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4 episodes with leaf by niggle
4 episodes with leaf by niggle
7 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
2 episodes with leaf by niggle
In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Tolkien's short story Leaf by Niggle for Gene Wolfe related purposes.
On this week's episode of The Literary Life, we bring you another installment in our “Best of” Series. Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks continue their discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien's short story “Leaf by Niggle“. If you missed the Back to School 2020 Conference when it was live, you can still purchase access to the recordings at MorningTimeforMoms.com. Angelina opens the book chat highlighting Tolkien's mirroring of Dante's Divine Comedy with Niggle's journey, and our hosts move through a recap of the story. The questions we should be asking as we read are whether this story deals with the recovery of our vision and whether it ends with a eucatastrophe. Cindy brings out more of the autobiographical nature of this story for Tolkien. Angelina tosses around the idea that Parish and Niggle may be doubles and be a picture of Tolkien's two selves. Thomas talks about what Niggle has to do in the “purgatory” section of the story. They also talk about the themes of art and the artist, sub-creation, and redemption. Come back next week to hear a discussion about why we ought to read myths. Commonplace Quotes: It is when a writer first begins to make enemies that he begins to matter. Hilton Brown Kill that whence spring the crude fancies and wild day-dreams of the young, and you will never lead them beyond dull facts—dull because their relations to each other, and the one life that works in them all, must remain undiscovered. Whoever would have his children avoid this arid region will do well to allow no teacher to approach them—not even of mathematics—who has no imagination. George MacDonald There were people who cared for him and people didn't, and those who didn't hate him were out to get him. . . But they couldn't touch him. . . because he was Tarzan, Mandrake, Flash Gordon. He was Bill Shakespeare. He was Cain, Ulysses, the Flying Dutchman; he was Lot in Sodom, Deidre of the Sorrows, Sweeney in the nightingales among trees. Joseph Heller On the Death of Dr. Robert Levet by Samuel Johnson Condemned to Hope's delusive mine, As on we toil from day to day, By sudden blasts, or slow decline, Our social comforts drop away. Well tried through many a varying year, See Levet to the grave descend; Officious, innocent, sincere, Of every friendless name the friend. Yet still he fills Affection's eye, Obscurely wise, and coarsely kind; Nor, lettered Arrogance, deny Thy praise to merit unrefined. When fainting Nature called for aid, And hovering Death prepared the blow, His vigorous remedy displayed The power of art without the show. In Misery's darkest cavern known, His useful care was ever nigh, Where hopeless Anguish poured his groan, And lonely Want retired to die. No summons mocked by chill delay, No petty gain disdained by pride, The modest wants of every day The toil of every day supplied. His virtues walked their narrow round, Nor made a pause, nor left a void; And sure the Eternal Master found The single talent well employed. The busy day, the peaceful night, Unfelt, uncounted, glided by; His frame was firm, his powers were bright, Though now his eightieth year was nigh. Then with no throbbing fiery pain, No cold gradations of decay, Death broke at once the vital chain, And freed his soul the nearest way. Book List: Rudyard Kipling by Hilton Brown A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald Catch-22 by Joseph Heller When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Paradise Lost by John Milton Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CindyRollinsWriter. Check out Cindy's own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let's get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB
Welcome to another episode of our “Best Of” Series on The Literary Life with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks. Both this week and next, our hosts will be discussing J. R. R. Tolkien's short story “Leaf by Niggle“. Angelina sets the stage with a little historical background on Tolkien's writing of this story as well as some thoughts on allegory and how to read a fairy tale. She talks about this story as an exploration of the struggle of the ideals and demands of art against the demands of practical life and the question of whether or not art is useful. Cindy shares her ideas about the importance of the Inklings for Tolkien to get his work out into the world. Angelina shares about the type of journey on which the main character, Niggle, is called to go on in this story. As you read, we encourage you to look for how Tolkien harmonizes the different tensions within the story. Commonplace Quotes: Here are some of the points which make a story worth studying to tell to the nestling listeners in many a sweet “Children's Hour”;––graceful and artistic details; moral impulse of a high order, conveyed with a strong and delicate touch; sweet human affection; a tender, fanciful link between the children and the Nature-world; humour, pathos, righteous satire, and last, but not least, the fact that the story does not turn on children, and does not foster that self-consciousness, the dawn of which in the child is, perhaps, the individual “Fall of Man.” Charlotte Mason The essay began by noting that total war was underway, with fighting not only “in the field and on the sea and in the air,” but also in “the realm of ideas.” It said: “The mightiest single weapon this war has yet employed” was “not a plane, or a bomb or a juggernaut of tanks”–it was Mein Kampf. This single book caused an educated nation to “burn the great books that keep liberty fresh in the hearts of men.” If America's goal was victory and world peace, “all of us will have to know more and think better than our enemies think and know,” the council asserted. “This was is a war of books. . . Books are our weapons.” Molly Guptill Manning, quoting from the essay “Books and the War” In everything I have sought peace and not found it, save in a corner with a book. Thomas à Kempis Milton by Edward Muir Milton, his face set fair for Paradise, And knowing that he and Paradise were lost In separate desolation, bravely crossed Into his second night and paid his price. There towards the end he to the dark tower came Set square in the gate, a mass of blackened stone Crowned with vermilion fiends like streamers blown From a great funnel filled with roaring flame. Shut in his darkness, these he could not see, But heard the steely clamour known too well On Saturday nights in every street in Hell. Where, past the devilish din, could Paradise be? A footstep more, and his unblinded eyes Saw far and near the fields of Paradise. Book List: Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis Planet Narnia by Michael Ward The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer Smith of Wooten Major by J. R. R. Tolkien Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte Spirits in Bondage by C. S. Lewis Enemies of Promise by Cyril Connolly Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy's own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let's get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB
This week's episode is inspired by Fr. John's recent feat of completing the Grand Traverse. Fr. John uses J.R.R Tolkien's essay, Leaf by Niggle, to share a beautiful reflection with Fr. Sean on his experience of the Grand Traverse.
The boys drink and review Sweet Baby Banana by DuClaw, then discuss two short works by Tolkien. In this latest installment of their "shortcut to the classics" series, Longinus joins Pigweed and Crowhill to review these two interesting stories. Niggle is a quiet little man who would like to spend his life on his grand work, which was a painting of a tree. His neighbor, Parish, keeps interrupting him with irritating requests. Niggle helps Parish when he can, but fails to prepare for a long journey, and is caught unawares when the day comes. The story can be interpreted as an allegory about death, Purgatory, and the beatific vision. It also touches on the legacy of a man and his art, and man as a subcreator. Farmer Giles is a much sillier story about a simple man who becomes the unlikely local hero that scares away a giant and defeats a dragon, with the help of a magical sword and a talking dog. These stories illustrate two different elements of Tolkien's writing: philosophical seriousness, and light, silly writing.
