Hi
I have decided to put this project on an extended hold. I still like the idea and have a lot of research to do that I will be working on in the background while I am settling in to our new life in Florida. I'll come back to the Inklings after a while.
Happy Holidays!
Carl
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Quick Update
Hi Everyone
I thought I could keep the posts going while moving to Florida, but I keep missing my Monday deadlines. I will resume new posting on the first Monday in August.
As a bit of a tease... an upcoming shoot in my photo career got me thinking about Lewis Carroll. He taught at Oxford and Alice in Wonderland has certain parallels to the story I am building so he may play a role in this story. Perhaps Carroll and Lewis used the same desk and office and that is how Tolkien comes in possession of the Rabbits foot.
That is it for now. I'll begin posting again in August.
Carl
I thought I could keep the posts going while moving to Florida, but I keep missing my Monday deadlines. I will resume new posting on the first Monday in August.
As a bit of a tease... an upcoming shoot in my photo career got me thinking about Lewis Carroll. He taught at Oxford and Alice in Wonderland has certain parallels to the story I am building so he may play a role in this story. Perhaps Carroll and Lewis used the same desk and office and that is how Tolkien comes in possession of the Rabbits foot.
That is it for now. I'll begin posting again in August.
Carl
Monday, June 6, 2016
Bingo Baggins
Due to the popular LOTR films there are some facts about the timeline that get overlooked. Frodo's parents were killed in a mysterious boating accident when he was 12. He then spent the next 9 years living with his Brandybuck relatives in Brandy hall before being adopted by his cousin Bilbo who made him his heir. Hobbits come of age when they are 33 years old. So in human terms Frodo is a young teenager. Another interesting fact many people do not know is that Frodo does not appear in the early drafts of the first chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring called an unexpected party and when he does appear he is sometimes called Bingo. I have a theory that Tolkien was jotting down his impressions of what he was learning of the Shire and Middle Earth and changing his drafts as he learned the facts while he was there for longer periods of time. Let's see if this theory holds true while I piece together Tolkien's story.... And Oh my. I am yet to tell you any thing of C.S Lewis and his Brother Warnie who have adventures of their own, but they will have to wait for another week to start their tale.
Now where was I.... Oh Yes. It was early morning in Bilbo's kitchen. It had been a whole day and a night since Tolkien had appeared in Bilbo's garden. Bilbo, Gandalf and Tolkien had talked all the while about the Shire and Middle Earth and the strange place called England. Tolkien interrupted Bilbo who was on his third recounting of his adventure with the dwarves and Smaug the dragon. Gandalf noted with relief that Bilbo was leaving out the part about his magic ring and how he came to have it. Gandalf was not yet sure who this Jar Tulkeen was and while he seemed to be a very likable fellow he could still end up to be quite dangerous. Tolkien stopped Bilbo in mid sentence and asked if he could borrow a fountain pen and some paper to right down some of what he was hearing to keep it all straight in his head. Tolkien feared he would wake up at home with no memory of this.
"A fountain pen. What is that asked Bilbo?"
"It is a cylinder filled with ink that has a fine nib one one end. It is used for writing." said Tolkien.
"what a magical land you live in." replied Bilbo. "Next you'll tell me you can carts pull themselves without ponies and people can fly in your magic land called England."
"Well yes." Said Tolkien. He pulled a photograph out of his vest of his brigade in France during WWI standing in front of a biplane. Bilbo was silent for a moment and Gandalf looked all together worried. Who was this man and what sort of danger would follow him if others from England started showing up all over the Shire. He decided right then not to share this information with Saruman the White Wizard. Bilbo turned to the young hobbit in the corner who had gone unnoticed until now. To Tolkien he appeared twelve or thirteen. "Bingo be a good lad and fetch Mr. Jar Tulkeen a quill, a bottle of ink and some paper." Said Bilbo. That is my nephew Frodo, he is called Bingo by his friends. He is an orphan, his Parents drowned oh maybe ten years ago. He's still a young lad only 21, but when he comes of age at 33 he will inherit and become master of Bag End. He'll need to grow into the name Frodo and be a solid hobbit to inherit but there is still much time for that." Tolkien was growing fonder of these little people called hobbits by the minute and could not wait to share this Tale with Jack and Warnie at the Bird and Baby over a pint of mild or two, but how was he to get back. Sensing Tolkien's weariness Gandalf suggested he get some sleep and the would wake him for supper later on. That's a good idea thought Tolkien. I will get some sleep and wake up in my own bed or at my desk in my office.
