How do ya get a degree in Tolkienology?

[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

If you're real lucky, you'll end up teaching English language and lit at another college, and maybe even make tenure. You'll never get rich, but you'll have your summers off, plus winter break and such, and maybe even get a sabbatical every now and then when you can run off to someplace like Marquette University and study JRRT's writings in manuscript.

Oh don't tempt me. I'm all set for direction in grad school, finally... *shivers with delight* but that's very tempting.

A love for Tolkien can inspire one to pursue many different avenues, such as literature, mythology (very scanty, though, at the graduate level), psychology, philosophy, theology, archeology, cultural anthropology, or (like me) medieval studies, to name just a few. All of these fields are rich and diverse, and well worth thorough research and new breakthroughs, and Tolkien can be the vehicle that brings one to these realms.

This is better! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] *sighs with relief* Thanks.

The material is there; honestly, it is an embarassment of wealth. So, prospective Tolkien majors: Pick your specialty (I will unblushingly state that I chose Frodo as my specialty, but the possibilities are numerous), get into the Book archves, and have at it.

(You have come to a Well. Drink deep.)

That's an amazing thought, Helen. I'll do my Tolkien degree here too. Field of study? Hm, perhaps Valinorean Studies. Lore of Aman. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Sophia