The Tolkien Experience Podcast (TEP) is an attempt to bring the fan and scholarly communities together around our shared passion: the works of J.R.R. Tolkien! Each episode features a notable scholar or member of the fan community sharing their responses to the original Tolkien Experience Project questions.
The podcast is only possible because of our supporters and patrons. Please consider supporting the us on Patreon!
Since 2018, Luke Shelton’s Tolkien Experience Project has been collecting stories from scholars and fans. Now, I have partnered with Dr. Sara Brown and Sarah Westvik to create the TEP!
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We are also on social media! You can find our official podcast accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and also follow the hosts on Twitter: Sara Brown, Sarah Westvik, and Luke Shelton.
The Questions:
Each guest on the podcast is asked six different questions, with some follow-ups and discussion to add depth and keep things conversational. The six basic questions are:
- How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?
- What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?
- What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?
- Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?
- Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?
- What Tolkien work, project, or community are you currently working on that we should know about?
The Hosts:
Sara Brown
Sara has been a Lecturer and Preceptor at Signum University within the Language and Literature faculty since 2012. She also served as interim Department Chair for the Fall 2018 semester and as the Elected Faculty Member on the Signum University Board in the past. Her PhD thesis, entitled From Abjection to Alchemy in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth Legendarium, explores the way in which Tolkien was responding to the anxieties of the post-war world in the mid twentieth century.
Besides her BA (Hons) in English and History, Sara has a Masters degree in International History from the London School of Economics, for which she wrote a thesis on The Problem of the Gold Standard in International Politics and Economics in the Nineteenth Century. She completed her Ph.D. in Literature at Salford University in 2013. Entitled From Abjection to Alchemy in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth Legendarium, the thesis explores the way in which Tolkien was responding to the anxieties of the post-war world in the mid twentieth century, drawing on (amongst others) the theories of Julia Kristeva and Donna Haraway. She believes it’s a real page-turner. Sara has given a number of lectures at various conferences on the topics of Tolkien, fantasy fiction, and fandom, the latter being one of her guilty pleasures.
Sara Brown has been a High School teacher for twenty-five years and currently works full time in Rydal Penrhos School in North Wales, where she teaches English to ungrateful teenagers. She is the co-ordinator there for the International Baccalaureate English Language & Literature and Theory of Knowledge courses. Sara also acts as Teaching and Learning mentor in school, promoting and guiding the advancement of skills and continuing professional development in each of the teaching faculties. In addition to her teaching duties, she and her husband run one of the school boarding houses, which holds up to twenty-two teenage boys. Sleep is definitely for the weak.
Luke Shelton
Luke is currently a PhD student in the School of Critical Studies at the University of Glasgow, where his PhD research focuses on the reception of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings by young readers. The Principal Supervisor of his research is Dr. Dimitra Fimi.
In addition to his role at University of Glasgow, he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Literature and Language at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). He also currently serve as the Assistant to the Technical Editor for Nineteenth-Century Gender Studies.
He received my Master of Arts (M.A.) from ETSU in 2017, also receiving ETSU’s John D. Allen Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in English at that time. During his time in the M.A. program, he served as a Graduate Assistant and taught several sections of composition.
As an M.A. student, he completed a thesis entitled “Celtic Water Hags, Violent Children, and Wild Men: Reexamining the Syncretic Nature of Beowulf” under the direction of Thomas H. Crofts. In addition to completing the M.A. requirements with distinction, he also presented research at eight conferences, and organized several campus activities.
Before attending ETSU for graduate studies, he worked as a high school English teacher for two years. He taught classes on American Literature, World Literature, and Communication. In this capacity, he learned much more than the content for the courses. He became a more effective communicator with students and learned how to manage a classroom and create engaging lessons that encourage students to be responsible for their own learning beyond school walls.