Next week's story - Still in the shire let's walk around and see the countryside. I will reveal how Tolkien learns to control talisman (coin) and travel back and forth to the shire at will. His visits over the months and years would be more often and last longer. So much so that in twelve years time it will be Tolkien who accompanies Bilbo on his walk to Rivendell after his 111th birthday party. The same day was of course Frodo's 33rd birthday as they shared the same Birthday September the 22nd. The adventures that Tolkien and Bilbo share getting to Rivendell are a great tale in themselves and will take up several weeks of stories, but that will have to wait because we have to start learning about CS Lewis Soon too. There is so much story to tell. This could go on for years before I decide to start putting all the lose bits together. I must say on a personal note it is 2:06am in Tuesday so I missed my self imposed Monday deadline. I was going to wait until morning to write this but the ideas were swirling in my mind and I wanted to get them into a post before they vanished over the hill like so much smoke from Gandalf's pipe. Until Next week.
Now where was I.... Oh Yes. It was early morning in Bilbo's kitchen. It had been a whole day and a night since Tolkien had appeared in Bilbo's garden. Bilbo, Gandalf and Tolkien had talked all the while about the Shire and Middle Earth and the strange place called England. Tolkien interrupted Bilbo who was on his third recounting of his adventure with the dwarves and Smaug the dragon. Gandalf noted with relief that Bilbo was leaving out the part about his magic ring and how he came to have it. Gandalf was not yet sure who this Jar Tulkeen was and while he seemed to be a very likable fellow he could still end up to be quite dangerous. Tolkien stopped Bilbo in mid sentence and asked if he could borrow a fountain pen and some paper to right down some of what he was hearing to keep it all straight in his head. Tolkien feared he would wake up at home with no memory of this.
"A fountain pen. What is that asked Bilbo?"
"It is a cylinder filled with ink that has a fine nib one one end. It is used for writing." said Tolkien.
"what a magical land you live in." replied Bilbo. "Next you'll tell me you can carts pull themselves without ponies and people can fly in your magic land called England."
"Well yes." Said Tolkien. He pulled a photograph out of his vest of his brigade in France during WWI standing in front of a biplane. Bilbo was silent for a moment and Gandalf looked all together worried. Who was this man and what sort of danger would follow him if others from England started showing up all over the Shire. He decided right then not to share this information with Saruman the White Wizard. Bilbo turned to the young hobbit in the corner who had gone unnoticed until now. To Tolkien he appeared twelve or thirteen. "Bingo be a good lad and fetch Mr. Jar Tulkeen a quill, a bottle of ink and some paper." Said Bilbo. That is my nephew Frodo, he is called Bingo by his friends. He is an orphan, his Parents drowned oh maybe ten years ago. He's still a young lad only 21, but when he comes of age at 33 he will inherit and become master of Bag End. He'll need to grow into the name Frodo and be a solid hobbit to inherit but there is still much time for that." Tolkien was growing fonder of these little people called hobbits by the minute and could not wait to share this Tale with Jack and Warnie at the Bird and Baby over a pint of mild or two, but how was he to get back. Sensing Tolkien's weariness Gandalf suggested he get some sleep and the would wake him for supper later on. That's a good idea thought Tolkien. I will get some sleep and wake up in my own bed or at my desk in my office.
Next week's story - Still in the shire let's walk around and see the countryside. I will reveal how Tolkien learns to control talisman (coin) and travel back and forth to the shire at will. His visits over the months and years would be more often and last longer. So much so that in twelve years time it will be Tolkien who accompanies Bilbo on his walk to Rivendell after his 111th birthday party. The same day was of course Frodo's 33rd birthday as they shared the same Birthday September the 22nd. The adventures that Tolkien and Bilbo share getting to Rivendell are a great tale in themselves and will take up several weeks of stories, but that will have to wait because we have to start learning about CS Lewis Soon too. There is so much story to tell. This could go on for years before I decide to start putting all the lose bits together. I must say on a personal note it is 2:06am in Tuesday so I missed my self imposed Monday deadline. I was going to wait until morning to write this but the ideas were swirling in my mind and I wanted to get them into a post before they vanished over the hill like so much smoke from Gandalf's pipe. Until Next week.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Gandalf
Welcome to a special Tuesday edition of 'The Secret of the Inklings' I took a long weekend and am just getting to this post today. Last week I apologized to Mr Tolkien. Today I apologize to you gentle reader. Now on with the post.
