Thursday, September 29, 2005

The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia

As you will recall me mentioning, I sent off my piece for The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment just two days ago. Yesterday I looked at the list of unassigned entries and noted that there were two I could do: on Trench Fever (250 words) and on Oxford (9000 words). So I emailed and volunteered to do them both. I was convinced that I'd be offered Trench Fever, but that Oxford would have been snapped up at the last minute... Oh was I wrong ! After a tense wait (because I do have another writing project lined up that I was going to start next week) I got an email about 2 hours ago, offering me Oxford - if I was still willing ! And so thinking (mostly) of the prestige (but, yes, also of the money) I said yes ! So that's my writing schedule filled for the next 12 months as the project I had intended to start next week has a deadline of mid-October 2006 - and I've been given until Feb. 1, 2006 to do the 9000 words on Oxford...

6 comments:

Kelly said...

Yikes! Get writing, girl. And a big congratulations is in order.

Michele said...

Thanks !

I need to get reading before I can get writing (although serious note-taking is in order ! I made a list of all the Tolkien biographical books I could think of (or find at the library) - there are 7 so far !!

Camille said...

Michele that is just great. How wonderful to be a part of this work!

Michele said...

Absolutely ! And the weird thing is that I knew nothing about it until August though the project has been running since some time last year - and I found out quite by accident when I wandered into the Blog of one of the co-editors (Michael Drout). I don't recall how I stumbled into his Blog, I was Google-searching something and the name (Wormtalk and Slugspeak) caught my eye ! The whole thing could have completely passed me by otherwise...

Anonymous said...

Hi Michele

I've been reading your posts on child_lit, and popped over to your blog.

Look forward to reading your pieces in the enyclopedia. I wrote the piece on children's lit and Tolkien, which was a real privilege. Now I have to live with the fear that I've messed it up terribly, and all the child_lit folk will come after me with axes.

Michele said...

Hi Pen

I confess I always get self-conscious when someone tells me they've been reading my posts - but it never lasts, fortunately !

I giggled - but in sympathy at your comment about being chased with axes... When I first got the email accepting my offer to do "Oxford" I was just excited, but after picking up the pile of Tolkien biographies at the library yesterday, I started wondering who on earth I thought I was to be doing this entry ! Having come late to the project, I've no definite info. but it seems to me it must be one of the longest entries in the Encyclopaedia - since it represents such a huge part of Tolkien's life... And I was thinking, "They're letting ME do it?!" Are they crazy ? Am I ? But then I do know I'm a little crazy (I think all writers are, to be honest...) Oh well, too late now - I'm committed ! I just worry that all Tolkien fans everywhere will come after me if I mess it up !