Recent Episodes:
As episodes are posted, the links to individual posts for episode show notes will appear in the list below (most recent first):
TEP #53 — Donato Giancola - We start our newest season with an interview with a well-established artist: Donato Giancola! Donato has been an avid fan of Tolkien’s work for a long time and creates artwork based on Tolkien’s world when he gets the chance. Known for his work on Magic the Gathering, modern science fiction and fantasy covers, and a … - TEP #52 — Laura Martin-Gomez - For this episode, we were excited to welcome the president of Tolkiendil, the French Tolkien society: Laura Martin-Gomez! Laura received her PhD in 2020, and her research interests include fandom studies and Tolkien’s texts. Her thesis examined fan groups in the US, UK, and France to parse out the similarities and differences in these groups …
- TEP #51 — Brian Sibley - For this episode, we were honored to welcome a very influential figure in the Tolkien fandom: Brian Sibley! Brian is the recipient of the Tolkien Society’s award for Outstanding Contribution in 2022. He is an honorary member of the society, and is perhaps best known to the Tolkien community because of the radio adaptation of …
- TEP #50 — Panel on Tolkien, Adaptation, and The Rings of Power - This week, we put together another panel to discuss the new Rings of Power series being produced by Amazon a little more! Here we discuss adaptation, the changes that always have to be made, what we think is done well in some adaptations, and where we think some improvements could be made! Special thanks to …
Continue reading TEP #50 — Panel on Tolkien, Adaptation, and The Rings of Power
- TEP #47 –Alicia Fox-Lenz - For this episode, our guest is a steward of the Mythopoeic Society and an independent researcher who loves experimenting with new perspectives on Tolkien: Alicia Fox-Lenz! Alicia is the Social Media Officer of the Mythopoeic Society, as well as a member of their stewardship council.. She is currently editing a scholarly volume on Tolkien and …
- TEP #46 — Sonali Chunodkar - For this episode, we have a guest who is an independent researcher who delves into the interaction between Tolkien and readers: Sonali Chunodkar! Sonali has an MPhil and a PhD, for which both her theses focused on Tolkien’s work. She has recently presented papers at several Tolkien conferences, including a recent Tolkien Society Seminar. We …
- TEP #45 — Brian D. Egede-Pedersen - For this episode, we have a guest whose view on Tolkien totally rocks (sorry)– Brian D. Egede-Pedersen Brian has an MA in history and a minor in English Literature from the University of Southern Denmark. Since his graduation, he has worked as a secondary school teacher and an assistant professor at the University of Southern …
- TEP #44 — Ted Nasmith - We am so excited that we get to start off season three with a very notable artist: Ted Nasmith! Ted is one of the biggest names in the Tolkien art world. He has had the opportunity to be in multiple official Tolkien calendar, as well as illustrate editions of Tolkien’s work. Most recently, he has …
- TEP #43 — Season 2 Bonus Episode - This special episode of the Tolkien Experience Podcast is a recording of the session that Sarah, Luke, and Sara were invited to host at Oxonmoot for 2021! They give some background and history to the podcast, and invite on some past guests of the show to give updates on what they have been working on …
- TEP #42 — Season 2 Finale - In this special episode of the Tolkien Experience Podcast, Luke, Sarah, and Sara wrap up the second season! They thank the listeners, reflect on some of their favorite interviews and the changes to the podcast over the year, and share how their own Tolkien Experience has shifted this year! We hope you enjoy it. Remember, …
- TEP #41 — Matt from “The Nerd of the Rings” - For this episode, I had the chance to catch up with the creator of the YouTube Channel The Nerd of the Rings! Matt started his channel to talk about his passion for Tolkien and it has really taken off over the past two years! I was able to have a great conversation with him about …
Continue reading TEP #41 — Matt from “The Nerd of the Rings”
- TEP #40 –Aurélie Brémont - For this episode, Sara sat down to talk with translator and scholar Aurélie Brémont! Aurélie completed her PhD in English Medieval Studies on Tolkien and the Celtic Heritage in 2009 in Sorbonne Université, Paris. Since then, she has been present in conferences in the UK and in France. In 2016 she had the opportunity to translate Tom …