Gandalf drew smoke in from his pipe while he looked past his cup of tea to the fire in the hearth in Bilbo's kitchen. It was a bright cheery morning in late spring, yet Gandalf had a chill. Much like the one he had some time ago when Bilbo admitted to finding Gollum's ring in the tunnels under the Misty Mountain. Something was not right. The man who for lack of a better word landed in Bilbo's garden two days ago seemed kind and wanted to know everything about the shire. He had taken to taking long walks along the lanes and roads of this pleasant country. Gandalf could not get over the coincidence of the stranger whom Bilbo called Jar Tulkeen arriving at Bag End of all places and his description of where he is from even more puzzling carts pulled without horses and devices called radios that could send voices hundreds of leagues thru the air. More puzzling was the strangers account of how he had gotten here. Gandalf knew there would be many many days ahead of conversations with Bilbo's.... well what was he Prisoner? Guest? Only time would help unravel this puzzle.
Gandalf drew smoke in from his pipe while he looked past his cup of tea to the fire in the hearth in Bilbo's kitchen. It was a bright cheery morning in late spring, yet Gandalf had a chill. Much like the one he had some time ago when Bilbo admitted to finding Gollum's ring in the tunnels under the Misty Mountain. Something was not right. The man who for lack of a better word landed in Bilbo's garden two days ago seemed kind and wanted to know everything about the shire. He had taken to taking long walks along the lanes and roads of this pleasant country. Gandalf could not get over the coincidence of the stranger whom Bilbo called Jar Tulkeen arriving at Bag End of all places and his description of where he is from even more puzzling carts pulled without horses and devices called radios that could send voices hundreds of leagues thru the air. More puzzling was the strangers account of how he had gotten here. Gandalf knew there would be many many days ahead of conversations with Bilbo's.... well what was he Prisoner? Guest? Only time would help unravel this puzzle.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Bilbo
Tolkien awoke on his back looking up at brilliant blue sky with white clouds. The last thing he remembered was flipping the coin he found earlier in the day while walking under the bridge of sighs in Oxford. He realized he was was being poked with a stick.
"Excuse me! but my garden is not a hotel for wandering old men! Unless you are a wizard, but I don't think you are a wizard by the look of you. So good morning and be on your way sir."
Tolkien looked to see a man about half his size with wearing a green vest and barefoot and said "Pardon me? Where am I?."
Bilbo snorted and said "Why this is my home Bag End. The Baggins' have lived here since time out of mind. From the look of you sir the pints at the Prancing Pony got the better of you."
"I am J.R.R Tolkien and I have no bloody idea how I got here, I'll bet wager Jack and Warnie had something to do with it."
"Well I do not know any Jack and Warnie. Mr. Jar Tullkeen, but where are my manners? My name is Bilbo Baggins and this is my home. Well I suppose it won't do to have a man just laying about in my garden all day. Do come in for some tea. I will fetch my friend Gandalf who is visiting these parts and we can sort out what to do with you." Bilbo said it kindly but something told him this was not just a drunken man who fell asleep among his flowers....
This is a draft of the first encounter between Bilbo and Tolkien. I wanted to get the flow of it down as it is a beautiful spring morning here in NY and it reminded me of the beginning of 'The Hobbit'. The reference to Gandalf may be removed and replaced with the old Gaffer because it is possible Gandalf will have a very different role in our little story.
My apologies to Mr. Tolkien. My story is written with a lifetime of love for his characters and the world he so carefully created for them.
Carl
"Excuse me! but my garden is not a hotel for wandering old men! Unless you are a wizard, but I don't think you are a wizard by the look of you. So good morning and be on your way sir."
Tolkien looked to see a man about half his size with wearing a green vest and barefoot and said "Pardon me? Where am I?."
Bilbo snorted and said "Why this is my home Bag End. The Baggins' have lived here since time out of mind. From the look of you sir the pints at the Prancing Pony got the better of you."
"I am J.R.R Tolkien and I have no bloody idea how I got here, I'll bet wager Jack and Warnie had something to do with it."
