From: "Peggy Rogers" Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien Subject: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 17:43:13 -0700 Organization: XMission http://www.xmission.com/ Lines: 19 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 12-254-189-189.client.attbi.com X-Trace: terabinaries.xmission.com 1045788197 23190 12.254.189.189 (21 Feb 2003 00:43:17 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@xmission.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 00:43:17 +0000 (UTC) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.mailgate.org!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!xmission!nnrp.xmission!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112208 A year ago I was doing some research on Tolkein, and I came across something he said about his writing that I would like to find again. I didn't mark it, and have no idea which of the biographical or critical books I was reading I found it in. But people here are so knowledgeable (if not devout!) in their Tolkien perusal that maybe someone can point me in the right direction. Anyway, the passage I'm looking for said something to the effect that, while he was writing the LOTR books and the Silmarillion, he felt as if he were not simply inventing the stories, but somehow re-discovering things that had, in some way, actually happened in the past. If anyone could give me a clue where to look for such a statement, I'd be most grateful. TIA Peggy ###### From: "Bones" Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien References: Subject: Re: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote Lines: 34 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 63.193.190.5 X-Complaints-To: abuse@prodigy.net X-Trace: newssvr13.news.prodigy.com 1045802085 ST000 63.193.190.5 (Thu, 20 Feb 2003 23:34:45 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 23:34:45 EST Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com X-UserInfo1: FKPO@MC@OPVMRV@[CZODM^P@VZ\LPCXLLBWLOOAF@YUDUWYAKVUOPCW[ML\JXUCKVFDYZKBMSFX^OMSAFNTINTDDMVW[X\THOPXZRVOCJTUTPC\_JSBVX\KAOTBAJBVMZTYAKMNLDI_MFDSSOLXINH__FS^\WQGHGI^C@E[A_CF\AQLDQ\BTMPLDFNVUQ_VM Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 04:34:45 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.mailgate.org!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!c03.atl99!rip!news.webusenet.com!prodigy.com!newsmst01.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!postmaster.news.prodigy.com!newssvr13.news.prodigy.com.POSTED!e0bdd613!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112169 "Peggy Rogers" wrote in message news:b33sn5$mkm$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > A year ago I was doing some research on Tolkein, and I came across something > he said about his writing that I would like to find again. I didn't mark it, > and have no idea which of the biographical or critical books I was reading I > found it in. But people here are so knowledgeable (if not devout!) in their > Tolkien perusal that maybe someone can point me in the right direction. > > Anyway, the passage I'm looking for said something to the effect that, while > he was writing the LOTR books and the Silmarillion, he felt as if he were > not simply inventing the stories, but somehow re-discovering things that > had, in some way, actually happened in the past. > > If anyone could give me a clue where to look for such a statement, I'd be > most grateful. > > TIA > > Peggy This actually sounds more like Robert E. Howard refering to his Conan stories although I suppose J.R.R.T. may have said something like this as well, I've never heard it. Bo ###### From: "Bill O'Meally" Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien References: Subject: Re: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote Lines: 34 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2720.3000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 Message-ID: <9ci5a.5082$xb.157076@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 04:48:05 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 65.26.218.54 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rr.com X-Trace: twister.rdc-kc.rr.com 1045802885 65.26.218.54 (Thu, 20 Feb 2003 22:48:05 CST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 22:48:05 CST Organization: RoadRunner Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.imp.ch!news.imp.ch!snoopy.risq.qc.ca!newsfeed.news2me.com!newsfeed2.easynews.com!newsfeed1.easynews.com!easynews.com!easynews!news-west.rr.com!cyclone.kc.rr.com!cyclone2.kc.rr.com!news2.kc.rr.com!twister.rdc-kc.rr.com.