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.
Tim
(he/him) An experienced podcaster, Online Events Steward for the Mythopoeic Society, all-around nerd, and firmly believes that if more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
Resources
Books
R.W. Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person and Sexual Politics.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.
J.R.R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth. Ed. Christopher Tolkien.
About This Episode
Leah, Grace, and Alicia are joined by ‘Tolkien White Man’ Tim to discuss representations of masculinity, patriarchy, and gender roles in Middle-earth, with a specific focus on Aldarion, Faramir, Aragorn, and Elrond.
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.”