Tolkien's "Smith" essay
Steuard Jensen
quite good, and I'm happy to have it on the FAQ's "Recommended
Secondary Works" list. (I'm dubious about one or two of her ideas,
but that's to be expected.)
The inspiration for this post comes from one of the last chapters in
that book, which discusses Tolkien's late short story "Smith of Wotten
Major". In that chapter, Flieger makes frequent references to an
unpublished essay by Tolkien discussing both a substantial backstory
to "Smith" and some of the philosophical and technical details of the
relationship between the real world and "Faery".
Needless to say, I'm fascinated by those references. I really enjoy
"Smith", and I'd love to know more about it. Moreover, some of
Tolkien's comments as quoted in Flieger's book could be relevant to
his thoughts on "Fairy Stories" in general; I'd love to read them for
the insight they might shed on Middle-earth. (As might be expected, I
keep imagining Bombadil connections in his words, among other things.)
As I understand it, the essay in question is in the Bodleian library's
Tolkien collection (Ms. 9, I believe). My two questions are, first,
why wasn't this essay published anywhere? (I'm guessing that it's
just a question of priorities, which I can understand, but I'm curious
to know if there's any other reason.) And second, has anyone on the
groups actually read that essay? (Oh, and third, what exactly would
one have to do in order to have access to it? :) Apart from getting
to Oxford, that is.)
Steuard Jensen
Mark Constantino
>why wasn't this essay published anywhere?
It is, some copies of _Tree and Leaf_ has also Smith of Wooton Major, the
latter of which demonstrates some of the ideas discussed in the former.
>And second, has anyone on the
>groups actually read that essay?
I checked out the book from a library when a teenager and read it. It's not
bad, but I don't remember much about it at all. It's an ancillary work to LOTR
if anything; that is, it might explain the foundations of the literary genre
that LOTR might have established. I've previously termed it "epic fantasy" in
the vein of the Romanticists, with poems such as Don Juan, and Rime of the
Ancient Mariner, and certain shorter poetic works by Stephen Crane, as well as
older scraps of verse from the depths of English culture without author, as
much as Beowulf is without an author. What starts out as a sarcastic work of
humor [an annoying publisher asks for a sequel to The Hobbit] turns into
another examination of the principles of a faery story described in _Tree and
Leaf_, then bits of a testbed mythology [The Silmarillion] are thrown into the
mix where The Hobbit did not have them, and we get a very readable, very
interesting, very durable, and very lovable work with a broad audience, the
story of which has been somewhat mythified itself in our English speaking
culture.
GandalfSC
news:20021113204527...@mb-mh.aol.com...
Mark,
I believe that Steuard was looking for the Unpublished Essay NOT the book.
Here is the quote verbatim
START QUOTE
As I understand it, the essay in question is in the Bodleian library's
Tolkien collection (Ms. 9, I believe). My two questions are, first,
why wasn't this essay published anywhere? (I'm guessing that it's
just a question of priorities, which I can understand, but I'm curious
to know if there's any other reason.) And second, has anyone on the
groups actually read that essay? (Oh, and third, what exactly would
one have to do in order to have access to it? :) Apart from getting
to Oxford, that is.)
Steuard Jensen
/END QUOTE
On a side note. Steuard, check also the repository of Tolkien's works in
the US.
I know, Steuard knows of this. Just a reminder. <[:^)>~
GandalfSC
--
Here we go again...
Wayne Hammond
> As I understand it, the essay in question is in the Bodleian library's
> Tolkien collection (Ms. 9, I believe). My two questions are, first,
> why wasn't this essay published anywhere? (I'm guessing that it's
> just a question of priorities, which I can understand, but I'm curious
> to know if there's any other reason.) And second, has anyone on the
> groups actually read that essay? (Oh, and third, what exactly would
> one have to do in order to have access to it? :) Apart from getting
> to Oxford, that is.)
It is, indeed, a question of priorities, and of placing the essay in
the proper context. I think that it will be published some day; my
wife and I indeed have made a proposal in this regard, but we have
other things to deal with first. I have read the essay, but owing to
the agreement that one makes with the copyright owners on using the
Tolkien papers, I can't say anything about it without their
permission, though it will do no harm to say that Verlyn Flieger has
dealt with the heart of it in _A Question of Time_. If you do get to
Oxford, the essay is in the "unrestricted" Tolkien papers, which means
that you can read it IF, first, you meet the Bodleian Library's
qualifications for a reader's card (see their web site at
www.bodley.ox.ac.uk), and second, that you make arrangements with the
staff in Modern Manuscripts.
There is no copy of the essay with the papers at Marquette.
Wayne Hammond
Steuard Jensen
<9b02363b.02111...@posting.google.com>:
> sbje...@midway.uchicago.edu (Steuard Jensen) wrote:
> > ...why wasn't this essay published anywhere? (I'm guessing that
> > it's just a question of priorities...
> It is, indeed, a question of priorities, and of placing the essay in
> the proper context. I think that it will be published some day; my
> wife and I indeed have made a proposal in this regard, but we have
> other things to deal with first.
Many thanks for a very complete answer, Wayne. Assuming I don't make
it to the Bodleian library in the near future, I'll just hope to see
the essay appear somewhere eventually. Best wishes making that
happen. :) If I get there before you get it published, well, so much
the better. (Though in that case I take it I'd have to sign an
agreement restricting even the usual "fair use" quotations because the
essay was unpublished. Maybe it would be better to wait for actual
publication, if only to avoid accidentally saying, "I know I read
somewhere that...". :) )
Steuard Jensen