Recent Rivendell Topics 1997-2007

Our scheduled monthly discussions during 1997 have included:
All Saturdays, 1:30 p.m., in Coffman Union 355 (U of MN-MPLS campus) unless otherwise noted:

1997.

Jan. 25. Topic: Owl in Love, by Patrice Kindl.
OWL IN LOVE is the 1995 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award-winning book, which received many very positive reviews. It was published as a "YA" book, a "young adult" children's book, though I think that many adults could read it without recognizing that (like Le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea). It's a little off-beat, the story of an adolescent were-owl, obsessed with her high school homeroom teacher. I was so taken with the opening paragraphs that I sat down and read it straight through, a couple of years ago after bringing it home from the public library--it only took a couple of hours or so. Kindl's book would be in most big children's departments of thepublic libraries, and there was also a paperback edition (try Uncle Hugo's or Dreamhaven or The Red Balloon if it's already vanished from the shelves of the big bookstore chains). I think that it will also make a good subject for a discussion, as it is the sort of book that could easily be read in different ways, and the decisions that Kindl made in creating the world of the story couldbe second-guessed in many respects. Indeed, we did have a pretty good discussion of this book.

Feb. 15. Topic: Exile's Song, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
We had a good discussion of the Heritage of Hastur sequence that includes this new book, I hope to write up a brief synopsis of our discussion in the near future.

March activities at Minicon, March 28-30, the annual Minnesota Science Fiction Convention, at the Radisson South Hotel..
Minicon was the last weekend in March, we held a discussion of Jane Yolen's new "Young Merlin" trilogy, beginning with the book Pasager, continuing with Hobby, and concluding with Merlin. Jane was present for the discussion. These are very short books, based originally upon stories that appeared in her colleciton Merlin's Booke. (Try that if you can't find the new books).

We also co-hosted (with Second Foundation) a discussion of C.J. Cherryh's fiction.

Our "Tolkien 101" panel discussion of one of our favorite authors, as an introduction to his works, to Tolkien fandom, and to our upcoming "BREE MOOT 3." featured authors Ruth Berman and Patricia C. Wrede, and book dealer and scholar Phil Kaveny, along with David Lenander.

April 12. Topic: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, plus a film or two based on this book.
This is the classic ironic fantasy, or satire, by perhaps the greatest American writer--

admittedly, not his greatest work. But interesting and fun to read!

We'll probably look at one of the movies....




July 26 Special Meeting at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, , at Diversicon
TOPIC: Tim Powers' Expiration Date.



August 23rd meeting at Mike's & Marianne's, Denny Lien
will present an informal review of some Fantasy scholarship non-fiction
reference works.



Sept. 20, we will be celebrating Bilbo's and Frodo's birthdays
with another Birthday Party, including filksinging & other
Tolkien fan activities. 1:30 p.m. in Fridley, MN. (a northern
suburb of Mpls)



Special SUNDAY, September 28, Noon Rivendell discussion of
one or more works by James Branch Cabell at Arcana, with guest
of honor Neil Gaiman.





1998



 





1999








In this photograph by Mike Dorn (used by permission), Neil
Gaiman's MFA statuette, (sometimes fondly known as the "Aslan")
is pictured between two of his books, the unillustrated edition
of Stardust--the award was made this year for the illustrated
version--and his collection of short pieces, Smoke and Mirrors,
which was also on the preliminary list this year for the MFA.
(The candles were to match those on the Smoke & Mirrors
cover). That's the Rivendell Group banner in the back. Sorry,
I should've thought about the fact that a darker background would've
set off the MFA better. Neil's previous novel, Neverwhere,
was a finalist last year for the MFA. A good web-page devoted
to Neil can be found at The
Dreaming: the Neil Gaiman Page: http://www.holycow.com/dreaming/
Photo was taken at the September Rivendell Group discussion
(the Bilbo Baggins Birthday Party). See a closeup photo of the
award on the Bird & Baby site.



