My friend and neighbor has a new book out today: Orthodox Saints of Wales

It’s sometimes said that Tolkien had no “magical system” underlying LOTR. This post makes a good argument that there is one, albeit more subtle than most.

A new Port William novel by Wendell Berry is coming this year! If you do order it, consider ordering it through the Berry Center and support the good work they’re doing there. Also, I’ve just realized I didn’t write about my visit there last week. I’ll fix that soon. 📚

Pretty excited about this one. I started reading it online through the university library just to get a taste, and within five pages decided I had to buy it and put aside everything else I’m reading until I’m through it.

Lovers of Tolkien’s legendarium: the YouTube channel In Deep Geek is worth your time.

Finished reading Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke. Thanks to @toddgrotenhuis for mentioning it. The lesson that will stay with me is that a relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain–and not only metaphorically. In fact, we may have to sometimes embrace pain as a way to reset a healthy balance.

I’m on the road today—driving from Salem to Paoli to French Lick to Loogootee, looking for old tools in junk shops and flea markets. Listening to the Why We Drive audiobook, appropriately enough.

Wow! Testimony of Paul Robeson before HUAC in 1956. Audio is a reenactment by James Earl Jones but the words are from the hearing itself. More about Paul Robeson.

Finished reading Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookshop and Ajax Penumbra 1969, both by Robin Sloan. I’ve read his newsletter for a while so I figured it was time to start catching up on his books, especially with a new one coming out this year. Sourdough and its associated novella are next.

Tom Shippey’s marvelous exposition of Tolkien’s Ringwraiths.