Week 1
W. Jan. 18 - Meet Prof. Tolkien - biography and fantasy. The word that started it all: Earendel.
F. Jan. 20 - Fantasy framework. Read Tolkien's letter on the framework of his fantasy, and also introductory material on his life from The Annotated Hobbit.
M. Jan. 23 - Fantasy, memory and "deep dreaming." Read selections by Tolkien from The Notion Club Papers, "The Cottage of Lost Play," and poem; accompanying reading guide will provide background.
W. Jan. 25 - Tolkien's cosmology compared with modern scientific cosmology. Read Ainulindalė and Valaquenta, and selections from Cosmology and James Watson. First blogging due by 9 a.m.
F. Jan 27 - Tolkien as writer. Tree and Leaf Week 3
M. Jan. 30 - The Hobbit, chapters 1-3, and Guy Davenport essay. Second blogging due by 10 a.m.
W. Feb. 1 - The Hobbit, chapters 4-7
F. Feb. 3 - The Hobbit, chapters 8-9, excerpts from Beowulf essay. Week 4
M. Feb. 6 - The Hobbit, chapters 10-11, Holmes essay from TMMA. Third blogging due by 10 a.m.
W. Feb. 8 - The Hobbit, chapters 12-15.
Fri. Feb. 10 - The Hobbit, chapters 16-19. Week 5
M. Feb. 13 - The Silmarillion. Fourth blogging due by 10 a.m.
W. Feb. 15 - The Silmarillion. Nagy essay.
F. Feb. 17 - The Silmarillion. Week 6
M. Feb. 20 - The Lord of the Rings, Book 1. Fifth blogging due by 10 a.m.
W. Feb. 22 - LOTR 1. Siewers essay.
F. Feb. 24 - LOTR 1. Week 7
M. Feb. 27 - LOTR 2.
W. Mar. 1 - LOTR 2. Email draft thesis of first essay due by 10 a.m.; conferences on first essay during tutorial times
F. Mar. 3 - LOTR 2. Dawson essay. Week 8
M. Mar. 6 - LOTR 3.
W. Mar. 8 - LOTR 3.
F. Mar. 10 - LOTR 3. Draft of first essay due. Final essay options assigned. SPRING BREAK Week 9
M. Mar. 20 - LOTR 4.Two Towers essay (National Review on-line)
W. Mar. 22 - LOTR 4. Hunter essay. Fifth blogging due.
F. Mar. 24 - LOTR 4. Week 10
M. Mar. 27 - LOTR 5. Final version of first essay due.
W. Mar. 29 - LOTR 6. McFadden essay.
F. April Fool's Day. LOTR 6. Long Essay Week 11
M. April 3 - LOTR 6. Chance essay.
W. April 5 - LOTR 6.Email draft thesis of final essay due; conferences during tutorial times.
F. April 7 - LOTR 6. Scoville essay Week 12
M. April 10 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Pullman essay.
W. April 12 - LWW.
F. April 14 - LWW. Draft final essay due. Week 13
M. April 17 - The Magician's Nephew selections.
W. April 19 - Prince Caspian selections. Sixth blogging due (no tutorials).
F. April 21 - Shadowlands showing. Week 14
M. April 24 - A Wrinkle in Time. L'Engle preface to Narnia Companion. Quantum mechanics/tesseract selections. Seventh blogging due. Tutorials on Lewis blogs.
W. April 26 - A Wrinkle in Time.
F. April 28 - A Wrinkle in Time.
M. May 1 - War for the Oaks selection. Final blogging and farewells. M. May 8 - Final essays due by 10 a.m.