November 20 topic: Peg
Kerr will join us for a discussion
of her recent novel, The Wild Swans. Southeast Public
Library, 1222 Fourth Ave. SE, diagonal from Dreamhaven in Dinkytown.
Off-street parking available. 1 p.m. We've heard chapters from
it at past "Readings from Rivendell" meetings. I certainly
enjoyed reading it, and people are talking about nominating it
for our Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, as well as other awards. Several
Rivendellers are thanked in the author's note at the end of the
book. Peg's been getting some amazing reviews, check some out
from links on her web-page.





2000





2001





a panel discussion featuring
experts on and writers of children's fantasy.



FROM HOBBITS TO HARRY POTTER:
Children's Fantasy since Tolkien



Confirmed panelists as of this writing are:





This program will be co-sponsored by the
Southdale Public Library, the

Rivendell Group of the Mythopoeic Society and The Minnesota Science
Fiction

Society (Minn-Stf).







2002





2003.








[Pictured in foreground: Angelo and Jason talk Tolkien at
the 2002 Hobbits' Birthday Party].







WINTER 2004





FALL 2004





WINTER 2005



Photos from our discussion in January 2004, a joint meeting
with Second Foundation and
The Minnesota Tolkien Society:






We had a good discussion of Peter Jackson's Return of the
King.



 





SPRING 2005





SUMMER 2005





FALL 2005





Winter-SPRING 2006





FALL 2006





Winter-Spring 2007





June? July? what did we do?





Fall 2007





2008





 



For which Rivendell was joined by the Minnesota Tolkien Society.
This was at an Off-campus location.



 



Saturday, September 20, 1:00 p.m.

 

The Rivendell Group

met-partied with The Minnesota Tolkien Society

at a private home in. Fridley, MN 55413.  .

 







 

See photos from past years at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~d-lena/Hobbirth.html



And here are some 2005 photos: http://homepage.mac.com/david_lenander/Fantasy_and_SF/PhotoAlbum20.html



 The Rivendell Group assembled at a private home to celebrate
and talk about things Tolkien, from the original Hobbit to the
new films.  People began to arrive about 1:00, and talked
for most of the afternoon.



For a program , I think we read one or two
of Margaret Howes's short stories in her "Tales Told by the
Lonely Mountain."  Margaret died earlier this year,
but her stories in this series were probably the best things she
wrote.  Three of them appeared in The Tolkien Scrapbook,
and we read from that.  After that, people read their own
Tolkien-inspired poems or sang songs, not necessarily pastiche
or "set" in Middle-earth, but responding to or inspired
by JRRT.  Ruth read her Tolkien memorium poems from The
Tolkien Scrapbook. Others similiarly read or spoke. David
Emerson accompanied us on a singing through of the Donald Swann-composed
"Road Goes Ever On" song cycle, based upon Tolkien's
Middle-earth poems (and approved by JRRT).

 

No need to bring anything (though Tolkien memorabilia to show
off is always appropriate!  And bring any copies of the Swann/Tolkien
Road Goes Ever On and The Middle-earth Song Book--or
the like).  I expect to provide tea, coffee and probably
other non-alcoholic beverages, and some form of snacks, and at
some point I will probably have some more substantial food (in
the past we've had lasagna and hot dishes) and you are welcome
to bring something if you want to share.  In the past we've
had some teenagers, possibly some younger, so bring kids if you
like, there's lots of room to run around outside. They've tended
to play board games or watch videos.  Any smoking will have
to be outside.



If it rains or is too cold, we'll watch more Tolkien-related
videos and/or listen to audio recordings, or just talk. 
But if it's a fairly nice day, it may be perfect for watching
the river flow by and walking around the Banfill Locke grounds,
so perhaps some will go for a walk.  In the past we've often
had music from such members as Mark Heiman or Greg Bohen, so feel
free to bring along your guitar or tin whistle if you want to
share your music, which need not be Tolkien inspired.





 




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