Tag: J.R.R. Tolkien

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: September 25th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Today in 1929 Lewis’s father (Albert) died. His financial support was vital to Lewis getting his degrees at Oxford.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Men are not angered by mere misfortune but by misfortune conceived as injury.”

The Screwtape Letters – XXI
(First published in The Guardian on 9/19/1941)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

It’s no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t like the Narnia stories, however, what was a key problem he had with the first published story?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: September 11th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

“Blimpophobia” is an article written by Lewis that was published on September 9, 1944 in Time and Tide.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother’s slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her. You needed to know what it felt like.”

The Horse and His Boy
(Published 9/6/54)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

It’s no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t like the Narnia stories, however, what was a key problem he had with the first published story?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

RETROSPECT: July 22nd – 31st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the period of July 22-31include: Lewis on the radio that wasn’t a part of the eventual Mere Christianity book, the U.S. release of The Four Loves and the publication of a friend’s landmark book that Lewis encouraged the author to write (hint: it has a “ring” to it).

When you consider a person’s life over the years (like this series has with C.S. Lewis), it’s no surprise that there might be a week or two were relatively little significant events happened. Such is the case for this time-period. However, there was a very meaningful moment in the life of a now more famous friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. In 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring was published at the end of July (the actual date is either the 24th or 29th, as I’ve seen both listed).

It’s not just because they were friends that it’s worth mentioning, rather

RETROSPECT: May 11th – 21st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the second of May (11th – 21st) include: Initial publication of Miracles, the landmark first meeting with a famous friend and securing his longest employment.

“Miracles” is among the many misused words in our vocabulary today. This was true even back in 1947 when Miracles: A Preliminary Study was released on the 12th by C.S. Lewis. Of course, Lewis was addressing more of an unbelief in the miraculous. In fact, as the inside dusk jacket of the first edition notes, the subtitle isn’t about Lewis giving his tentative thoughts on the subject, but rather the book is designed to be “a study preliminary to any historical inquiry into the actual occurrence of miracles.” That is, before any examination of specific miracles one has to believe that the miraculous can genuinely occur. Nearly thirteen years later (as mentioned in the previous column) a new edition was released containing a revised third chapter.

Fact / Quote / Quiz: February 18th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

On this date (2/18) in 1938 J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a letter to his publisher to consider Lewis’s manuscript of Out of the Silent Planet.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“To some, God is discoverable everywhere; to others, nowhere.”

The Seeing Eye
(Published originally as “Onward Christian Spacemen” in the February, 1963 edition of Show)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

Lewis went back to the BBC this month in 1949 to record what talk that aired the same day of its recording?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Who Drew Narnia (CSLM-42)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute, Special Feature

Who illustrated The Chronicles of Narnia and how was the person selected?

If you love the stories about Narnia, you probably also greatly admire the illustrations found in the books. Pauline Baynes is the only one who drew them and we have J.R.R. Tolkien to thank in part for them. It was after Lewis saw the pictures she created for Farmer Giles, one of Tolkien’s books, that Lewis picked her.

Summary of JACK & TOLLERS (The New C.S. Lewis Movie)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute, Special Feature

This page features a summary of facts or frequently asked questions about the forthcoming movie about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien entitled JACK & TOLLERS. While all answers are believed to be accurate as of the date posted above, please note that this is an UNOFFICIAL page and not meant to suggest it is endorsed by those who are actually producing the movie.

Presently the best place to get official information is from the Facebook page of Third Dart Studios. You can also hear interviews I did with those involved in the production from Dec. 9, 2013 (with Darren Jacobs, a screenwriter and Chris Dodge, the Executive Producer) and Dec. 17, 2013 (with Darren again and Dr. Louis Markos, the other screenwriter).

Charles Williams (CSLM-37)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute, Special Feature

This Inklings member had a very profound impact on C.S. Lewis, even though he died less than ten years after they became friends.

As noted in a previous post Lewis often met with a group of friends where they frequently discussed their writings. After reading Charles Williams’ The Place of the Lion Lewis developed a friendship with him. Williams was working at the Oxford University Press at the time.