In the first episode, get to know your hosts, Alan and Shawn, and learn about why we started the Prancing Pony Podcast. We also discuss favorite moments from the life of J. R. R. Tolkien as told in Humphrey Carpenter’s biography, and introduce Tolkien’s ideas about the nature and purpose of fantasy as described in his famous essay “On Fairy-Stories”.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. Tree and Leaf: Including “Mythopoeia” (Harper Collins, paperback)
Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Houghton Mifflin, paperback)
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
[…] the podcast above, my plan now is to begin at the beginning, to rewind back to episode #001, “In Defense of Fantasy” originally released last February. I’ve requested the recommended reading from […]
Hello Shawn and Alan! I’m a long-time fan of Tolkien (I first read The Hobbit and LOTR in 1975 and The Silmarillion in 1977) and a recent subscriber to PPP. I want to thank you and congratulate you on such an excellent and engaging podcast. I’m starting my commentary on your first podcast to begin at the beginning. I had to laugh after I’d heard your updated disclaimer on this episode and found your opening dialogue to be every bit as interesting, well crafted and personable as the most recent episodes. Moving on, I’d been contemplating a note mostly filled with praise and just a couple small criticisms. But one of these criticisms was smashed to pieces by your introduction: To whit, I thought it pretentious that Shawn called himself “The Real Life Lord of the Mark”. I am humbled to learn just how appropriate the title is given the etymology of his name and his passion for language. My apologies… Secondly, I object to being addressed as “little masters”. A small thing and obviously long-established, yet it was a thing that grated upon me, even within the context of the legendarium, knowing the greatness of Hobbits and recognizing that they were so poorly respected and understood before the great acts of Bilbo, Frodo and Sam. I would wish to be addressed as no greater or lesser than a Hobbit, they being as equals among men, elves, dwarves and all good anthropomorphic citizens of Middle and “Regular” Earth.
Phew! Now that that’s over, let’s get on with the congratulations, appreciation and full-on endorsement of your excellent forum! I love the deconstruction and interpretation of each phrase and paragraph, the voice characterizations of our Middle Earthly friends and foes, the just short of going over the edge tangents, the myriad cultural references, recommendations for more works on and by Tolkien, even the occasional burst of song (in moderation!). Not to mention the esteemed and knowledgeable guests who so obviously appreciate the opportunity to be on your podcast. For all this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Since I replaced the daily newscasts of our modern day bumbling Sauron and minions with your podcast I have arrived at my destinations in a much happier mood. Keep up the good work! I am very much looking forward (and backward!) to following all your contributions to the realm. Lait- ar kal -o Illuvatar an tye!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Richard! I’m glad we can offer you some recovery, escape and consolation from the modern world. We all need a bit of it these days.
No offense taken from your initial reaction about my self-bestowed noble title. It’s a schtick I’ve been using for years (predating the podcast), and I can understand your response, but I’m glad you’ve come around to it. 🙂 As for Alan’s “little masters”, I can certainly understand your reaction to that as well, and I agree that Hobbits deserve better than Mannish condescension… unfortunately Barliman is a man of habit, and he requires us to keep using it as a condition of our workspace lease at the Prancing Pony, but we will bring it up at our next renewal.
Thanks so much, again. Take care!
I like this. A lot. I’ve been a huge Tolkien nerd for quite a while and I’m surprised I didn’t find my way to this podcast sooner… but honestly, this year has proven to be a great time to find new online content. You guys clearly know your Tolkien lore, and seem to have good personalities to discuss it in an entertaining way, so I look forward to listening to the rest of your episodes. Thanks for doing this!
Edit to my previous comment: I just realized that you can download these episodes for free! You don’t have to make an account, it’s not a premium service, nuthin’ like that. That’s a real integrity move, right there. Do you guys have a patreon or something similar? Because if so, I would love to contribute to that… I mean, eventually, when the world stops ending.
Hi, David –
So glad you found us, and are enjoying the show! I can say with some level of confidence that we have even managed to make a few improvements as the years have gone by (we’ll be celebrating our 5th anniversary in February), so you’ve got a lot to look forward to. 🙂
We have lively communities on Facebook (The Prancing Pony Podcast), Twitter (@prancingponypod), and on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/prancingponypod/), but yes — we also have a Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/prancingponypod) where we offer all sorts of fun extras, like getting to listen in to live episode recordings, or exclusive postscripts.
But yes, do wait until it appears the world will not end before considering supporting us! Stay healthy, and we’ll see you down the road.
Hi David – Thank you so much! I’m glad you found us, and Alan and I appreciate the kind words. Hopefully you’ll find that we get better as the show goes on, so I think the best is yet to come for you.
We do have a Patreon and would be honored to have your support, if and when you’re ready. Here’s the information on that, and thank you! https://www.patreon.com/prancingponypod
‘when the world stops ending’
we all would, I think.
I don’t mean to brag, and I do love this show, but I did read the Silmarillion when I was, like, nine, and I don’t know why being 15 is impressive. I love the show, am on, like, episode 53. Binging as I type, wagers for how long it takes.