Almanac of Story Tellers: J.R.R. Tolkien

  Every day brings a new story.  And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books. 

Today is the story of January 3rd.

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    It is the third day of the year, leaving 362 days remaining in 2022. 

    In this date in 1892, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, now part of South Africa. Tolkien moved to Birmingham, England, as a child, 

    He became world famous for four of the books and stories that he wrote, The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

    When The Hobbit was published in 1937, with accompanying drawings by Tolkien, it was so popular that the publisher asked for a sequel. The result, completed over the next 17 years and published in 1964-55, was the triolgy -- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. It was always meant to be a single book, but its publisher thought it too long and unwieldy, and turned it into three.

    In between, Tolkien wrote and published other short stories of medieval tales and fantasy -- a genre he didn't invent, but helped to bring in prominence so much that he was called the father of modern fantasy writing.

    The Lord of the Rings triolgy was a modern version of the epic heroic saga. Some of The Hobbit's world was a part of the story, including the magic ring. The trilogy gave an entire history of another world called Middle Earth, where elves, drawves, orcs, and humans lived.

    It was immediately popular throughout the English-speaking world. It has sold some 50 million copies since it was published, and several polls and critics called it the best writing of the 20th Century. Its acclaim exploded after Australian director Peter Jackson released a film version starting in 2001.

    Tolkien wrote and published dozens of other tales during his lifetime. More were published after his death, including The Silmarillion, a compilation of tales and history of Middle Earth, compiled by his son, Christopher.

    In addition, Tolkien was a university professor, where he studied languages, including Old Norse, Old English, and Middle English. He translated a version of Beowulf. He also created his own languages, particularly for use in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

    Tolkien died on Sept. 2, 1983, at his home in England.