TJ West

Reading “The Simarillion” Part One

C.S. Lewis once remarked of The Lord of the Rings that: “Here are beauties which pierce like swords…
Who Owns Tolkien?

In case you missed it, Peter Jackson recently announced that, unless the Tolkien Estate grants permission…
Tolkien and the Political Pleasures of Sadness

One of the things that always stands out to me upon reading Tolkien’s work, whether that…
Get your Hands off my Boobs: Mansplaining and (Gay) Male Privilege

Originally posted on Metathesis: In my previous blog posts, I sought to demonstrate the way in…
Why Blog About Tolkien?

When I first decided to devote the entire month of December (and, obviously, the latter part…
Re-Reading “Harry Potter”–“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

Well, it’s been quite some time since I shared my thoughts on the Potterverse, but with…
Teaching Outrage

In my course on reading popular culture, I spend several weeks teaching students how to discern…
Leave your Message, not your Trash

Originally posted on Metathesis: On a frigid yet sunny day in January 2014, I happened to…
Review: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition”

Given that the release date for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is now less than…
Unruly Instruction: Pedagogy, Feminism, and the Unruly Woman

Originally posted on Metathesis: Hello world! It is a pleasure to be the blogger this month…