flaming eye. On The Tolkien Podcast, we read from select passages and discuss the person destined to help rule Middle-earth — if Sauron had won the War of the Ring.  Looking for a beautiful, perfect and unique Tolkien gift? Please visit our sponsor: https://kellyannie.com/products/jrr-tolkien-necklace Support the show Contact: TheTolkienPodcast@gmail.com

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Help support The Tolkien Podcast to allow more time and attention to be devoted to it: https://buymeacoffee.com/larrydcurtisYou've found THE TOLKIEN PODCAST where we will explore three essential things you need to know about J.R.R. Tolkien: 1. Why he is THE author of the 20th Century2. Why six movies made outside of Hollywood in New Zealand have earned a stunning $6 billion just at the box office from all around the globe while earning so much more money in so many other ways3. And maybe especially, why and how the author's words changed and will continue to influence the world we all live in.That's the launching point of the The Tolkien Podcast where as your host, my voice will be one of many you will hear from every corner of our world including scholars, artists, craftspeople, film makers, and Tolkienites, all reflecting on his works including the legendarium of Middle-earth. While we will delve deep into the past, Tolkien fans also have a lot to look forward to, as more works directly and indirectly inspired by The Professor continue to follow in his incomparable footsteps of creation.Another way to support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436415/supporters/new

Information

  • Creator
    Larry D. Curtis
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Tolkien Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Tolkien Podcast

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