Tolkien 2005

[altariel]

There were so many wonderful things about Tolkien 2005 that it's hard to pick some out. Here are some highlights, in no particular order.

• Driving down with edge_of_ruin and the_wild_iris and sharing well-considered opinions on Harrison Ford


• Meeting tyellas, ithilwen, and rcfinch


• The astonishing Reduced Silmarillion Company, who were side-splittingly funny for 45 minutes in a room that increasingly felt like a Balrog was about to turn up


• Being asked by a young Spanish gentleman where he could find the night life, since English girls "are easy"


• Having a good laugh with some friends about the summary of a paper on sexploitation films and slash, and then having someone lean over and say, "Hi, I think you're talking about my paper..."


• Seeing at least 150 people turn up for that paper, despite it having a post-watershed slot of 10pm


• The grassroots slash-writers movement formed by dr_porn and tyellas after a frustrating panel on fandom


• The costume extravanganza, which started on time and ended on time, and so must be unique in the history of conventions, and which served up oven-ready Elwing


• Nailing the best television on campus to watch the Big Brother final with edge_of_ruin


• The lovely Aiglos people from Poland and their beautiful zine


• The Dealers' Room, an Aladdin's cave of Tolkienalia, all of which I managed to resist


• Excellent talks on: Tolkien, Adorno, Said and "late style"; male friendship in LotR; the LotR international audience project


• The hugely competent chief steward Montserrat (16 years old)


• Seeing Kasiopea after Alan Lee had bought one of her prints and told her how much he liked her art


• Never entirely working out the layout of the building we were using ("Just keep turning right," edge_of_ruin sensibly advised, would that I had listened)


• tyellas's superb Arts and Crafts's presentation, in which technical problems were handled smoothly and confidently


• Meeting Anke Eissmann, and getting to see - amongst others - the picture in this icon


• The beautiful beadwork Ent in the art show


• ithilwen's daily gift of blueberries, wisely making sure we received at least some vitamins


• The Cambridge Tolkien Society's dramatization of parts of the BBC radio adaptation, which moved me to tears at one point (Theoden's death scene) and to laughter at another (the early arrival of the Rohirrim - oops with the sound effects!)


• Getting in the wrong lift late at night with edge_of_ruin, going down to the basement, and suddenly finding ourselves in a teen horror movie


• rcfinch's thought-provoking presentation on themes of mortality and immortality in Tolkien and de Beauvoir


• The auction, where a madness took me and I came away with an original Anke Eissmann (her, er, scribblings from the Pictionary round in the convention quiz)


• The amazing hand-drawn family tree pinned up outside the Dealers' Room, showing the mortal and immortal descent of Eldarion, and how many Kings of the Mark you get for each generation of Chieftains of the Dunedain


• Bouncing up and down in frustration so much in a panel on Tolkien and Pullman that edge_of_ruin had to sedate me


• Going to the Old Forest with edge_of_ruin, merrymaia andthe_wild_iris

• Most stupid thing done by me not including the auction: failing to realize that when nickeyb said she was going to listen to a talk by "Priscilla", she meant Priscilla Tolkien... (*mourns*)

At least some readers of this journal might like to drop by dr_porn's journal. From his bio: "a film studies lecturer at De Montfort University, Leicester, England... researching Tolkien, Tolkien sexploitation films and Tolkien slash fiction. I'll be running a day school on slash at my university early next year, so get in touch if that interests you."

Comments

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

Wow - it all sounds so brilliant. Wish I'd been there!

(I'm currently working through Unfinished Tales btw, on your recommendation!)

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Sad I missed this (my [insert expletive to taste] car broke down).

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

It sounds a wonderful weekend in lots of ways. I'm glad there were so many good things.

I'm sure the young Spanish gentleman got all he deserved...

I know how you must have felt about the building. I never even really got the hang of the one at Redemption.

I'm glad you got to watch the BB final - I was wondering whether you would, when I was watching it.

[klose.livejournal.com]

Blimey. When's the next convention?

Heehee, just kidding - I suppose you've had your fix for a while yet! But really, I've always wondered how these fanconventions go, and judgding from what you've mentioned here, it must be one of those overwhelmingly enriching experiences. And getting to meet all those lovely fandom people! :)

Scribblings or no, I'm sure any Anke Eissmann original must be of excellent quality. :P

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

It was such a great weekend! Thanks for shepherding me along :-)

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

"'beadwork Ent'?" she asks, interestedly.

Not that the rest of your report isn't fascinating, because it is--I had no idea such things were occurring in the world, and this event sounds stellar.

*goes to check out dr_porn's LJ.*

Thank you for the great report.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

That Spanish guy was no gentleman, making comments like that. Ew!

It was totally delightful to meet you, too, and to be there for all the fun!

[temeres.livejournal.com]

I'm now wishing I'd gone along after all, though as it turned out I couldn't have (too many other people off work that week).

[celebne.livejournal.com]

Wow, you have meet Anke Eissmann! I like her pictures and the pictures of Chmiel also (although I have a crush on Filmamir). I think, the pictures in original are looking gorgeous!

It sounds just lovely

[(Anonymous)]

Why is England so far away and expensive to get to? *sigh*

Thanks for the highlights, it really does sound as if it was wonderful. That family tree sounds extremely tempting, as does the beaded Ent. And I wish I'd been at that slash lecture!

Dwim

[vasiliki.livejournal.com]

At least some readers of this journal might like to drop by [info]dr_porn's journal.

*has a stroke* Setting up an MA on Tolkien Studies??? When was this man when I was tearing my hair out for not finding any Tolkien-related MA in the UK in 2002? Not that I didn't enjoy my Lit Studies MA, I did, but a Tolkien MA was my wet dream back then!