"Well I do not know any Jack and Warnie. Mr. Jar Tullkeen, but where are my manners? My name is Bilbo Baggins and this is my home. Well I suppose it won't do to have a man just laying about in my garden all day. Do come in for some tea. I will fetch my friend Gandalf who is visiting these parts and we can sort out what to do with you." Bilbo said it kindly but something told him this was not just a drunken man who fell asleep among his flowers....
This is a draft of the first encounter between Bilbo and Tolkien. I wanted to get the flow of it down as it is a beautiful spring morning here in NY and it reminded me of the beginning of 'The Hobbit'. The reference to Gandalf may be removed and replaced with the old Gaffer because it is possible Gandalf will have a very different role in our little story.
My apologies to Mr. Tolkien. My story is written with a lifetime of love for his characters and the world he so carefully created for them.
Carl
Friday, May 13, 2016
The Road to Other Earth...
Authors Note: The more I want to start writing this story and the more I start searching for details to be as accurate as I can about the historical facts of Tolkien, Lewis and Oxford I realize how much material there is and how much reading I have in front of me. The trick will be to absorb the facts and site the sources but to keep in mind I'm working on a story, novella or some piece of fiction so The facts may be thrown aside if I need to invent things to keep the plot moving forward. I am starting to keep a notebook for Ideas and for facts I find useful. OK now finally, on with a bit of our story. Also this post is a few days early I am traveling and wanted to make sure I did not forget to get this done. Thanks again for joining me on this journey.
It is spring 1925, Just seven years since returning from the horrors of World War One. J.R.R Tolkien was moving into his office In Pembroke College, Oxford where he was starting what would be long tenure as a professor at Pembroke that would last until 1945 when he moved to Merton College where he continued until 1959. Tolkien was sitting at his desk and moving in the few items he had while thinking of the number of men who occupied this office over hundreds of years. How would ne match up to these Giants, these Dons of Oxford. In hind sight we know he would stand among the greats but it was a good question for this orphan and veteran to be asking himself at the start of his career. He rummaged around his desk looking for an ashtray thinking a short break and blowing some smoke rings with his pipe were just what the moment called for. After opening the bottom right drawer and seeing the previous occupant had indeed left behind an ash tray he found he could not close the drawer no matter how hard he tried there was something blocking the drawer. He pulled the drawer out and found a small worn wooden box with Runes on the outside that he did not recognize and a gold coin in the box. He was going to set the box aside and translate the runes later but he really did love new languages and alphabets so unpacking could wait, besides what if the Runes were timely and an elaborate prank by his friend Jack (C.S. Lewis Who was also starting as a fellow at Oxford this term) maybe the the Runes read Tollers... Meet me at the Bird and Baby (the name used by locals for the Eagle and Child Pub just off of campus) for pint at 5 O'clock. It would be rude not to turn up so he set to translating the runes thinking of a pint of bitters and how good it would taste after he one a game of riddles and Jack had to pay for the pint, but that is not what the Runes told him. After several hours of thinking and blowing smoke rings in that old office he had cracked the puzzle, but even though he could read the message of the runes he had no idea what they meant. It could still be an elaborate prank by Jack and his brother Warnie, but that pint he thought of earlier was calling him so off to the pub he went to show his prize to Jack and see if he was behind the mystery.
Next Post: A funny thing happened on the way to the pub....
It is spring 1925, Just seven years since returning from the horrors of World War One. J.R.R Tolkien was moving into his office In Pembroke College, Oxford where he was starting what would be long tenure as a professor at Pembroke that would last until 1945 when he moved to Merton College where he continued until 1959. Tolkien was sitting at his desk and moving in the few items he had while thinking of the number of men who occupied this office over hundreds of years. How would ne match up to these Giants, these Dons of Oxford. In hind sight we know he would stand among the greats but it was a good question for this orphan and veteran to be asking himself at the start of his career. He rummaged around his desk looking for an ashtray thinking a short break and blowing some smoke rings with his pipe were just what the moment called for. After opening the bottom right drawer and seeing the previous occupant had indeed left behind an ash tray he found he could not close the drawer no matter how hard he tried there was something blocking the drawer. He pulled the drawer out and found a small worn wooden box with Runes on the outside that he did not recognize and a gold coin in the box. He was going to set the box aside and translate the runes later but he really did love new languages and alphabets so unpacking could wait, besides what if the Runes were timely and an elaborate prank by his friend Jack (C.S. Lewis Who was also starting as a fellow at Oxford this term) maybe the the Runes read Tollers... Meet me at the Bird and Baby (the name used by locals for the Eagle and Child Pub just off of campus) for pint at 5 O'clock. It would be rude not to turn up so he set to translating the runes thinking of a pint of bitters and how good it would taste after he one a game of riddles and Jack had to pay for the pint, but that is not what the Runes told him. After several hours of thinking and blowing smoke rings in that old office he had cracked the puzzle, but even though he could read the message of the runes he had no idea what they meant. It could still be an elaborate prank by Jack and his brother Warnie, but that pint he thought of earlier was calling him so off to the pub he went to show his prize to Jack and see if he was behind the mystery.
