Menu
About the Society

MythSoc Blog: The Horn of Rohan

For two years the Mythopoeic Society ran a blog as part of our website; we called it The Horn of Rohan. We eventually decided that significant announcements should be covered by our Mythopoeic Announcements List and by News posts on our website. We have, however, created The Horn of Rohan Redux as an off-site blog where various stewards can easily post. We try to cover information and announcements by way of several different media; other more casual subjects are covered by our Facebook MythSoc Group and some serious discussion takes place in the MythSoc Yahoo List.

Several of these original posts are long and significant interviews and they have their own linked pages, otherwise links will move to the linked article on this page. Here is a list of the original archived blogposts, most recent to oldest:


Timeless at Heart: Essays on Theology
Posted on September 27, 2012

"Dark Questions." Mythlore 14.3 (#53) (1988): 55.

Lewis, C.S. Timeless at Heart: Essays on Theology. London: Fount Paperbacks, 1987. 144 pp. ISBN 0-00-627136-7.

American readers will find three of the nine essays included in this little volume in The Grand Miracle (New York: Ballantine, 1983), and all but one of them along with the selected Letters, in God in the Dock (1970), which appeared in England as Undeceptions (1971): the "one" appeared in The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (New York: Macmillan, 1980). Long time fans of Lewis will likely have these volumes, but for new readers, fanatics who collect everything, and who are intrigued by Father Walter Hooper's imaginative editing, Timeless at Heart will be intensely interesting.

I am not sure that the contents of this little collection are in fact all "Essays on Theology," but I will not quibble. There is something to be learned from every new juxtaposition of Lewis's writings, since he was extremely prolific and one does not, nor at least not yet, fully memorize chapter and verse. New insights, and in this case one rather striking contradiction, arise from the exercise of contemplating these essays in this combination. Lewis says that "If one has to choose between reading new books and rereading the old, one must choose the old" (16), and Timeless at Heart provides that chance.

C.S. Lewis was not a Pacifist, but I am: in Lewis's fantasies this puts me in the same category as Eustace Scrubbs and Fairy Hardcastle. I wish I thought that the former's pacifism laid the groundwork for his salvation and that the latter's quick abandonment of pacifism laid the groundwork for her damnation, but I don't. I do think that Pacifism is a vocation to which some are called. In his essay "Why I am Not a Pacifist," Lewis argues that one must base one's moral judgments upon Reason, which is no doubt true, but he concludes that "the voice of almost all humanity [is] … against" the Pacifist (65). That is, of course, not quite true. There are whole denominations of Pacifist Christians as well as a broad sprinkle of Pacifists in every denomination. If Lewis can list Homer Virgil, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Montaigne as non-Pacificists, one can list Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Dorothy Day, David Thoreau, George Lansbury, John Wollman and Leo Tolstoy as Pacifists. But the point is that Lewis is contradictory in his appeal to authority, especially to authority which may actually have the power to compel him.

In "Willing Slaves to the Welfare State," he writes that "I dread specialists in power because they are specialists speaking outside their special subjects … But government involves questions about …what scientific training gives a man's opinion no added value" (122). I agree. But in the letter "The Conditions for a Just War," he says "The ultimate decision as to what the situation at a given moment as in the highly complex field of international affairs is one which must be delegated " (126) by "private persons" to "governments." This, of course, is exactly what Pacifists are not prepared to do. They feel the same repugnance to delegating decisions about whether to resort to violence as they do about delegating decisions in other spheres of moral responsibility.

To do him credit, Lewis concludes with this: "The question is a very dark one. I should welcome about equally refutation, or development of what I have said" (127). What a sweet eirenicist he was, after all. And no doubt by now he has gone where the blessed Peacemakers go, and where there is no darkness at all.