Saint Athanasius ChurchContra Mundum SwaggerVideo VersionFeller of Trees Blog (Transcript)
In this episode, we cover the short story “Leaf by Niggle” and all of its allegories and metaphors concerning Tolkien's life. Follow us on Instagram! @exploringmiddle_earth Follow us on Twitter! @ExpMiddleEarth https://twitter.com/ExpMiddleEarth Connect with us on myspace: https://myspace.com/exploringmiddle-earth Contact us at exploringmiddleearthpod@gmail.com Intro and outro music as well as the logo created by Zach Noorman https://anchor.fm/exploringmiddleearthpod --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exploringmiddleearthpod/message
In this episode, I am joined by Thomas Salerno of the Perilous Realms podcast as we discussed Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" and the related areas of Tolkien's literary philosophy. Be sure to check out Thomas's work and to support me on Patreon if you would like for me to continue building out the Mythic Mind community and engaging in collaborations such as this! patreon.com/andrewnsnyder http://thomasjsalernowrites.com/http://thomasjsalerno.substack.com/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mythicmind/support
Leaf By Niggle, 2023! Dr. Chris Hackett (https://HackettWrites.com) joins us for what has become an annual tradition on The Tolkien Road. While we've covered Leaf By Niggle several times in the past, and frequently refer to it, it's an incredible gem, hidden behind the mountainous wonder that is the Middle-earth legendarium. For me, it's a story that never ceases to fill me with wonder and joy, and if I'm being honest, it always manages to get me a little choked up. I suppose this effect has something to do with what Tolkien called “Christian joy”, that “which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love.” I wish people knew about this story like they knew about The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I believe it is truly a life-changing story, bearing the aura of supernatural inspiration, like so much of Middle-earth. And it's a joy to discuss this story with others, and to learn what they see in it.Learn more about Dr. Chris Hackett and his books » https://hackettwrites.com/ WATCH » https://youtu.be/UG2FJWNEp1o EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Jacob Lockham- John H- Eru27SPECIAL THANKS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Jacob Lockham- John H- Eru27- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Mike M- Robert H- Paul D- Julia- Werty- JoeBagelMan- Jacob S- Richard K- Matt R- Matthew W- Garret P- Chris K- John W- Eugene D- Chris B- Daniel S- Seb M- Shana Supreme- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Chuck F- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric B- Johanna TAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN FEBRUARY OF 2023- Ish of the Hammer- Jacob Lockham- Robert H- Asya V- Eric B- Jon R- Andrew M- ShaneWise- Lucas W- Sean S- Sarah W- Jon R- David Bigwood- Cat L- Sarah M- Eric B
Tolkien once wrote a story that totally isn't an allegory. Not even one bit. We discuss that story (totally an allegory) in this episode. Also, Horticulture! We don't discuss it, just been thinking about it lately.
Saint Athanasius ChurchContra Mundum SwaggerVideo VersionFeller of Trees Blog (Transcript)
For the first proper lecture in Ethics of Literature, Professor Kozlowski discusses Tolkien's often-overlooked short story, "Leaf By Niggle." This serves two purposes: by closely examining and interpreting the story, we can determine much of Tolkien's morality and values, just as many of the writers we discuss in future weeks will examine and interpret other works of literature; Tolkien also uses this story to present many of his own thoughts on the value of art and the ethics of creating art, which we will examine and critique. Suggested supplementary readings include: "On Fairy Stories" (also in the Tales From the Perilous Realm collection) The Lord of the Rings The Silmarillion The Bible (Tolkien's an ardent Catholic; his worldview and ethics are distinctly Christian. Nor is this the last time Christian teaching will be relevant to our discussion) To see what else Professor Kozlowski is up to, visit his webpage: https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ And please consider contributing to Professor Kozlowski's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowski - where you'll also be able to vote for and suggest new topics for future lectures.
Alex and Jeremy discuss what true unity looks like in the church and how division is an inescapable reality this side of heaven. They also discuss the passing of the queen and other current events. For their book review Jeremy gives a brief review of “Leaf By Niggle” by J. R. R. Tolkein. ***** https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClKkmOjSoszB6IiyJQD9nfQ https://rumble.com/user/dominionpodcast Get full access to Dominion Press at www.dominionpress.ca/subscribe
Recently, GirlNextGondor (https://www.youtube.com/c/GirlNextGondor) had TheRedBook (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRedBook) on (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UPCU25TaV0) to discuss Morgoth, and in the process sparked a seemingly crazy thought in my own head that in a weird way, Sauron is parallel to Manwe via his relationship to Melkor--let me explain. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
Please enjoy this extra special episode to close out Book V. Warning: it is extremely heavy on the allegory Tolkien *supposedly* disliked. Please enjoy and thank you for listening!
Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Ned's choice of topic: Tree and Leaf. Published in 1964 in the UK and the following year in the US, Tree and Leaf was Tolkien's first major post-Lord of the Rings publication but was itself a republishing of two earlier non-Middle-earth pieces: “On Fairy-Stories,” an essay on the subject revised from a 1939 lecture and 1947 anthology, and “Leaf by Niggle,” a short, explicitly religious story for a Catholic publication in 1945. Anthologized and separately published since, they're at once totally separate but sometimes strangely complementary pieces that serve to illuminate Tolkien's interests beyond Middle-earth itself, while at the same time often casting reflections back on it or suggesting how dominant his legendarium was to his creative life and beyond. What makes “On Fairy-Stories” key as a way to consider Tolkien's overall creative aesthetic, even as it contains some of his most dense, allusive prose? How does his framing of fairy-stories as not simply being for children itself lead to other interesting conclusions about not only children but other cultures? What makes “Leaf By Niggle” the closest Tolkien ever got to C.S. Lewis's fictional approach, but where also does it differ? And how telling is it that once again Tolkien features an idealized friendship – perhaps more – between men in his fiction?SHOW NOTES.Jared's doodle. (Kinda makes Ned think of the cover of Led Zeppelin IV but not really.)Andy Serkis's readings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are quite good indeed.The Daily Mail photo story – those are some lovely shots and the story's cool too.The Tolkien Society photo announcement…and the fallout. Rosamund Pike has her way with a pineapple.Absolutely check out Costa Botes's behind the scenes documentaries about Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. Here's Botes's own memories about it. As for the films, as noted they're on the original Blu-ray set and elsewhere but then again it's weird where they might all turn up.Tree and Leaf, the most current version of same. As noted, the two original pieces are also now available separately with more material: On Fairy-Stories and Leaf By Niggle. Andrew Lang's impact on the general field of fairy tales and more remains pretty big. (The Andrew Lang Memorial Lectures continue to the present day.)Max Müller's had his own general scholarly impact too.Our Smith of Wootton Major episode. The ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.We didn't mention it in our discussion but Tolkien's referencing of the sophistication of supposedly ‘primitive' people has a resonance with the character of Ghân-buri-Ghân – check out our episode on him.If you want more on Carl Jung and how Joseph Campbell built off him, read on.The Juniper Tree, as told by the Grimms.M. R. James – so great. A Thin Ghost presents all the stories plus info on the many adaptations over time, including Mark Gatiss's recent adaptations for the BBC.R. L. Stine – also so great. The Snowman is there for the reading.Hayao Miyazaki – great great GREAT again. A recent NYT profile, and yes watch Ponyo. And everything else.The Dublin Review, the publication where “Leaf By Niggle” first appeared.So you're wondering about Purgatory in a Catholic context… CCD aka Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.Phantom Thread! Great film. Very not-Tolkien.The Great Divorce, That Hideous Strength, Till We Have Faces, there's plenty of C. S. Lewis out there.Niggle and Parish, a fraught friendship but with more to it there. Here's our episode on friendship.Support By-The-Bywater and Megaphonic FM on Patreon.
In this episode, we discuss “Leaf by Niggle” by J. R. R. Tolkien. What can we learn from this little tale? Is this a religious allegory? How does an allegorical framework limit how we understand or how we might write a story? What are the limitations of interpretive criticism? How is this story so much […]
During his labor to create The Lord of the Rings, an allegorical and autobiographical story came to J.R.R. Tolkien "like a dream." Some have described this short story, titled Leaf by Niggle (1945), as the "the hidden nucleus of Tolkien's work." As the Wade Center Podcast prepares to kick off a six-part, in-depth series on The Lord of the Rings, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing, along with Producer Aaron Hill, sit down to discuss Tolkien's strange, convicting, and revealing tale about a little man named Niggle who cannot stop painting and obsessing over the budding leaves of his ever-growing tree.
"Leaf by Niggle" (aka "Tree and Leaf") is the closest thing Tolkien ever wrote to an autobiography, though it's still very much a fictional short story. It gives us just a peek inside his personal aspirations and frustrations.
