I was born in Maryland and spent my first thirty years living there, first in the Appalachian Mountains, then on the Eastern Shore, and later in suburban Washington. After a year in South Carolina, I moved to Georgia in 1977. I soon met another park ranger who worked in Florida. She was a wonderful woman who became my best friend. then my wife, and soon the mother of our three children. I spent over eleven years working in the historic city of Savannah, Georgia, and on the moss-draped sea islands nearby before moving to Atlanta.. In 2007, I retired from the National Park Service and a career dedicated to preserving and interpreting resources and themes in the cultural and natural history of the United States. It was a most rewarding experience. Today, I enjoy living in the rolling hills and woods of the Appalachian Piedmont east of Atlanta.
Heroic Tradition Meets Modern Imagination: The Fellowship Of The Ring
For fantasy fiction fans this day in 1954 has great significance. It is the day that J.R.R. Tolkien'sThe Fellowship of the Ring first appeared on store shelves in the United Kingdom. Today, a used copy of that first edition with its original dust jacket would fetch an owner at least $6500. An autographed copy would easily be in six figures as Tolkien was a bit of an introvert and disliked autographing his books. I doubt that sum would matter much to true fans. To them the words within are priceless.
Who was the man behind this beloved three volume narrative we know as The Lord of the Rings? Below is some footage released in 2010 of a 1968 BBC program interviewing Tolkien and exploring his real and imaginary worlds. The audio is not the best so viewers may want to use earbuds or headphones.
Tolkien died about five years after this production. It would take another generation before a cinematic version of his great work would, perhaps could, appear. In the interim his imagination gave new energy to a full range of fiction writers. His is a rich legacy and one that will be enjoyed and expanded in the years head.
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