Call for Papers
Posted on December 15, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

University of Zielona Góra, Department of Polish Studies, Centre for Mythopoetics and Philosophy of Literature announces:

“The Fantastic & the Miraculous” 6th Annual Conference
Tuesday - Wednesday 27-28 March, 2012, Zielona Góra, Poland
HOMO MYTHICUS – MYTHIC MODELS OF IDENTITY

The contemporary culture draws on the mythic on various levels in a variety of aspects. The multiformity of myth and its resistance to being defined make myth-related references both attractive and troublesome for researchers. Mythic elements in literary works and cultural artefacts often get degraded or trivialised; sometimes they are simply problematic. In modern culture and literature, myth seems to some extent to be living a life of its own. Avoiding ultimate interpretation and analysis and hiding in even the most obvious references, myth remains a realm open to explore.

We invite philologists, linguists, philosophers, theologians, ethnologists, sociologists, and all other scholars interested in the following areas:

1. Mythopoeia and new mythology in literature

- mythic models of authenticity in modern literature and culture
- mythic hero’s authority in modern reader’s eyes
- quest for the complete meaning of the mythic picture
- functions of the aletheic interpretation of symbol or mythologeme found in culture texts:
a/ therapy, b/ speculation, c/ understanding
- models of modern attitudes to the mythic dimension of axiology, reality, humanity

2. Functions of the mythic experience found in culture texts

- play
- speculation
- seeking one’s identity

3. Mythic elements and religious elements in modern culture

4. Mythic elements and elements of truth (symbolic-veracious), the mythic and the rational

5. Pop-culture and popular literature myths – reduction or totality of identity

6. Types of the mythic motif of identity in modern literature: mosaic, aletheia, infantilism, trivialising, irony

PROPOSALS

Please send in your proposals along with filled in ‘Conference Registration Form’ (enclosed) and an abstract (in Polish and English - those representing Polish scholarly establishments; in English – all others) by January 31, 2012. The abstract should not exceed half a page of standardised A4 computer printout. Notice of acceptance will be given by February 17, 2012. The presentations may take up to 20 minutes (about 6 pages). Detailed information on the maximum length of a paper to be published will be given after the notice of acceptance.

CONTACT

Please, send your submissions – as well as questions - to Ms. Kateryna Atamanova (affiliation: Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, Instytut Filologii Polskiej, al. Wojska Polskiego 67, 65-677 Zielona Góra) kateryna.atamanova@gmail.com . For more information and a copy of the Registration form, English speakers should contact Aleksander Rzyman aleksander.rzyman@xl.wp.pl

CONFERENCE FEE

The fee is PLN 450 (or its equivalent in €, ₤, or $) and includes dinners and coffee & cookies during the two days of the conference + banquet on the night (Monday 26th March) preceding the conference. It also includes the publication of a peer-reviewed post-conference volume.

Please, effect the payments by transfer to the University of Zielona Góra’s bank account:

/bank:/
Kredyt Bank S.A. Filia Nr 2 o. Zielona Góra, ul. Podgórna 50, 65-246 Zielona Góra, Poland
/beneficiary:/
Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, ul. Licealna 9, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
/account no.:/
PL 42 1500 1810 1218 1004 4483 0000
SWIFT / BIC Code: KRDBPLPW
Please, mark payment as: ‘Konferencja FANCUD’

LODGING

All guests are kindly requested to arrange for their lodging by themselves. Visit Zielona Góra’s web pages to find out about hotels. The organisers can recommend the “Śródmiejski” hotel – conveniently located in the very centre of the Old Town, good bus connection to the venue of the conference (U.Z., al. Wojska Polskiego, Kampus ‘B’). Breakfasts included, at a reasonable price.


C. S. Lewis & the Inklings: Info & CFP
Posted on December 11, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Joint Meeting

The C.S. Lewis & the Inklings Society with The 8th Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends
May 31 – June 2 at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana.

Keynote speakers are Alan Jacobs, author of The Narnian, David Downing, author of Looking for the King: an Inklings Novel, and Ron Reed, artistic director of the Pacific Theater in Vancouver.

Call for Papers:
Paper proposals are invited on any topic that concerns C. S. Lewis and/or his friends: Owen Barfield, G. K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Proposals should be 100-200 words long and should anticipate a twenty-minute presentation time limit.

Paper Awards

CSLIS is sponsoring a competition for the best graduate student and the best faculty/scholar paper given at the conference.