“Life is short, but art is long”–so the saying goes. And anyone who has undertaken any significant task would probably say, “Amen”. But when it comes to works of art there can be a sense of loneliness and futility that is singular. That was the case for J R R Tolkien. He had labored for […]
“Life is short, but art is long”–so the saying goes. And anyone who has undertaken any significant task would probably say, “Amen”. But when it comes to works of art there can be a sense of loneliness and futility that is singular. That was the case for J R R Tolkien. He had labored for […]
"Life is short, but art is long"--so the saying goes. And anyone who has undertaken any significant task would probably say, "Amen". But when it comes to works of art there can be a sense of loneliness and futility that is singular. That was the case for J R R Tolkien. He had labored for decades on his great work--his legendarium of Middle-earth. It included histories, and languages, and mythical heroes. It was the world that The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were situated in. It's all been published now, most of it posthumously. But when Tolkien wrote Leaf by Niggle the only thing he had to show for all of his work was The Hobbit. So Tolkien wrote a little allegorical short story of great profundity--Leaf by Niggle. And in it he proffers a consoling thought--our works will follow us. Join the Pugcast guys as they attempt to plumb the depths of Leaf by Niggle. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-theology-pugcast/support
On this week’s episode of The Literary Life with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks continue their discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien’s short story “Leaf by Niggle“. If you missed the Back to School 2020 Conference when it was live, you can still purchase access to the recordings at CindyRollins.net. Angelina opens the book chat highlighting Tolkien’s mirroring of Dante’s Divine Comedy with Niggle’s journey, and our hosts move through a recap of the story. The questions we should be asking as we read are whether this story deals with the recovery of our vision and whether it ends with a eucatastrophe. Cindy brings out more of the autobiographical nature of this story for Tolkien. Angelina tosses around the idea that Parish and Niggle may be doubles and be a picture of Tolkien’s two selves. Thomas talks about what Niggle has to do in the “purgatory” section of the story. They also talk about the themes of art and the artist, sub-creation, and redemption. Come back next week to hear a discussion about why we ought to read myths. Commonplace Quotes: It is when a writer first begins to make enemies that he begins to matter. Hilton Brown Kill that whence spring the crude fancies and wild day-dreams of the young, and you will never lead them beyond dull facts—dull because their relations to each other, and the one life that works in them all, must remain undiscovered. Whoever would have his children avoid this arid region will do well to allow no teacher to approach them—not even of mathematics—who has no imagination. George MacDonald There were people who cared for him and people didn’t, and those who didn’t hate him were out to get him. . . But they couldn’t touch him. . . because he was Tarzan, Mandrake, Flash Gordon. He was Bill Shakespeare. He was Cain, Ulysses, the Flying Dutchman; he was Lot in Sodom, Deidre of the Sorrows, Sweeney in the nightingales among trees. Joseph Heller On the Death of Dr. Robert Levet by Samuel Johnson Condemned to Hope’s delusive mine, As on we toil from day to day, By sudden blasts, or slow decline, Our social comforts drop away. Well tried through many a varying year, See Levet to the grave descend; Officious, innocent, sincere, Of every friendless name the friend. Yet still he fills Affection’s eye, Obscurely wise, and coarsely kind; Nor, lettered Arrogance, deny Thy praise to merit unrefined. When fainting Nature called for aid, And hovering Death prepared the blow, His vigorous remedy displayed The power of art without the show. In Misery’s darkest cavern known, His useful care was ever nigh, Where hopeless Anguish poured his groan, And lonely Want retired to die. No summons mocked by chill delay, No petty gain disdained by pride, The modest wants of every day The toil of every day supplied. His virtues walked their narrow round, Nor made a pause, nor left a void; And sure the Eternal Master found The single talent well employed. The busy day, the peaceful night, Unfelt, uncounted, glided by; His frame was firm, his powers were bright, Though now his eightieth year was nigh. Then with no throbbing fiery pain, No cold gradations of decay, Death broke at once the vital chain, And freed his soul the nearest way. Book List: (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Rudyard Kipling by Hilton Brown A Dish of Orts by George MacDonald Catch-22 by Joseph Heller When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Paradise Lost by John Milton Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let’s get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB
