Hi Jeremy -

I will send your comment about the TS to Anthony.

Ted's CD/illustrations arrived yesterday. I spoke with my daughter and may see a proof of the HI calendar today! WOO HOO!!! I would be pleased to answer any questions about it for you (once you find the time to compose them!)

Was very pleased to add a 1980 desk calendar signed by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt to my collection this week. In spite of how many I have collected, I have catalogued about 32 more in the last year alone! So my quest to make my collection compleat continues. Also received the 2008 issues from Colin Williams. They are REALLY nice calendars.

Away from The Green Hill Country,

Parmastahir

That is an interesting letter. I wonder if there is a file somewhere of all of the letters Tolkien didn't respond to... most were probably tossed without a second thought I am guessing.


Now, could someone please tell the publishers, auction houses, and other sellers to spread out their lots a bit? This December has been ridiculous for the amount of high-priced items that I am interested in...

I have not seen a letter like this before from Tolkien to his secretary Joy Hill, but is interesting to see what he thought of some of his 'fans', I think the 'drugged' reference is very telling.

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/371B ... 36QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW


TOLKIEN, John Ronald Ruel (1892-1973). A 2pp. holograph letter, written in the third person and sent to his assistant Joy Hill, presumably for her to type and send on, being a response to a letter received from a devoted fan, with a 1p. note of commentary for Ms Hill.
Headington, Oxford, [no date but probably late 1960s]. Together, 3pp. on 2ll. with a printed letterhead, small 8vo (sheet size: 7 x 5 1/2 inches; 178 x136 mm.) [With:] the original letter sent from the fan, Michael Blashka, to Tolkien. East Northport, Long Island, New York, [no date but probably late 1960s]. 4pp. on 4ll, 4to (sheet size roughly: 11 x 8 1/2 inches; 277 x 217 mm.) Blashka apparently writes as interpreter for King Ephedolos, and includes a map of the new kingdom of Eruidor, the King's message in a runic alphabet, with a supplied translation into English. an excellent Tolkien hand-written 2-page reply to "king ephedolod", thanking him for "expressing approval of the historical books so far issued", with the fan's original letter. Altogether, a splendid example of Tolkien's appreciation of a fan trying to entice him into a response (his reluctance to correspond directly with people he did not know is well established). The author of Lord of the Rings regrets not having a publication date available for The Silmarillion nor has he any "clear knowledge of the fate of Frodo or others" who crossed the sea. In the accompanying note to Joy Hill he describes the letter to which he is replying as "A 'cracked' letter. No need, of course, to reply, though (I am afraid) this kind of thing amuses me, since I may be considered rather cracked myself for similar ways). The writer is simple-minded but intelligent; and has at any rate tackled the difficult Angerthas with tolerable success. 'Playing the game' with readers of this sort (if not too time-wasting) is perhaps worthwhile, if only as a means of keeping interest in the L.R. alive among the less fantastical (or drugged) young folk ...".

I was quite excited to receive a copy of Winter's Tales for Children a few years back - it has orange boards instead of the normal green boards (mentioned on Tolkienbooks.net now but it wasn't at the time). No mention of the board color until I had the book in hand, so it was quite pleasant to find!

Another, unique, item that I will always treasure in my collection is a hand drawn comic book of "The Hobbit" drawn by my wife when she was 15 years old (long, long before we ever met.)

I thought it might be interesting to swap tales on the more unusual items in our collections.

When I was in Oxford for Oxonmoot, I popped into Blackwells. Just as I was leaving, I picked up their "rare books" catalogue, and started leafing through it. My eye lit on this entry:

"Sir Stanley Unwin: The Celeration of his 80th Birthday and Golden Wedding Day; with allusions to 50 years of George Allen & Unwin Ltd under his direction; 40 years on the Executive of The International Publishers Association; and 30 years on The British Council."

I cajoled the assistant into hunting through the shelves with me, until we found it. It proved to be a beautiful little book - number 26 of only 50 published - with a signed note from Sir Stanley!

There is no mention of Tolkien in it, but I consider i a worthy addition to my collection of Tolkienalia.