Also, currently enrolled undergraduate students are invited to submit analytical essays focusing on the work of C. S. Lewis or a related author. The student with the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $500, along with free registration, room, and board for the Colloquium.

For more information, please see our website: www.taylor.edu/cslewis or contact Laura Constantine (see below).

Laura Constantine
Assistant, Center for the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends
Taylor University
Upland, Indiana 46989
(765) 998-4690

Call for Papers: Return of the Ring
Posted on June 24, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Please note there are two paper calls here--first, that for the main conference, then for an additional one-day postgraduate symposium on the 17th.

The Return of the Ring: Celebrating 75 Years of The Hobbit Loughborough University, UK, 16th-20th August 2012

J.R.R. Tolkien is an author who excites diverse critical response from both academia and non-academia. Although best known for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other tales of his Middle-earth 'legendarium', Tolkien's oeuvre extends to Anglo-Saxon studies (to which he contributed much as an academic), essays on fairy tales, poetry, children's tales and non-Middle-earth fantasy.

In recent years academic interest in the fantasy genre has increased dramatically. Likewise fandom studies are developing as fan productions proliferate, particularly since Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

'Return of the Ring' is a conference (celebrating 75 Years of 'The Hobbit) which aims to bring together scholars and researchers from across the globe to share their expertise and interest in any Tolkien-related area of study such as linguistics, fantasy, literature, education, media & culture, fandom etc. Speakers include Tom Shippey, Martin Barker, Dimitra Fimi, John Garth, and Corey Olsen amongst others.

The conference will include several academic streams as well as other events and is run by The Tolkien Society, the long-established literary society devoted to the promotion and understanding of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

There will also be a gathering of musicians and artists inspired or influenced by Tolkien, and of those interested in any aspect of Tolkien and his work.

The Tolkien Society invites submissions of proposals for papers, panels, workshops, and posters. For more information about the programme, to submit abstracts or papers, or to discuss any aspect of your proposal, please contact Meggy McMurry at programme@returnofthering.org by 11th November 2011. If you are organising a group of presentations, the group co-ordinator should contact Meggy directly before submitting the individual items.

We also invite applications for the Christine Davidson Memorial Lecture, for which the selected recipient will receive some financial assistance to attend the conference. If you wish to apply, please read the information about the award www.returnofthering.org/cdml.php and the criteria for entry.

Details of the full conference, 'Return of the Ring', including accommodation rates, are available at www.returnofthering.org

Postgraduate Symposium: Call for Papers

Postgraduate Symposium: Tolkien Studies
Friday 17th August, 2012 at Loughborough University, UK

As part of their larger scale conference, 'Return of the Ring', the Tolkien Society (UK) are offering a dedicated postgraduate symposium bringing together contemporary research in any discipline from the field of Tolkien Studies such as linguistics, literature, film studies, creative responses etc. This is a unique opportunity for postgraduate and early career stage researchers to come together, share scholarship and be mentored by leading academics in the field in interdisciplinary panels.

The day is structured around the postgraduate papers, grouped into panels, and culminates in a workshop session led by Martin Barker, Dimitra Fimi and Corey Olsen. The number of attendees is limited to 40 (with a maximum of 24 speakers in parallel sessions). All symposium attendees will also be welcome to attend the Friday evening events and entertainments of the main conference.

The symposium is free to postgraduates already registered for 'Return of the Ring' or £40 (including lunch) for those who are attending the symposium only. Student accommodation is available for either/both Thursday 16th and Friday 17th August.

To register for the symposium, or to submit an abstract (for a 15 minute paper) or for all other enquiries, please contact Meggy McMurry at programme@returnofthering.org


Tolkien in the Digital Age
Posted on June 22, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Call for Submissions:

A special issue of Beyond Bree (newsletter of the Tolkien Special Interest Group of American Mensa) will be devoted to exploring the works of J.R.R. Tolkien in The Digital Age. This time frame includes the new movie magic of Peter Jackson, the success of Harry Potter, as well as thoughts and reflections about reading Tolkien on the new eReaders.

Related subjects about the current state of fantasy will also be considered. Echoing Marshall McLuhan, is there a message about Tolkien that can be gained from this new medium or will it change the Tolkien experience? How will Tolkien endure these new developments?