Welcome to another episode of The Literary Life with Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks. Both this week and next, our hosts will be discussing J. R. R. Tolkien's short story "Leaf by Niggle". When this episode goes live, Cindy, Angelina and Thomas will be in the thick of the second annual Back to School Online Conference, happening August 3-8, 2020. It's not too late to register at CindyRollins.net for access both this week and later on! Angelina sets the stage with a little historical background on Tolkien’s writing of this story as well as some thoughts on allegory and how to read a fairy tale. She talks about this story as an exploration of the struggle of the ideals and demands of art against the demands of practical life and the question of whether or not art is useful. Cindy shares her ideas about the importance of the Inklings for Tolkien to get his work out into the world. Angelina shares about the type of journey on which the main character, Niggle, is called to go on in this story. As you read, we encourage you to look for how Tolkien harmonizes the different tensions within the story. Commonplace Quotes: Here are some of the points which make a story worth studying to tell to the nestling listeners in many a sweet “Children’s Hour”;––graceful and artistic details; moral impulse of a high order, conveyed with a strong and delicate touch; sweet human affection; a tender, fanciful link between the children and the Nature-world; humour, pathos, righteous satire, and last, but not least, the fact that the story does not turn on children, and does not foster that self-consciousness, the dawn of which in the child is, perhaps, the individual “Fall of Man.” Charlotte Mason The essay began by noting that total war was underway, with fighting not only “in the field and on the sea and in the air,” but also in “the realm of ideas.” It said: “The mightiest single weapon this war has yet employed” was “not a plane, or a bomb or a juggernaut of tanks”–it was Mein Kampf. This single book caused an educated nation to “burn the great books that keep liberty fresh in the hearts of men.” If America’s goal was victory and world peace, “all of us will have to know more and think better than our enemies think and know,” the council asserted. “This was is a war of books. . . Books are our weapons.” Molly Guptill Manning, quoting from the essay “Books and the War” In everything I have sought peace and not found it, save in a corner with a book. Thomas à Kempis Milton by Edward Muir Milton, his face set fair for Paradise, And knowing that he and Paradise were lost In separate desolation, bravely crossed Into his second night and paid his price. There towards the end he to the dark tower came Set square in the gate, a mass of blackened stone Crowned with vermilion fiends like streamers blown From a great funnel filled with roaring flame. Shut in his darkness, these he could not see, But heard the steely clamour known too well On Saturday nights in every street in Hell. Where, past the devilish din, could Paradise be? A footstep more, and his unblinded eyes Saw far and near the fields of Paradise. Book List: Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis Planet Narnia by Michael Ward The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer Smith of Wooten Major by J. R. R. Tolkien Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte Spirits in Bondage by C. S. Lewis Enemies of Promise by Cyril Connolly Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let’s get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB
Randy and Wes wrap up "Transposition." Lewis ends with Hope. Yes, we are limited. Yes, we can never get close to the mountain (Leaf By Niggle) or get to the Island (A Pilgrim's Regress)...But we can get close to Truth and take a transpositional approach so close that a paper drawing of fire can seem to warm one's hands.
We continue (and conclude) our discussion of JRR Tolkien's Leaf By Niggle (see episode 20).
We are finishing up "Leaf by Niggle" and it has been an incredible journey. We finally get to attempt to answer does art have purpose? What happens to the art of earth? Wes, David, Katlyn, Nina, Chris, and Janelle discuss the final chapters of Tolkien's great allegorical work.
"Leaf by Niggle" Part Ii. Niggle, the impasioned painter and the lackluster gardener, is still on the docket. We are discussing further into the text and seeing how Niggle deals with distractions and interruptions to his work. The questions still remains does art have value beyond aesthetics? Is art a waste of relational and practical capital? Join us as we go further up and further in.