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112199 "Peggy Rogers" wrote in message news:b33sn5$mkm$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > Anyway, the passage I'm looking for said something to the effect that, while > he was writing the LOTR books and the Silmarillion, he felt as if he were > not simply inventing the stories, but somehow re-discovering things that > had, in some way, actually happened in the past. > > If anyone could give me a clue where to look for such a statement, I'd be > most grateful. Being bored after grading numerous exam papers, he scribbled a phrase on the back of a blank sheet "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit". The story goes that he said to himself "Hobbits. I'll have to find out what they are." (Or something like that). You might try Humphrey Carpenter's _Biography_. I think that's where I read that. -- Bill "Wise fool" Gandalf, THE TWO TOWERS ###### Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien Subject: Re: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote References: X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test70 (17 January 1999) From: sbjensen@midway.uchicago.edu (Steuard Jensen) Lines: 24 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.135.12.7 X-Trace: news.uchicago.edu 1045808424 128.135.12.7 (Fri, 21 Feb 2003 00:20:24 CST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 00:20:24 CST Organization: The University of Chicago X-SessionID: Iyj5a-14562-W4-17292@news.uchicago.edu X-Hash-Info: post-filter,v:1.4 X-Hash: 6e2d6ee9 4ea63c3b f7e493c0 db43c5bb 094d0349 Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:20:24 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.mailgate.org!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.uchicago.edu!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112183 Quoth "Peggy Rogers" in article : > Anyway, the passage I'm looking for said something to the effect > that, while he was writing the LOTR books and the Silmarillion, he > felt as if he were not simply inventing the stories, but somehow > re-discovering things that had, in some way, actually happened in > the past. There are a fair number of places where he makes comments along these lines. One of them that springs to mind is his comment in Letter #180 (in _The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien_) that "I have long since ceased to _invent_ (though even patronizing or sneering critics on the side praise my 'invention'): I wait till I seem to know what really happened. Or till it writes itself." There's more of this quote included in the Tolkien FAQ (late in the question about the Entwives, of all places), though what follows is just an example of that process rather than a general comment. For its full context, you can look for it in _Letters_ itself; I suspect that that book contains a number of similar statements, though finding them could be a bit difficult. :) Steuard Jensen ###### From: "Peggy Rogers" Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien Subject: Re: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 20:10:12 -0700 Organization: XMission http://www.xmission.com/ Lines: 16 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 12-254-189-189.client.attbi.com X-Trace: terabinaries.xmission.com 1045883414 3742 12.254.189.189 (22 Feb 2003 03:10:14 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@xmission.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 03:10:14 +0000 (UTC) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.mailgate.org!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!iad-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!xmission!nnrp.xmission!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112303 "Steuard Jensen" wrote > There are a fair number of places where he makes comments along these > lines. One of them that springs to mind is his comment in Letter #180 > (in _The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien_) that > > "I have long since ceased to _invent_ (though even patronizing or > sneering critics on the side praise my 'invention'): I wait till I > seem to know what really happened. Or till it writes itself." Thanks, Steuard! I loved your Prom King story, BTW. Peggy ###### Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien Subject: Re: Looking for a (non-fiction) quote References: X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test70 (17 January 1999) From: sbjensen@midway.uchicago.edu (Steuard Jensen) Lines: 14 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.135.12.7 X-Trace: news.uchicago.edu 1045933973 128.135.12.7 (Sat, 22 Feb 2003 11:12:53 CST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 11:12:53 CST Organization: The University of Chicago X-SessionID: pcO5a-24994-W4-27283@news.uchicago.edu X-Hash-Info: post-filter,v:1.4 X-Hash: a667801e 20ad2f74 e4d0ee29 02d136b2 1c14c4ca Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 17:12:53 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.mailgate.org!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!newsfeed.gol.com!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!128.135.12.170.MISMATCH!news.uchicago.edu!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch rec.arts.books.tolkien:112270 Quoth "Peggy Rogers" in article : > "Steuard Jensen" wrote > > There are a fair number of places where he makes comments along these > > lines. ... [snip] > Thanks, Steuard! I loved your Prom King story, BTW. You're welcome. (And I'm glad you liked the story. It was even more fun to be there, of course. :) ) Steuard Jensen