Next Post: A funny thing happened on the way to the pub....
Monday, May 9, 2016
The ear worm.... or the idea I could not get out of my head....
OK. So we have finally arrived at the beginning of our story and after this post I'll have to start letting you in on the 'Secret' of the Inklings...
After a day spent wandering the colleges of Oxford and wandering the streets of the city sampling the wares of different shops, cafes and pubs three of us were crammed back into the Mini Cooper. Richard had to bring some things from work home and opted to take bus home. That is his story and he's sticking with it. I think he was just being a gentleman and giving us more room in the car. We were to meet back up Bicester and walk into town for what would be a wonderful dinner. As we wound our way thru Oxford's streets and were on the road out of town Paula said "Nut's.. I forgot to take you to the Eagle and Child". Now I had been in England for a week and had seen my fair share of pubs including several that day. I said "what makes this pub different from all the others I have seen? "It is where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to read there new stories to each other." Now if I had known such a holy shrine existed I would have made a pilgrimage years sooner to be sure. I spent much of the rest of that day imagining a smokey pub room and Tolkien wearing a plaid wool vest and smoking a pipe reading the beginning pages of "The Hobbit" to C.S. Lewis while he drank a whiskey and offered friendly advice and asked questions... I could see it as clearly as if I was in the room for the reading.
This image would stay with me over the next weeks and months. I found myself transported in my daydreams imaging how those readings would go at the Eagle and Child and imaging Tolkien walking home at the end of the night. Passing under bridge of sighs and singing songs half outlaid in his made up language of the elves. The idea was really taking hold. Just before Christmas I did a google search on Tolkien and C.S. Lewis at Oxford seeing if anyone had any more stories like this and I found a treasure trove of information on the Inklings. So much information was available to fill in the back story of these literary giants at Oxford after World War One. I downloaded a few books about the inklings and set to reading..... This was going to be fun, well at least for a big old nerd like me who loved the work of both writers and wanted to know more about who they were. In my next post I will talk about the history of the Inklings as a literary club and who some its most notable members were. I will also start a reading list of on a sidebar in the blog of the source material I have read and enjoyed as I embark on this task of turning the Inklings into a fantasy story set in Oxford, Narnia and Middle Earth.
After a day spent wandering the colleges of Oxford and wandering the streets of the city sampling the wares of different shops, cafes and pubs three of us were crammed back into the Mini Cooper. Richard had to bring some things from work home and opted to take bus home. That is his story and he's sticking with it. I think he was just being a gentleman and giving us more room in the car. We were to meet back up Bicester and walk into town for what would be a wonderful dinner. As we wound our way thru Oxford's streets and were on the road out of town Paula said "Nut's.. I forgot to take you to the Eagle and Child". Now I had been in England for a week and had seen my fair share of pubs including several that day. I said "what makes this pub different from all the others I have seen? "It is where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to read there new stories to each other." Now if I had known such a holy shrine existed I would have made a pilgrimage years sooner to be sure. I spent much of the rest of that day imagining a smokey pub room and Tolkien wearing a plaid wool vest and smoking a pipe reading the beginning pages of "The Hobbit" to C.S. Lewis while he drank a whiskey and offered friendly advice and asked questions... I could see it as clearly as if I was in the room for the reading.
This image would stay with me over the next weeks and months. I found myself transported in my daydreams imaging how those readings would go at the Eagle and Child and imaging Tolkien walking home at the end of the night. Passing under bridge of sighs and singing songs half outlaid in his made up language of the elves. The idea was really taking hold. Just before Christmas I did a google search on Tolkien and C.S. Lewis at Oxford seeing if anyone had any more stories like this and I found a treasure trove of information on the Inklings. So much information was available to fill in the back story of these literary giants at Oxford after World War One. I downloaded a few books about the inklings and set to reading..... This was going to be fun, well at least for a big old nerd like me who loved the work of both writers and wanted to know more about who they were. In my next post I will talk about the history of the Inklings as a literary club and who some its most notable members were. I will also start a reading list of on a sidebar in the blog of the source material I have read and enjoyed as I embark on this task of turning the Inklings into a fantasy story set in Oxford, Narnia and Middle Earth.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Welcome to the Shire.