Hey there fellow travelers! I was honored this week to be a guest on The Bellator Colloquium podcast, where we discussed Tolkien's incredible short story "Leaf By Niggle". We talked about Leaf back in 2015 on the podcast, but honestly, my understanding of this story has expanded and deepened so much since then. So here's a sample of my conversation with Bellator, and I'd encourage you to head over to check out their podcast and listen to the whole thing. While you're at it, you should subscribe to their show and check out some of their other content. Click here to listen to the whole episode BellatorSociety.com
We are joined by John Carswell of The Tolkien Road podcast to discuss JRR Tolkien's purgatorial short story "Leaf By Niggle"!
JRR Tolkien wrote this short but powerful book after seeing a tree had been felled by its owners. Tolkien seemed to morn the trees passing as an injustice, to which may be only he and some owls would miss the great poplar. This poplar passing affected him and one day in 1947 he woke up and penned "Tree and Leaf", which we now call "Leaf By Niggle."It is the story of a distracted painter who becomes obsessed with painting only a single tree and the leaves on that tree; he even built a shed for the painting. The distractions array from his pesky neighbors, mundane chores, and procrastinating to pack for his upcoming journey.We, the members of VFF, did a deep dive into the book, this being Part I or III, and began to ask questions like: What is the purpose of art? When does passion or obsession become unsustainable? What are your "real" duties in life? What responsibility do you have to your neighbors and society? How does God view our distractedness?
In this episode, we are joined for Tea by Father Dan Bedel! We talked about one of Tolkien’s lesser-known works, Leaf by Niggle, as well as Tolkien’s Catholic faith, Harry Potter, and the upcoming Lord of the Rings tv show being produced by Amazon.Tolkien writes that this story is “the only thing I have ever done which cost me absolutely no pains at all. Usually I compose only with great difficulty and endless rewriting. I woke up one morning (more than 2 years ago) with that odd thing virtually complete in my head. It took only a few hours to get down, and then copy out. I am not aware of ever ‘thinking’ of the story or composing it in the ordinary sense.” - Letter 98“I recollect nothing about the writing, except that I woke one morning with it in my head, scribbled it down -- and the printed form in the main hardly differs from the first hasty version at all. I find it still quite moving, when I reread it. It is not really or properly an ‘allegory’ so much as ‘mythical’. For Niggle is meant to be a real mixed-quality person and not an ‘allegory’ of any single vice or virtue…” - Letter 241
Alan and Shawn reunite in person for a live recording from Tolkien 2019 in Birmingham, England! We interviewed several special guests at the conference, including returning guests (Marquette University archivist Bill Fliss, authors Dimitra Fimi and John Garth) and some first-timers: legendary artist Ted Nasmith, Richard Medrington — the man behind the one-man theatrical production of Leaf By Niggle — and dramatist Brian Sibley of the Lord of the Rings BBC radio play! Plus live questions from our panel audience, questionable wardrobe choices, and some other unquestionably good stuff!
This week we are joined by 'Adore' missionary and host of the YouTube Channel 'Drinks with Dreads' Chris Donatto. Chris and Clint are both huge fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and their group the Inklings. Join us as we give our thoughts on the new Biopic "Tolkien" and lessons we can learn from Tolkien's life. We discuss our need for fraternity, allegory and symbolism in literature, the power of fantasy and myth, and how artistic creation can affect us spiritually. It's "hauntingly hopeful." Minor Endgame Spoilers #WelcometotheAdventure Find Chris on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube at "Drinks with Dreads" Media References: Avengers Endgame (Movie) 'On Fairy Stories' by J.R.R. Tolkien (Essay) 'The Philosophy of Tolkien' by Peter Kreeft (Book) 'Leaf By Niggle' by J.R.R. Tolkien (Short Story) 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien (Book and Movie) 'The Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkien (Books and Movies) 'The Silmarillion' by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien 'The God Ask' by Steve Shadrach (Book) 'Contemplative Youth Ministry' by Mark Yaconelli (Book) 'Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers' by Gordon Neufold (Book) Game of Thrones (TV Show) David Ramirez (Musician) Ike Ndolo (Musician) Audrey Assad (Musician) Downtown Abbey (TV Show) 'Not A Tame Lion' by Terry W. Glaspey(Book) Outlander (TV Show) Tea with Tolkien (Podcast) Enjoy the work we're doing? Please consider supporting us here: patreon.com/thechristinculture Learn more at: thechristinculture.com Twitter: twitter.com/OnTheAdventure2?lang=en Facebook: facebook.com/theChristInCulture YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCxgPx2b0MYUziwxT9cmtuwg Special Guest: Chris Donatto.