- TEP #39 — Elizabeth King - For this episode, Sarah talked with a researcher who looks at Tolkien’s works through a lens of trauma studies: Elizabeth King! Elizabeth is a PhD student and Graduate Research assistant at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia. Her information page on the university site says that she is currently …
- TEP #38 — Anna Smol - For this episode, Sara was able to sit down with her good friend and veteran Tolkien academic: Anna Smol! Anna is currently a professor in the Department of English at Mount Saint Vincent University. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate English program at Dalhousie University and in the Joint M.A. in Women and Gender Studies …
- TEP #37 — Mariana Rios Maldonado - For this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with my good friend and brilliant Tolkien scholar: Mariana Rios Maldonado! Mariana is a PhD student at the University of Glasgow where she is interested in ethics, feminist theory, and encountering the Other in Tolkien’s works. She received a grant from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y …
- TEP #36 — Joel Merriner - This week’s episode is with a scholar whose interest is art history makes for some fascinating insights about illustrations of Tolkien’s works: Joel Merriner. Joel is an Associate Lecturer in Art History at the University of Plymouth. He is finishing his PhD which examines the illustrations of Tolkien’s work in central and eastern Europe. He …
- TEP #35 — Erik Mueller-Harder - For this episode, I had the chance to talk to one of the nicest people in Tolkien scholarship: Erik Mueller-Harder! Erik’s scholarly focus is on cartography and map-making. This interest has led him to closely investigate the first maps that Tolkien ever created for The Lord of the Rings, and his conference presentations on the …
- TEP #34 – Kristine Larsen - For this episode, Sara sat down with our good friend and ‘Tolkienian Astronomer’: Dr. Kristine Larsen! Kristine is a professor of astronomy at Central Connecticut State University. Her research and teaching focus in the sometimes uncomfortable points of intersection between science and society, including: women in science,; misconceptions, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience; the popularization of …
- TEP #33 — Putri Prihatini - For this episode, Sarah had the opportunity to talk with a blogger and fan who is new to the scene compared to our other guests, but she is already having an impact: Putri Prihatini! Putri writes the blog ‘The Loremaster: Blog Tolkien Indonesia’ where she writes posts in Indonesian and in English. Her article “Greed …
- TEP #32 – Ralph Bakshi - I cannot believe I get to write the following sentence: For this episode of the podcast, I was able to talk to the legendary animator who brought The Lord of the Rings to life in the 1970: Ralph Bakshi! Ralph Bakshi is most well known to our listeners as the director of the 1978 The …
- TEP #31 – Verlyn Flieger - This episode, we are so excited to share out interview with renowned Tolkien scholar Dr. Verlyn Flieger! Verlyn is a Professor Emerita from the University of Maryland, where she taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Celtic, Arthurian, Native American, and Norse Myth. She now teaches online at Signum University. Her scholarly publications include: A Question …
TEP #30 – Jenny Dolfen - Our guest for this episode is a very well-respected artist in Tolkien circles: Jenny Dolfen! Jenny has been a freelance illustrator since 2003, and has gained notoriety for her work inspired by Tolkien’s texts. She has won the Tolkien Society Award for Best Art three times, in 2014, 2018, and 2020! In this interview, Sarah … 
TEP #29 – Willie ‘Knewbettadobetta’ Jenkins - Our guest this week is a viral sensation on TikTok and has recently made the move to YouTube: Willie Jenkins! Willie Jenkins is a super fan of Tolkien! He also has a magnetic personality and a desire to teach. These things have combined to make him a hit as he puts together short videos that … Continue reading TEP #29 – Willie ‘Knewbettadobetta’ Jenkins
- TEP #28 — Chris Vaccaro - Our guest this week is a consummate Tolkien scholar and academic: Chris Vaccaro! Chris is the editor of two collections of scholarship about J.R.R. Tolkien: The Body in Tolkien’s Legendarium (2013) and Tolkien and Alterity (2017). He is also the organizer of the annual Tolkien in Vermont conference and a co-organizer of the Tolkien at …
- TEP #27 – Molly Ostertag - Our guest this week is a fantastic animator and author: Molly Ostertag! Molly is known for her work on several animated series, including Star vs. The Forces of Evil, The Owl House, and ThunderCats Roar. She is also a New York Times Bestselling author who enjoys writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction and fan comics. …