Share your thoughts, ideas, concerns, fears, gripes, questions, reviews, and article ideas with guest editor Ryder W. Miller, editor of From Narnia to a Space Odyssey: dolphin1965@hotmail.com


Mythcon 42 Homework
Posted on April 11, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Don't you just hate it when you encounter a Guest of Honor at Mythcon and you aren't familiar with his or her work? Do you wonder if this person is going to be somebody you'll like listening to? Well, you can easily avoid this social faux pas by starting now to familiarize yourselves with the Mythcon 42 Guests of Honor and their work. The inimitable Ellie Farrell has pointed out to be that Catherynne Valente is going to be appear at several venues in the San Francisco Bay Area (home of the Mythcon 43 Committee) from May 13 to 17. That will be preceded by Los Angeles (and San Diego) May 11-12. She'll be in the Northeast & Chicago in April, the Pacific Northwest for much of May, and New York in late May. She's also appearing at Wiscon 34, the American Library Association annual conference, and CONvergence 2011 before Mythcon. For a detailed list of her appearances check out http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/appearances/. If you'd rather be an armchair traveler, her website can show you her varied oeuvre, including novels, short stories, poetry and essays. By July 15 you can easily be a Valente expert!

Although our Scholar Guest of Honor, Michael D. C. Drout, doesn't quite have the travel schedule of Cat Valente, you can get to know him online at http://fileserver.wheatonma.edu/mdrout/index.html. From here, check out his Vita and marvel at a list of publications longer than an Ent's "hello." Like any self-respecting contemporary scholar, he has a blog at http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/-- another way to familiarize yourself with his varied interests and knowledge. How can you resist a prof who can say: "life and being department Chair (those are two distinct states, like living and being a zombie)"...which proves he is an intelligent and discerning fellow.

A prepared Mythcon attendee is a happy Mythcon attendee! Although, I must confess I rarely see anyone unhappy at Mythcon. Especially if alcohol is available ("in the spirit of the Inklings," of course!). Sorry. See you in Albuquerque.


Paper Call: Medievalism and Digital Gaming (Book)
Posted on April 03, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Dan Kline of the University of Alaska is "soliciting 500-word proposals for a volume dealing with the Middle Ages, medievalism, and contemporary digital gaming, broadly defined." An interesting coincidence, given the Mythcon theme this year. Slightly outside the bull's-eye of our core interests, but I know some of you out there will be interested. May 1, 2011 deadline.

All Your History are Belong to Us: Medievalism and Digital Gaming

The Middle Ages remains a vibrant presence in contemporary culture, and while cinematic medievalism has been intensively investigated in the last decade, digital gaming has received relatively little attention despite its widespread cultural impact. For example, the video game market now grosses more domestically than Hollywood, and World of Warcraft boasts more than 12 million monthly paying subscribers (25 million total units). Gaming theory too has seen its share of innovation, and digital technologies are now a regular feature of higher education and cultural studies. Medievalism, in its various guises, has also been the subject of intense scrutiny in anthologies by Anke Bernau and Bettina Bildhauer, Medieval Film (2009); Karl Fugelso, Memory and Medievalism (2007); and David Marshall, Mass Market Medieval: Essays on the Middle Ages in Popular Culture (2007). Further, the turn toward speculative medievalisms, object-oriented philosophy, and Actor-Network Theory has initiated new methodologies, raised new questions, and offered new possibilities for understanding actor-actant networks and overcoming the subject-object distinction, all of which enrich our understanding of digital and historical realities and problematize traditional understandings of subjectivity, temporality, and textuality.

