Hosts & Guests
Alicia
(she/they) A queer Tolkien scholar and Zelda nerd interested in adaptation, audience reception, and biography.
Grace
(she/her) An acquirer of books, a queer-rights activist, serves as as the Subscriptions Steward of the Mythopoeic Society, and is a Professional Nerd (okay, technically it’s an unpaid internship).
Leah
(she/her) Just another weird Tolkien geek living in the Grey Havens (also known as Seattle WA) with two rabbits and far too few books.
Resources
Books
Janet Brennan Croft, War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.
John Rosegrant, Tolkien, Enchantment, and Loss: Steps on the Developmental Journey.
Articles
Catherine Madsen, “A Woman of Valour: Éowyn in War and Peace.” Mallorn.
Brent D. Johnson, “Éowyn’s Grief.” Mythlore.
Steven Brett Carter, “Faramir and the Heroic Ideal of the Twentieth Century; or, How Aragorn Died at the Somme.” Mythlore.
Kelsey A Fuller-Shafer, “Middle-earth’s Middleman: Exploring the Contradictory Positionalities of Faramir in J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’.” Journal of Tolkien Research.
Amber Dunai, “Ofermod and Aristocratic Chivalry in J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Rings,” Journal of Tolkien Research.
About This Episode
Part 2 of our 3-part discussion about the relationship between Eowyn and Faramir. This time, the focus is on Tolkien’s ‘author insert’ character, Faramir, and the nuances of his presentation of masculinity. How does Faramir’s softer, non-toxic masculinity compare against that of his father Denethor and brother Boromir? Where does Faramir fall on the gender spectrum? And next time, the conclusion diving into the queer aspects of Eowyn and Faramir as a couple!
Featured Art: New Line
Related Episodes
Episode 28 – Writing a Book Chapter! (or “Why We Didn’t Record Much in 2025”)
Learn more about the process of academic publishing as Leah and Grace recount their first times writing for academic publishing, guided by Alicia’s experience. Thank you for sticking with us! We have so much more in store for you.
Episode 27 – The Redemption of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins: Petty Thief to Folk Hero
Is Lobelia Sackville-Baggins actually the villain she’s made out to be in “The Hobbit” and “Fellowship”, or simply a victim of narrative bias? Plus JIRT’s “mommy issues” and a contrast of Lobelia as an ‘Aunt’ archetype with biographical information about Tolkien’s own family.
Episode 26 – Tolkien Adaptations Part 3: “The War of the Rohirrim” with Janet Brennan Croft
A discussion about “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” with the film’s credited “Tolkien Expert”, Janet Brennan Croft! We discuss her approach to encourage lore accuracy and consistency in the film’s script, explore queer readings of the film, and even the history of Japanese tentacle “art.”