- TEP #26 — Bruce Hopkins - Our guest this week is the first one we have had who worked on the Peter Jackson adaptations of The Lord of the Rings! Bruce Hopkins played the character Gamling in both The Two Towers and The Return of the King at the beginning of the millennium. He shares with us his own journey as …
- TEP #25 — Diverse Tolkien - For this week’s episode of the Tolkien Experience Podcast, I am very excited to share our interview with the creator of Diverse Tolkien! While she does not want me to use her name, the creator of Diverse Tolkien can be found on Twitter and Tumblr where she focuses on discussing anti-blackness in Tolkien’s work and …
- TEP #24 — Marcel Aubron-Bülles - We have a fantastic guest to start off our second season of the Tolkien Experience Podcast: Marcel Aubron-Bülles! Marcel, also known as The Tolkienist, is very involved in Tolkien fandom. Marcel is best know for his work as the founder of the German Tolkien Society. He is also an independent Tolkien scholar, and a very …
- TEP #23 – Season 1 Finale - In this special episode of the Tolkien Experience Podcast, Luke and Sara wrap up the first season! They reflect on some of their favorite interviews, share some of their own Tolkien Experiences, and give a special thank you to our faithful listeners! We hope you enjoy it. Remember, there will be more TEP coming your …
- TEP #22 – Megan Fontenot - For this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with a wonderful writer who has produced excellent scholarship as well as engaging popular posts about Tolkien: Megan Fontenot! Megan is a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. I first met Megan in 2018 when she gave her award-winning paper “‘No Pagan ever loved his …
- TEP #21 – Anke Eissmann - For this episode, Sara was able to talk with an artist whose work is well known to many Tolkien fans: Anke Eissmann! You may have seen Anke’s artwork as the cover of some of your favorite Walking Tree Publisher works! She also is a prolific contributor to Tolkien conferences and fan communities in Germany and …
- TEP #20 – Amy Sturgis - For this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with a scholar whose work spans the gap between science fiction and fantasy, between history and literary analysis: Dr. Amy H. Sturgis. Amy holds a Ph.D. in Intellectual History and specializes in the fields of Science Fiction/Fantasy and Indigenous American Studies. She recently gave the keynote …
- TEP #19 – Elvella - For this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Elvella. She is a passionate fan who has some great insights! In this episode we talk about audio adaptations, fanfiction, and whiteness in fandom. Elvella is a college senior with majors in religion and classical piano. As she starts her senior year, join us in …
- TEP #18 – Maria Alberto - For this week’s episode, we are so happy to have a scholar and fan who investigates the Tolkien fan community: Maria Alberto! Maria is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on adaptation and fan studies. We want to encourage any our listeners who have read or written fanfiction …
- TEP #17 – Myla Malinalda - For this week’s episode, we are joined by a long-time supporter of the Tolkien fan community: Myla Malinalda! Myla Malinalda has worked as a part-time reporter for Middle-earth news, and a long time Tolkien fan and collector. She is also a graphic designer and she loves incorporating inspiration from her favorite literature into her work! …
- TEP #16 – William Fliss - For this week’s episode, I was able to interview an archivist who works with Tolkien’s manuscripts as part of his day job: William Fliss! William (Bill) Fliss is an archivist in the Special Collections and University Archives of the Raynor Memorial Libraries of Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Bill is in charge of Tolkien’s manuscripts …
- TEP #15 – Mary Clay Watt - We are very excited to have the chance to speak with Mary Clay Watt for this week’s episode! Mary Clay is the creator and host of the Podcast That’s What I’m Tolkien About, where she is reading her way through Tolkien’s works. She has finally made it to Mount Doom as of our recording, so …
- TEP #14 – Jeremy Edmonds - For this week’s episode, we are very excited to have Jeremy Edmonds, the creator of Tolkienguide.com! The hosts of the podcast met Jeremy at Tolkien2019, and became fast friends with many shared interests, especially a love of Tolkien’s work. His phenomenal website has been going for more than a decade and a half! There you …