As a fan of both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis it is odd that I never gave much thought about the men themselves or where they came from. It is odd in particular given my obsessive nature when I find something I like. I have a tendency to absorb every last bit of it and then move on to something else. Maybe it was because I read the books for the first time as a young teen and in the case of Tolkien every year for about 25 years. I did learn to translate the runes on the covers and illustrations in Tolkien's books using the clues he left. OK a little obsessive see. But I had not give much thought to the actual men or where they lived. Until April 2015 when Wendy and I made plans to stay with our friends Paula and Richard who live in Bicester and visit Oxford after a week in London. So on a rainy spring Saturday morning after the proper amount of coffee and nibbles (lots!) we headed to Oxford in Paula's Mini Cooper. I wish there were pictures of this. Think of the joke How many Popes can you fit in a Volkswagen and you get the idea. Poor Richard took the bus back home at the end of the day rather than face that cramped ride again. Sorry Richard! I owe you a pint for that one. Paula decided to stay off the hi-ways and take the 'scenic' route to Oxford.... During that short 30 minute ride I saw all of Tolkien's illustrations of the shire that were in the books come to life before my eyes. I knew instantly where his inspiration came from for the sleepy, idyllic land of the Hobbits was born from. The early spring green made more vibrant by the rain was amazing as we drove down country lanes past farms, old stone churches and little homes I felt myself being transported to Hobbiton and half expect to see Samwise Gamgee around every corner smoking a pipe, pushing a wheelbarrow and singing a bawdy pub song. I have never connected a place to the writing inspired by it so strongly. There was magic afoot that day to be sure. I can see in my mind's eye Tolkien sitting under a big tree painting the landscape in front of him that I would look at a thousand times as a teenager as I read the covers off of my first copy of the Hobbit.
Next week's sketch will be of the moment i had the idea that started this whole thing.
Next week's sketch will be of the moment i had the idea that started this whole thing.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Post Script
This is not this week's post. Just a comment on the actual writing part of the process. Part of why I stalled for four months was probably me saying to myself. You are not a writer, what are you doing? Then I remembered I had a blog with over a 1000 posts in it that I wrote over several years. Am I trained writer... No. Will I need lots of help with my awful typing and spelling... Yes. Much like being being an painter you are an artist when you say you are an artist. Where this project will take me... Who knows, but I know this the story wants to get out. I find myself thinking about while I am working or driving or standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. So one way or another I'm going to write this thing.
Check back Monday for my next post...
Carl
Check back Monday for my next post...
Carl
Monday, April 25, 2016
Time warp and apologies !
How did it get to be April the 25th? I checked the date of my last post and it was in mid January. What is my excuse??? I was abducted by aliens... No that's not it. My cat ate my homework... Nope that one has not worked since third grade. I'm a lazy git... Not in general no. So what put the pause on my big idea? Well truthfully life got in the way and us creative artist types are often distracted by shiny things. Yep that's my answer and I am sticking to it. However getting this idea out of my brain and in a place where I can share it with likeminded folks and perfect it is important to me. So from here on out once a week there will be a post on Monday. I am putting the alarm in my IPhone to remind me every Sunday. I have a general story arc in my mind and most of the characters ready to play there bits, but I'm not ready to churn out the whole thing. It is an intimidating process for someone who is not a writer. So I will start with the little flashes I get in my head of bits of the story. These come to me while I am working on other things or painting or even unloading the dishwasher. I will to start to write little vignettes of scenes trying to capture the essence of what I thought before my focus shifts elsewhere and the idea is lost forever. These will be the posts for a while. Descriptive little scene setters I will use when I start to string chapters and themes together.
In the form of a reminder of the big story I have in mind. It starts in 1930's Oxford when then Professor Tolkien discovers a talisman that allows him to discover another land. One he discovers called Middle Earth. Tolkien is a Member of a literary club called the Inklings. They meet weekly and share new work for fun and critique and from time to time make fun of other writers they don't like. C.S Lewis is also a member of the Inklings. When Tolkien tries to share his secret other world with Lewis something does not go as planned. Lewis finds himself in Narnia... They also discover that their actions in the other lands have an impact on our own world.