David Grubbs talks with Nathan Gilmour and Michial Farmer about J.R.R. Tolkien's short story "Leaf by Niggle."
David Grubbs talks with Nathan Gilmour and Michial Farmer about J.R.R. Tolkien's short story "Leaf by Niggle."
In 1944, Professor Tolkien published a short story about a strange little man who was obsessed with a single piece of art that consumed his entire life. Sound familiar? It should. And if it doesn't, then listen on, and we'll lift the extraordinarily thin veil from this little wishful allegory. Ryan's taking a sick day for this one, so Craig, Todd, and Megan hash this one out without him. Support the show on Patreon Join the conversation on Reddit MUSIC: "Adventure Time" and "The Seven Seas" courtesy of https://www.philter.no/
Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company has become famous for its stage adaptation of Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees, which has toured the world for ten years. The company’s new production is J R R Tolkien’s short story Leaf By Niggle, performed as a solo piece by Richard Medrington, who spoke to us during the first Scottish tour of the show. Leaf By Niggle will be performed at venues around Scotland until July 2016 before a full run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The Man Who Planted Trees can be seen in York, Southport and Rossendale in June and July before another tour later in the year. (Photo of Richard Medrington in Leaf By Niggle by Brian Hartley)
Julie and Scott spend an episode in Purgatory. Scott somewhat enjoyed the bus ride (except the violent part), and Julie came back with a pile of intricate leaves. In Episode 122, two stories for the price of one: Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.Download or listen via this link: |Episode #122| Subscribe to the podcast via this link: Feedburner Or subscribe via iTunes by clicking: |HERE|
Join us as we discuss "Leaf By Niggle", my favorite non-Middle-earth Tolkien story. "Leaf By Niggle" is a mythical story about creativity and love of neighbor with a wonderful conclusion. In the second of a two-part series, we discuss the profound meaning contained in what Tolkien referred to as his "purgatorial" story and the story that reflected his anxities about completing Lord of the Rings. Talking Tolkien is the podcast of the website TrueMyths.org. You can learn more by following @tolkienwisdom on Twitter and following TrueMyths.org on Facebook at Facebook.com/TrueMyths.
"Leaf By Niggle" is one of Tolkien's lesser known works, but it yields a ton of insight into his own creative vision. In the first of a two-part series, we discuss what Tolkien himself had to say about the story he wrote one morning in the late 30's. This is also my favorite non-Middle-earth Tolkien work - it's just a beautiful story. Talking Tolkien is the podcast of the website TrueMyths.org. You can learn more by following @tolkienwisdom on Twitter and following TrueMyths.org on Facebook at Facebook.com/TrueMyths.
Luke, Kiara and Victoria dive in to J.R.R. Tolkien's short story Leaf by Niggle, and discuss the creative process and its greater meaning, how beauty can emerge out of suffering, and what we can learn from Tolkien's refusal to compartmentalise the facets of his life. The post Catholics Read Leaf by Niggle appeared first on Cradio.
"Leaf by Niggle," Part 2. Recorded 1/29/10.
End of "Mythopoeia" and "Leaf by Niggle," Part 1. Recorded 1/27/10.
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