A few of the more popular medievally-inflected gaming titles (and series) include:

• Age of Empires: Age of Kings • Diablo • MediEvil
• Arthur: Quest for Excalibur • Dragon Age • Medieval Total War
• Assassin's Creed • Dungeon Siege • Morrowind
• Baldur's Gate • Dynasty Warriors • Oblivion
• Beowulf • Elder Scrolls • Sims Medieval
• Civilization • Fable • Shogun Total War
• Dante's Inferno • Jeanne d'Arc • Stronghold
• Dark Age of Camelot • Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader • Warcraft & World of Warcraft

Some possibilities for topics include:

• Gaming, medieval texts, and digital textualities; digital communities, and electronic subjectivities
• Gaming genres (sword and sorcery/fantasy games, etc.), game types (MMORPG, FPS, RPG, RTS, stealth, survival/horror, etc.), single-player/cooperative/multiplayer games
• Gaming, speculative medievalisms, and counterfactual history
• Gaming, secret societies, arcane religions, and the 'templarization' of history (Dead Space, Mass Effect, others)
• Gaming, digital sociologies, and electronic epistemologies
• Gaming, object-oriented philosophy, complexity, and Actor-Network Theory
• Gaming, gender, sexuality, class, age; trans-developmental and trans-temporal subjectivities
• Gaming and race and nation; digital orientalism and postcolonialism; space-based societies
• Gaming and cross-platform media (games and/as film tie-ins)
• Gaming and pedagogy
• Gaming, discursive/symbolic violence, and ethics
• Gaming, social simulations, LARPing and LARPers (Live-Action Role Playing & Players)
• Gaming and cheats, glitches, hacks, mods
• Gaming, the academy, digital humanities, and generational divides.

Please send your proposals (and any questions) to Dan Kline, University of Alaska, Department of English, 3211 Providence Drive, ADM 101-H, Anchorage, AK 99508 at afdtk@uaa.alaska.edu by May 1, 2011.


Help for NZ (aka Middle-earth)
Posted on March 02, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

In the wake of the earthquake in New Zealand, the White Tree Fund has gathered some information to help as many people as possible during this crisis. This alert is a list of information and news resources and ways to donate. They are organizing a fundraising effort for the people of Christchurch. See (http://whitetreefund.blogspot.com/) for more information.

If you would like to make donations:
Red Cross New Zealand: http://www.redcross.org.nz/makeadonation (They request that any offers of goods and services should be forwarded to the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in Wellington: http://ca.mc1102.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=operations@ncmc.govt.nz.)

OXFAM are accepting donations on behalf of the Red Cross because lines are overloaded - they will pass 100% of the donations to the Red Cross. https://www.oxfam.org.nz/_payment/donations.asp?code=26CC6D204F884D75

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/research-media/media-centre/local-news/salvation-army-appeals-for-funds-for-renewed-earthquake-response (you may have to scroll down the page to find the donation section)

CARITAS, an NGO, supports the St Vincent de Paul Society and other Church agencies and is working with people in the greatest need. Caritas has already pledged $25,000 towards relief and recovery: https://secure.flo2cash.co.nz/donations/caritas/donate.aspx

For more information: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/christchurch-quake-appeals-launched-4038581

From Lara Sookoo (Founder, The White Tree Fund) who thanks you for your support.


Tolkien Society Announcement
Posted on January 13, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

Sauron Spambot

Your CorSec/blogger apologizes profusely for not getting this announcement to you earlier...I received it from the Tolkien Society on December 31.

The Tolkien Society regrets to announce that due to a spambot intrusion on our webserver on 15th December, the Tolkien Society's web presence was down for as long as it took to resolve the technical issues and restore the site using a back-up from the 12th December.

We've identified the cause of the problem and already put a fix in place. We've also identified 2 areas that may be affected by the problem - event bookings andmembership purchases/renewals

Bookings

Can anyone who made any kind of booking for 2012 Return of the Ring since the 12th December please contact Lyn the Tolkien Society Bookings Officer so we can keep track of you and resolve any issues regarding your details. The bookings database is held offline but if your payment went through at the wrong time then it is likely that we don't know that you were there.

May I (Susan ~ Tuilinde) also remind you that the price rise for Registration and Accommodation for Return of the Ring in 2012 has now been held off until the 31st January.

Bookings enquiries please contact: bookings@tolkiensociety.org

Memberships

Can anyone who bought or renewed a society membership since the 12th December please contact Marion the Tolkien Society Membership Secretary so we can keep track of you and resolve any issues regarding your details. The bookings and membership databases are held offline but if your payment went through at the wrong time then it is likely that we don't know that you were there.

