The Songs of the Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien and the Overlapping Realms of their Imaginations (2024), edited by Łukasz Neubauer and Guglielmo Spirito

Book review, by G. Connor Salter, of The Songs of the Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien and the Overlapping Realms of their Imaginations (2024), edited by Łukasz Neubauer and Guglielmo Spirit

The Feanorian Alphabet Part 2 [and] Eldarin Pronouns (2024), by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Arden R. Smith and Christopher Gilson

Book review, by Andrew Higgins, of The Feanorian Alphabet Part 2 [and] Eldarin Pronouns (2024), by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Arden R. Smith and Christopher Gilso

The English and the Welsh: Tolkien’s Rewriting of History in the Legendarium

Early legendarium is often called a mythology for England, while Tolkien\u27s later tales have been described as mythologies for Britain (by Dimitra Fimi) or Englishness (by Thomas Honegger). Later legendarium still contains fictional versions of English-like peoples, the Hobbits and the Rohirrim. Their construction leads to a re-construction of elements of English history in the subcreation, that often produces fictional analogs not only of the English but of the Welsh. How Tolkien described contacts between the English and their closest neighbors reveals his idea of Englishness (his own national identity) and its place in the narrative. This article traces appearances and absences of the Welsh in the legendarium. I argue that initially Tolkien\u27s mythology intended to produce an origin story for the English than could replace the more anti-English historical framework of Geoffrey of Monmouth and earlier Anglo-Saxon and Welsh texts. This led to decreasing the role of the Welsh in British history and direct attacks on their garbled tales. In later legendarium, Tolkien does not rewrite the history of the primary world but constructs idealized allusions. He sets his analogs of the English as non-imperial and culturally self-contained, confirmed by their interactions with the analogs of the Welsh. Englishness contrasts with Welshness but, paradoxically, can neither fully absorb its counterpart not separate from it

The Nameless Enemy: How Do You Solve a Problem Like “Mairon”?

This paper analyzes Sauron’s “original” name, “Mairon,” in its various contexts (textual, temporal, and linguistic) and then applies it to a reading of the character in order to produce a “capsule characterization” or “minimyth” for the Lord of the Rings himself. The name “Mairon” appears only in a note to a single entry in a list of Eldarin roots, not published until 2007 in the journal Parma Eldalamberon. This niche location suggests one of the many ways in which this name is marginal: typographically, linguistically, narratively, and historically (as in the Secondary World). The name appears to have been conceived during a flurry of revision to the Legendarium following the publication of The Lord of the Rings, revision that elsewhere included additional work on Sauron. Apparently derived from maira (“admirable, excellent, precious”), the name is situated within a broader complex of entries expressing notions of greatness, art-making, service, usefulness, and value. Both “Maia” and “Mairon” are ultimately derived from the same root, suggesting a possible understanding of the pre-corrupted Sauron as in some way exemplary of his own order. The name is notably distinct from the names of most of the other Ainur, the majority of whom are named for particular domains of Creation with which they are associated (weeping, weaving, invention, birds, etc.); “Mairon” (“The Admirable”) is more closely aligned with Melian’s Quenya name “Melyanna” (“Dear Gift”) as both names suggest an implied “other.” Ultimately, the name “Mairon” is meaningful to a reading of Sauron and fits smoothly into a larger pattern of associations of the character with the notions of seeing (or not), being seen (or not), and how one is seen (or how one sees the self)

An Analysis of Hybrid/Remote Work Eligibility in Academic Librarian Job Advertisements

This paper seeks to capture changing policies and approaches to hybrid and remote work in academic libraries following the COVID-19 pandemic. For this study, job advertisements were gathered and those hiring managers surveyed. Results show hybrid/remote positions have competitive salaries, many types of academic library positions have hybrid eligibility, and campus and library policies regarding hybrid/remote work and their inclusion in job postings continue to evolve. Despite the potential recruitment benefits of these flexible work arrangements, many who offer them are not including this information in their job advertisements; therefore, job candidates should ask or negotiate for this benefit

A Response to Claudio Testi on Tolkien and Aquinas

A response to Claudio Testi on creation and providence in Tolkien and Aquinas

Cities and Strongholds: of Middle-earth: Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien’s Legendarium (2024) edited by Cami D. Agan

Book review, by Marilyn R. Pukkila, of Cities and Strongholds: of Middle-earth: Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien’s Legendarium (2024), edited by Cami D. Aga

Creating Culturally Inclusive Text Sets for an Elementary Classroom

For this symposium project, my job was to research how to create a culturally inclusive text set for an elementary classroom. There are many different elements that a teacher should look for when selecting literature. These include having a diverse set of characters, authors, and an meaningful message behind the text. For my data analysis, I am making sure to select texts that hit these main elements as well as meet state standards. This is an important topic, because as educators we want to foster a welcoming classroom environment where all students can thrive. Before choosing texts, the teacher needs to develop a good understanding of the dynamics and background of the classroom. From there, the teacher can create a text set that is representative of their students. My findings after doing research, is that there are many children\u27s literature books that allow children to have a new perspective of the world around them. As a future educator, it is my job that my students develop important life skills of self-awareness and empathy. This can be achieved through the literature selected for class

Cat-Spoon, Pants-Car: Testing Trials Needed for a Picture Paired Associates Task for Adults

This study investigates the number of trials needed for accurate introspection on memory accuracy in adults. Prior research suggests preschoolers benefit from introspection tasks (Hembacher & Ghetti, 2014). Preschoolers encoded items presented once or twice, then completed a forced-choice retrieval test with confidence judgments. Research has also found that memory performance on a paired associates tasks in children is related to their word learning (Vlach & DeBrock, 2017). However, the optimal number of trials in a picture based paired associates task for adults remains unknown. A pilot test indicated 10 trials, commonly used with preschoolers, is insufficient for adults. Our experiment will investigate the appropriate number of trials needed for reliable introspection in adults, with an initial estimate of 40-55 trials based on existing literature