It seems I have a lot of work to do as I have not read the Narnia books since jr high school and I need to know a lot more about Oxford. For now I can start on the little descriptive paragraphs and set them down like washes in a bigger painting. So with Apologies to Messrs. Tolkien and Lewis here we go.
April, 2015
We spent a chilly, rainy week in London. I loved it. Wendy was there for work and had meetings all day and dinners at night. What is an artist and photographer to do with a week in London? I wandered everywhere! I walked and took the underground all over the place. I found some of the filming locations from the Harry Potter movies, I did a portrait session with a young music student in the Leake Street graffiti tunnel. I wandered around Camden for two days. I do love the parts of cities where the eccentrics come together and form their own sub city that celebrates their weirdness. Camden is great fun and I would have loved to have seen it in the 1950's and 1960's in the recent post war era. Today it is a bit of a disney version of itself, much like Time Square is a cartoon version of itself for tourists. That said Camden which was saw the birth of the punk scene and still has echoes of its rebellious past is fun and a treat for the eyes and ears. Everywhere I went I listened to accents. Not just English accents. The whole world seems to be living and working in Camden as visitors wander up and down the High Street and on the bridge over the river. At Camden Lock you can get a sense of its industrial past. It is a mix of Gypsy vendors and startup manufacturing concerns. In all honesty since that trip I have had my eye on a little item from the Camden Watch co. but I digress and since I have three watches in my nightstand I never use I'll move on. Why am I writing about Camden for a book about Oxford and London? Well here's the thing no matter how you think a story is going to go when you are thinking about it where your mind goes when you put fingers to keys is a whole other story. I just had a thought... The story already shifts between worlds (ours, Middle Earth and Narnia), should it also shift between times? It would complicate the story and I may not want to do that but for the purpose of this post I am going to introduce you to a character I met in Camden and very much want to photograph him and his troupe of actors on my next visit to London. I will put off the the description of our ride from Bicester (for us Americans that pronounced Bister like blister without the L) to Oxford for next weeks post. Funny but I'll never be able to smell a sweet spring rain and not think of that beautiful countryside and Oxford again.
Okay so back to Camden... About a block or so up the High Street from the underground station is the office (OK a street Corner) of Wonder London where Alice's Tea Party is all set up. This troupe of actors dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland hold court on this corner and ham it up with tourists who pose with the characters at the Tea Party for tips. The Mad Hatter is the jovial host of this wondrous tea party that does not seem one bit out of place in Camden. Behind his grease paint and orange wig his eyes are alway scanning the crowd. To a photographer like me used to observing the world and capturing the details others miss in street photographs I assume he is looking for the next tourist who will take the seat at the tea party and have the troupe fawn over them until the photo is taken a pound or two is dropped in the collection jar. In this case I am completely wrong The mad hatter is a man wanted in at least three lands and waiting for his contact who can bring him home so he can correct the mistakes made long, long ago that set this world on a downward spiral. he is a man hiding in plain sight in costume as a street performer and nobody notices him or the real him. Just the crazy, fun, Mad Hatter who is adding to the local color in Camden Lock.
In the form of a reminder of the big story I have in mind. It starts in 1930's Oxford when then Professor Tolkien discovers a talisman that allows him to discover another land. One he discovers called Middle Earth. Tolkien is a Member of a literary club called the Inklings. They meet weekly and share new work for fun and critique and from time to time make fun of other writers they don't like. C.S Lewis is also a member of the Inklings. When Tolkien tries to share his secret other world with Lewis something does not go as planned. Lewis finds himself in Narnia... They also discover that their actions in the other lands have an impact on our own world.
It seems I have a lot of work to do as I have not read the Narnia books since jr high school and I need to know a lot more about Oxford. For now I can start on the little descriptive paragraphs and set them down like washes in a bigger painting. So with Apologies to Messrs. Tolkien and Lewis here we go.