Membership payment enquiries please contact: membership@tolkiensociety.org

All best wishes for 2011 (and no more snow please!!!)

Tuilinde, International Liaison, Tolkien Society


Mythopoeia as a Coping Mechanism
Posted on January 05, 2011 by Edith L. Crowe

That's the title of a paper written by a young man who's interested in picking our myth-stuffed brains. He has three questions he'd like a variety of answers to, from those of us who understand and appreciate mythopoeia. You can read his query below, and see his contact information. The paper's due January 19, so if you're interested, don't dawdle. In the great Mythopoeic Society tradition of discovering and growing young scholars, this is a good opportunity to help another one along the primrose path to mythopoeic scholarship. In said scholar's own words:

"The essay I am writing is for an AP English Literature course in my Connecticut high school. The final draft of the research paper, "Mythopoeia as a Coping Mechanism," is due January 19, 2011. The point of the essay is to supply readers with the general understanding [that] the genre, mythopoeia, is around to-- not only entertain readers but to help them cope with real-life issues such as death."

What is Mythopoeia to you, and how did Mythopoeian literature guide you through life?

What literature specifically helped you, and why?

Why is eucatastrophe an important subject?"

Please send your replies to Richard L. Haas III (saahdrahcir@hotmail.com).


Call for Papers–FANCUD
Posted on December 06, 2010 by Edith L. Crowe

An opportunity for international scholarly activity:

The 5th International Conference on the Fantastic and the Miraculous
(FANCUD)

“In the Mirror of the Past: Journeys from History to HISTORY”

May 5-7, 2011 | University of Zielona Góra, Poland

Co-sponsored by Center for Mythopoeia and Philosophy of Literature and Center for Advanced Studies in Popular Literature at the Department of Polish, as well as by Center for Francophone Literature and Culture at the Department of Modern Languages, the three-day FANCUD conference at the University of Zielona Góra, Poland, is the only annual conference in the country on the literary and filmic intersections of myth, fantasy, science fiction and other speculative genres.

The focus of FANCUD 5 will be on the theme of restorative journeys from linear, isolated, and meaningless history to HISTORY that is meaningful through participation in a reality that transcends it. One increasingly pronounced element of contemporary life is the experience of helplessness in the face of overwhelming events and processes. Trying to make sense of the world and of their own identity, modern people often re-enact, albeit without realizing it, mythic patterns embedded in their cultures. The extent to which those patterns continue to be relevant tools for modern circumstances is a matter of considerable dispute. FANCUD 5 will seek to examine the presence in modern literature and culture of one such mythic pattern: the pull toward “eternal return,” as Mircea Eliade put it, from meaningless history to HISTORY in which events are transformed into archetypal categories.

Confirmed speakers include Prof. Brian Attebery (Idaho State University), Prof. Véronique Gély (the Sorbonne, Paris), Prof. Auguste Owono-Kouma (University of Yaounde, Cameroon), Prof. Jakub Z. Lichański (University of Warsaw), and Prof. Marek Oziewicz (University of Wrocław).

We encourage papers, panels and presentations on literary, political, theological, linguistic, cultural and social aspects of journeys from history to HISTORY. We also welcome papers on other aspects of the anti-historical tradition. Topics may include but are not limited to the following:

• The search for one’s own history,
• HISTORY as the research arena for one’s own history,
• The crisis of the historical awareness,
• Unity of time in traditional cultures,
• Mythic dimension of time in mass culture,
• The archaic dimension of HISTORY,
• Sacred time in religions and beliefs,
• The past as the philosopher’s questioning grounds,
• Time in utopia,
• Time in folklore and folk traditions,
• Prayer time as reading and ritual,
• Futurological games played with history,
• Mythologemes in literature as vehicles for HISTORY,
• Representations of history in fantasy and science-fiction,
• Medievalism and the pull of the past in speculative literature,
• Cultural images of time,
• Modern interest in myth and its meanings,
• Cultural transmission of myth.