- TEP #13 – Clifford Broadway - For this week’s episode, we welcome someone who has been influential in Tolkien film fandom from a very early point: Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway! As one of several volunteers who helps contribute to the online fan community located at TheOneRing.net, Clifford hosts a live podcast each Tuesday. He also co-produced a documentary entitled Ringers, which chronicles …
- TEP #12 – John Garth - We are elated to have with us on this episode a superstar of Tolkien scholarship, John Garth! John is a writer who is best known to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien for his autobiographical work about the author, entitled Tolkien and the Great War. He has also written numerous articles and other works about the author, …
- TEP #11 – Margaret Killjoy - For this episode, we are stepping away from academia and diving into the exciting worlds of writing and music with Margaret Killjoy! Margaret is a writer of book-length fiction, short fiction, and non fiction. Perhaps our listeners will be most interested in her short story “The Free Orcs of Cascadia” published in The Magazine of …
- TEP #10 – Una McCormack - It is our absolute privilege to welcome to the podcast a very notable writer and Tolkien scholar: Una McCormack! A quick glance at Dr. McCormack’s website and you quickly learn that she is a New York Times bestselling author and a prolific writer of tie-in novels and short and long fiction. She is an ex-academic …
- TEP #9 – Dawn Walls-Thuma - This week we journey into the realm of fan studies and fanfiction! Our guest this week created a website dedicated to stories fanfiction inspired by The Silmarillion, and has also completed excellent scholarship on fandom: Dawn Walls-Thumma! Walls-Thumma’s website The Silmarillion Writer’s Guild is a place where writers of fanfiction that were inspired by Tolkien’s …
- TEP #8 – Mina Lukic - We are so happy to share with you our interview with an up-coming Tolkien researcher, Mina Lukic! Mina is currently a PhD student at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Her current research includes looking into how people engage with Tolkien’s work using the lenses of participatory culture and cultural heritage. You can find out more …
- TEP #7 – Corey Olsen (Part 2) - This month, we have a special two-part interview for you! We are elated to have as our guest the Tolkien Professor himself: Corey Olsen! This is the second part of our interview, so please make sure to go back and listen to part one to make sure you don’t miss anything! Dr. Olsen is perhaps …
- TEP #6 – Corey Olsen (Part 1) - This month, we have a special two-part interview for you! We are elated to have as our guest the Tolkien Professor himself: Corey Olsen! Dr. Olsen is perhaps the most prolific and popular Tolkien podcaster in the world. His series like Exploring The Lord of the Rings, The Mythgard Academy, and The Silmarillion Film Project …
- TEP #5 – Shaun Gunner - Our next guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast has been the chair of the Tolkien Society since 2013. According to the society’s website, Shaun “regularly speaks about adaptations of Tolkien’s works whilst passionately believing the Society needs to reach out to new audiences.” We are so happy he could make time to talk with us …
- TEP #4 – James Tauber - Our next guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast wears many, dare we say geeky, hats. He is the founder and CEO of Eldarion, he helps develop tools for the digital humanities, he loves ancient languages, and he is the creator of DigitalTolkien.com: James Tauber! All of James’s projects are impressive, but perhaps the one that …
- TEP #3-Andrew Higgins - Our next guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast is a Tolkien scholar and linguist who has very quickly become influential in the field of Tolkien Studies: Dr. Andrew Higgins! Dr. Higgins completed his PhD on the evolution of J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology in 2015. His doctoral research was a holistic examination of Tolkien’s earliest works in …
- TEP #2 — Janet Brennan Croft - Our second guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast is an editor, scholar, and librarian who has been a prolific contributor to the field of Tolkien studies: Janet Brennan Croft! Janet Brennan Croft is the editor of Mythlore, one of the most well-respected English-language peer-reviewed journals in the world that focuses on Tolkien and other mythopoeic …
- TEP #1 — Dimitra Fimi - Our first guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast is a longtime mentor, colleague, and friend to our hosts: Dr. Dimitra Fimi. Dr. Fimi is known around the world as a preeminent scholar in Tolkien studies and an influential scholar in wider fields. She is perhaps best known for her book Tolkien, Race and Cultural History, …
Luke Shelton PhD 