Welcome to Jokien with Tolkien

Learn more about this newsletter here

Mae govannen!

Welcome to Jokien with Tolkien, where we’ll explore Middle-earth together! Along the way we’ll hope to find:

• Laughs—I love to make humorous connections between topics of all kinds and the works of JRR Tolkien. This can take the form of short sketches, memes, jokes, and more!

• Lore—whether you’re a newcomer to the Tolkien fandom or you know the difference between Quenya and Sindarin and could name the three unions of the Eldar and the Edain, we’ll explore the events of Middle-earth together and hopefully all learn something new along the way.

• Fellowship—be part of something greater than yourself by participating in this community of Tolkien fans!

Want to get familiar with Jokien with Tolkien? Here are a few of my most popular newsletters:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Bicker Over Fantasy

I’ve done multiple short humorous skits between Tolkien and Lewis in the newsletter! This one is the first, where I juxtaposed the two authors’ approaches to worldbuilding and fantasy.

2. How Tolkien's Concept of 'Eucatastrophe' Connects Easter With All Other Fairy-Stories

In this essay I explored Tolkien’s concept of “eucatastrophe” and how it links fairy-stories and Easter.

3. 🧙‍♂️🖥️ Gandalf Attempts to Access his Account on Moria.net

A humorous reimagining of Gandalf attempting to enter Moria…dot net

4. Wounds That Cannot Be Wholly Cured

My most popular newsletter to date was also my most personal. At the beginning of 2023 my youngest brother died. I wrote this newsletter a few months later and shared some thoughts on Tolkien’s depiction of grief and loss in The Return of the King and how these truths about loss and healing might help and encourage us today.

5. 10 Reasons The Lord of the Rings is a Christmas Movie

A Jokien with Tolkien classic. Not sure LOTR is a Christmas movie? Or convinced it is but can’t quite nail down why? Read on!

6. Sanctuary and Shelter in The House of Elrond

Elrond’s story is one of hope amidst and in spite of profound loss. In this newsletter I reflected on Rivendell and what it (and Elrond himself) have to teach us about perseverance and hope.

Looking forward to continuing to explore Middle-earth together!

Thanks for joining for the adventure,
J.R.R. Jokien