The deadline for submission of proposals is February 15, 2011, although earlier submissions are encouraged. Please send a 250-350 word proposals to the Conference Secretary, Agnieszka Ryzza-Woźniak, at:

Agnieszka Ryzza-Woźniak
Department of Polish
The University of Zielona Góra
al. Wojska Polskiego 67
65-677 Zielona Góra
Poland, United Europe
 You can also e-mail submissions to a_ryzza@o2.pl (please put “FANCUD submission” in the subject line) or to appropriate Division Heads (listed below). Proposals must be accompanied by completed Registration Forms.

As you submit your proposal, please indicate if you have any scheduling restrictions, audiovisual needs (OHP, DVD/VHS player), special needs, or a need for a written letter of acceptance of your proposal. For information about registration, travel or accommodations, for assistance or disabilities issues, please contact the Conference Secretary. For more information and conference updates go to fancud@ifp.uz.zgora.pl

Notifications of acceptance will be sent electronically by February 28, 2011.

By March 15, 2011, accepted presenters will have to send in précis of their presentations and also pay the Conference Registration Fee.

The précis must be a 500 to 800-word abstraction of the central informing idea of the article and a cogent presentation of the development of its argument. It must be something more than an extended abstract; the précis for English, Russian, German, and French presentations will be translated into Polish and made available to conference participants as handouts. Conference Registration Fee is €150. The payment must be made by bank transfer to the University of Zielona Góra account as specified below:

SWIFT/BIC code: KRDBPLPW
Bank name: Kredyt Bank S.A. filia nr 2 o. Zielona Góra, ul. Podgórna 50 65-246 Zielona
Góra, Poland
Beneficiary: Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, ul. Licealna 9, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Beneficiary’s account no.: PL 42 1500 1810 1218 1004 4483 0000
Payment title: Konferencja FANCUD
 Cancellations will be accepted in writing prior to April 5, 2011. No refunds will be issued after that date. A PLN 100 (equivalent of €25) administration fee will be assessed on refunds issued.

We look forward to hosting you in Zielona Góra!

Conference Committee:
Dr. Bogdan Trocha, Conference Head for Content and Program
bwtrocha@gmail.com
Dr. Tomasz Ratajczak, Conference Head for Program Scheduling
t.ratajczak@ifp.uz.zgora.pl
Dr. Agnieszka Ryzza-Woźniak, Division Head for the Russian-Speaking Section
a_ryzza@o2.pl
Dr. Joanna Ziobrowska, Division Head for the French-Speaking Section
zfr@yahoo.fr
Aleksander Rzyman, Division Head for the English-Speaking Section
aleksander.rzyman@xl.wp.pl


Thanks & Farewell, Glen GoodKnight
Posted on November 26, 2010 by Edith L. Crowe

From the Los Angeles Times to many a blog, much has been written about Glen since his surprising and untimely death on November 3, 2010. I just finished the November 2010 issue of Mythprint, which is entirely a tribute to the Founder of our unique Mythopoeic Society. Often I found myself nodding in agreement as others commended him as the architect not only of its uniqueness but of its very existence. Although I wasn't there at the beginning (and it was great to hear the stories of those who were) I was a relatively "early adopter" of the Society. Although this blog is less personal than ex officio, today I'm speaking as myself, not as Corresponding Secretary of the Mythopoeic Society. Many of my fellow Stewards have contributed their thoughts and reminiscences already; now it's my turn.

To give you an idea of the kind of person I was in long-ago days of my youth (1967), I once went downtown with some of my hard-earned money to buy an Easter outfit. Of course, I had to stop by the big bookstore first...and what to my wondering eyes should appear but the shiny new LOTR boxed hardcover set published by Houghton Mifflin. That Easter outfit never had a chance. Little did I know that in that same year, thousands of miles away, a young man was coming up with an idea for a Society that would have a profound impact on my life.