April, 2015
We spent a chilly, rainy week in London. I loved it. Wendy was there for work and had meetings all day and dinners at night. What is an artist and photographer to do with a week in London? I wandered everywhere! I walked and took the underground all over the place. I found some of the filming locations from the Harry Potter movies, I did a portrait session with a young music student in the Leake Street graffiti tunnel. I wandered around Camden for two days. I do love the parts of cities where the eccentrics come together and form their own sub city that celebrates their weirdness. Camden is great fun and I would have loved to have seen it in the 1950's and 1960's in the recent post war era. Today it is a bit of a disney version of itself, much like Time Square is a cartoon version of itself for tourists. That said Camden which was saw the birth of the punk scene and still has echoes of its rebellious past is fun and a treat for the eyes and ears. Everywhere I went I listened to accents. Not just English accents. The whole world seems to be living and working in Camden as visitors wander up and down the High Street and on the bridge over the river. At Camden Lock you can get a sense of its industrial past. It is a mix of Gypsy vendors and startup manufacturing concerns. In all honesty since that trip I have had my eye on a little item from the Camden Watch co. but I digress and since I have three watches in my nightstand I never use I'll move on. Why am I writing about Camden for a book about Oxford and London? Well here's the thing no matter how you think a story is going to go when you are thinking about it where your mind goes when you put fingers to keys is a whole other story. I just had a thought... The story already shifts between worlds (ours, Middle Earth and Narnia), should it also shift between times? It would complicate the story and I may not want to do that but for the purpose of this post I am going to introduce you to a character I met in Camden and very much want to photograph him and his troupe of actors on my next visit to London. I will put off the the description of our ride from Bicester (for us Americans that pronounced Bister like blister without the L) to Oxford for next weeks post. Funny but I'll never be able to smell a sweet spring rain and not think of that beautiful countryside and Oxford again.
Okay so back to Camden... About a block or so up the High Street from the underground station is the office (OK a street Corner) of Wonder London where Alice's Tea Party is all set up. This troupe of actors dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland hold court on this corner and ham it up with tourists who pose with the characters at the Tea Party for tips. The Mad Hatter is the jovial host of this wondrous tea party that does not seem one bit out of place in Camden. Behind his grease paint and orange wig his eyes are alway scanning the crowd. To a photographer like me used to observing the world and capturing the details others miss in street photographs I assume he is looking for the next tourist who will take the seat at the tea party and have the troupe fawn over them until the photo is taken a pound or two is dropped in the collection jar. In this case I am completely wrong The mad hatter is a man wanted in at least three lands and waiting for his contact who can bring him home so he can correct the mistakes made long, long ago that set this world on a downward spiral. he is a man hiding in plain sight in costume as a street performer and nobody notices him or the real him. Just the crazy, fun, Mad Hatter who is adding to the local color in Camden Lock.
Next week four adults drive a Mini Cooper (AKA Hobbit Car) from Bicester to Oxford.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Who were the "Inklings"?
The Inklings were an informal literary group at Oxford University in the 1930's and 40's. The primary members were J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, with other members involved on a revolving basis. They took the name from a student literary society that Tolkien and Lewis were sponsors of before it disbanded. The group would meet at the Eagle and Child Pub (AKA the Bird and Baby, or the Bird as it is known around Oxford). The members of the group would take turns reading their new work to each other. Imagine a chilly night in Oxford with the members of the group around a fire in the back room downing pints and smoking pipes while sharing new stories. In my mind I conjure up images of the drawing room at Bag End or maybe the Green Dragon Inn.... What if the group had a secret? The stories Tolkien shared of Middle Earth and Lewis read of Narnia were real! and the way to get to these magic lands was right there in Oxford.
This is the essential idea that is at the heart of an adventure set in 1940's Oxford and the magical lands created by these two legendary fantasy writers.
What if The Tolkien in our world is actually Gandalf in Middle Earth?
Care to join me for the journey then stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to the feed as the story I'm about to write unfolds.
Carl Stoveland
This is the essential idea that is at the heart of an adventure set in 1940's Oxford and the magical lands created by these two legendary fantasy writers.
What if The Tolkien in our world is actually Gandalf in Middle Earth?
Care to join me for the journey then stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to the feed as the story I'm about to write unfolds.
Carl Stoveland
Friday, January 1, 2016
It all begins here!
Welcome to thesecretoftheinklings. Here on the first day of 2016 I am starting this blog as a place to write a fantasy novel about Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, the Inklings and their secret at Oxford. I have a basic idea for the story and will be sharing bits and pieces here as I work out the details. I plan to post weekly (at least) and hope to post more as the ideas flow. If you are up for the journey of an idea turning into a story and then well we will see from there then follow my blog and see how the story develops.
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