One of the things I've often brooded upon is the way that the pivotal events of one's life don't seem pivotal at the time. Only in retrospect does one realize--with a frisson of fear, sometimes--how different one's life would have been if that seemingly minor event hadn't happened. I doubt Glen realized at the time he was creating an organization that would profoundly affect not just his own life, but lives of thousands of others throughout the world. My coming to California was one of those pivotal events for me--I came with the intention of staying a few months; maybe a couple of years if I got a job. That was in 1971. I did get a job, and less than a block from the library's door was a comic book store. On lunch hours I'd sometimes go there to get comics that my brother wanted--he was a rabid collector who couldn't find everything he wanted back East. On the way out one day I noticed a flyer for a Star Trek convention in Los Angeles called Equicon--that upcoming weekend. In a highly uncharacteristic example of spontaneity, my partner and I hopped a plane and went. In the dealer's room was a table that lured me by a slide show of Tim Kirk's Lord of the Rings paintings (his project for his MFA degree). Some outfit called The Mythopoeic Society. Sounded interesting. Had a local group called Khazad-dum not too far from us. Started going to meetings. Attended Mythcon IV in Santa Barbara. These were My People. Hooked for life.

I am forever grateful to Glen for visualizing the Mythopoeic Society as an organization that welcomed scholarship but didn't see serious scholarship as incompatible with dressing up as an elf/hobbit/orc and carrying a banner (or moving a boat, or quaffing a proper 1420). Nor did he assume that the "appropriate" credentials were required for a person to produce valuable research on the work of the Inklings, or any of the related topics that have graced the pages of Mythlore and/or the podia of Mythcon. One of the most valuable characteristics of the Mythopoeic Society is the welcoming home it provides for independent scholars and students. As a toiler for many years in the Groves of Academe, I'm aware that it can be as dangerous as living in Fangorn. Those who transgress the borders of disciplines often do so at their peril. The Canon can be used to blast a promising career to smithereens. As a Librarian it was less dangerous to me that others--we are the Rangers in that forest--but it gave me the perspective to realize how unique and valuable a refuge the Mythopoeic Society offers.

Another aspect of Glen's vision particularly dear to my heart was the combination of of literature with the visual and performing arts. One might even see the Society as his piece of interstitial art. Few have the talent and drive to make a career of the arts, but many have enough love for and talent in an art form that to have no place for it in one's life is a constant ache. To have a place to share one's art with others, to know that someone besides you finds it valuable--that is a great gift that Glen gave to many.

Glen did not just create an organization, he created a place: a place where people of vastly different religious and/or political beliefs could come together amicably to discuss mythopoeic literature and art; a place where one could find friends treasured for decades but seen only once a month or once a year; a place where one's creative talents could be nurtured, could blossom and grow; a place in which one could be both scholarly and silly; a place whose existence can enrich one's life from youth to age and maybe beyond.

So thanks, Glen. I owe you more than I can ever say. You brought me good friends, you gave me a creative outlet, you helped me get tenure, you revived my artistic soul. You gave me friends and memories that I'll always treasure. Those Mythcons of my youth...the sound of harps and pennywhistles, the declaiming of the bards, the glow of velvet gowns and warmth of talk and laughter...you brought me the closest I've ever been to the Hall of Fire in the House of Elrond.

Farewell, Good Knight. May you see your swift sunrise.


An End & a Beginning
Posted on November 22, 2010 by Edith L. Crowe

The beginning, is (I hope) obvious--at long last the Mythopoeic Society has a blog. The Stewards have discussed this for a long time, seeing the need for something more frequent and perhaps more varied than the "News" section on the Society web page; something more active and "pushy" (purely in the technology sense) than our other venues.

The Horn of Rohan is "the official voice" (one of them at least) of the Mythopoeic Society. Although content may originate in various places, I shall be the Chief Blogger (as an extension of my role as Corresponding Secretary)--a decision that is already causing some trepidation in my aging brain. What kinds of things should you expect to see here?
Your Corresponding Secretary's previous blogging experience was years ago and much simpler. This will take some getting used to. Prepare for The Horn of Rohan to change and no doubt become more complex as time goes on. Meanwhile, better to publish something now than wait for perfection of format. Enjoy.

So much for the beginning--what about the end? That is the end of an era, an era that came to a close with the unexpected death of our Founder, Glen H. GoodKnight, on November 3. That is an event of such magnitude that it deserves a post of its own. Stay tuned.




Content copyright 1967- The Mythopoeic Society All rights reserved