Shows
The Entmoot PodcastThe Gift of Men (w/ Ali Mirzabayati)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Ali Mirzabayati about death and mourning in Tolkien's work. Ali published his thesis Death as a Gift: A Heroic Celebration of Life in The Lord of the Rings in December 2024.Ali Mirzabayati is a scholar of medieval literature and modern fantasy, including Tolkien's legendarium.More Ali:Mourning and Melancholia in The Lord of the RingsSounds of Battle and Battle of Sounds: Belliphonic in TolkienBeowulf and Théoden: Differing Teaching Methods of Hrothgar and GandalfF...2025-08-101h 05The Entmoot PodcastMythic Capital (w/ Lee Konstantinou)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Lee Konstantinou about Tolkien's right-wing (or neo-reactionary) fans in Silicon Valley. Lee's essay Mythic Capital: How Tolkien is Whispering in the Ears of America's Most Powerful Men, is out now from Arc. Long-time listeners will know that this is our third time talking about this subject -- our first episode on the subject, from November 2022, can be found here, and our second, from July 2024 about then-VP nominee JD Vance, can be found here.Lee Konstantinou is a Professor of English at the University of Maryland whose writing...2025-07-211h 05The Entmoot PodcastNoldor LebensraumIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters 17 and 18 of the Quenta Silmarillion, including the coming of men into Beleriand, the death of Fingolfin, and Hurin and Huor's visit to Gondolin.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-07-0552 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Mismeasure of Orcs (w/ Robert Tally)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Robert Tally about his new book The Mismeasure of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment of Tolkien's Demonized Creatures, out now from McFarland Books.Robert Tally is a Professor of English at Texas State University. He's written extensively about Tolkien and Marxist literary criticism.More Rob:Representing Middle-earth: Tolkien, Form, and IdeologyJRR Tolkien's The Hobbit: A Critical CompanionLet Us Now Praise Famous Orcs: Simple Humanity in Tolkien's Inhuman CreaturesDemonizing The Enemy, Literally: Tolkien, Orcs, and...2025-06-192h 23The Entmoot PodcastAn Echo of an Echo (w/ Stephen Yandell)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Stephen Yandell about Beowulf and the many ways it inspired Tolkien.Steve Yandell is a medievalist and Tolkien scholar who has been a Professor of English at Xavier University since 2003. He regularly teaches courses on both Tolkien and medieval literature, including Beowulf.More Steve:"A Pattern Which Our Nature Cries Out For": The Medieval Tradition of the Ordered Four in the Fiction of J.R.R. TolkienCruising Faery: Queer Desire in Giles, Niggle, and SmithSelection from...2025-06-021h 32The Entmoot PodcastEöl The PaleIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters 15 and 16 of the Quenta Silmarillion, including the founding of Gondolin, Thingol's abolition of Quenya, and the tragic tale of Eöl, Beleriand's palest and weirdest elf.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienAlso mentioned:The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le GuinThe Summer Book - Tove JanssonButcher's Crossing - John WilliamsAlchemy is realLeave us a review! Send us an e...2025-05-1859 minThe Entmoot PodcastFemme Fandoms (w/ Robin Anne Reid)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Robin Reid about feminist and queer Tolkien scholarship and fandom.Robin Reid is a Tolkien scholar who was a professor of English at Texas A&M University until her retirement in 2020. She is currently working on a book that will be a feminist reception study of women and non-binary readers of Tolkien, with updates posted on her Substack here.More Robin:Women & Tolkien: Amazons, Valkyries, Feminists, and SlashersJ.R.R. Tolkien, Culture WarriorThrusts in the Dark...2025-04-251h 19The Entmoot PodcastCaranthir Always Takes His CutIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters 13 and 14 of the Quenta Silmarillion, including the death of Feanor, the reuniting of the Noldor, and a very long description of a map. To make "Of Beleriand and Its Realms" a bit easier to digest, here are a couple maps: this one by Tolkien himself, this "cleaner" one by Sirelle on DeviantArt, and this political map by u/tolkien_erklaert on Reddit.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienAlso mentioned:Atlas...2025-04-1059 minThe Entmoot PodcastSindar, Sun, SecondbornIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters 10, 11, and 12 of the Quenta Silmarillion, including King Thingol of the Sindar, the creation of the sun and moon, and the coming of men (finally).Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-03-2146 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe "Infernal" Combustion EngineIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's love of trees and the environment.Primary sources: The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyCurry - Defending Middle-EarthKocher - Master of Middle-EarthHull (Reactor Mag) - The Long Defeat: Reading Tolkien in the Time of Climate ChangeWikipedia - Environmentalism in The Lord of the RingsMore reading:Pope...2025-03-081h 27The Entmoot PodcastTolkien Against The Grain (w/ Gerry Canavan)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Gerry Canavan in a far-reaching conversation about loving Tolkien as leftists. Topics include Tolkien's racial politics, the political valences of science fiction and fantasy, Tolkien's abandoned Lord of the Rings sequel, and of course, Huan the talking dog.Gerry Canavan is the Chair of the English Department at Marquette University where he also teaches a class on Tolkien. His essays on Tolkien include Tolkien Against The Grain in the Winter 2025 issue of Dissent Magazine and The Eowyn Mystique, a review of the new animated film "The Lord...2025-02-111h 19The Entmoot PodcastState of the EstateIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the history of adaptation rights to Tolkien's work.Sources:The Tolkien Trust and their financesThe Times - Tolkien sold film rights to Lord of the rings to avoid taxmanJohn Boorman and Rospo Pallenberg - Screenplay for The Lord of the Rings (1970)The Guardian - The saddest story in rock (The Zaentz/Fogerty scandal)Dan Olson [VIDEO] - An Exhaustive History of Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the RingsOpen Culture - The 1985 Soviet TV Adaptation of...2025-01-2456 minThe Entmoot PodcastFëanor Takes The Red PillIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapter nine of the Quenta Silmarillion, including Feanor's ascendancy to Noldoran leader, the death of Ungoliant, and the First Kinslaying.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-01-1454 minThe Entmoot PodcastHarringtonIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam take a break from actually discussing Tolkien and instead do a deep investigation into the life and times of a certain Tolkien fan.Harrington - Brief reflections on the politics of DuneThe legendary Wikipedia articleCarolyn Gallaher -- After The PeaceThe Third Way (the "wills and bequests" page is here)Solidarity UnionGreat UK Products You Can BuyLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com!...2024-08-141h 10The Entmoot PodcastThe Hillbilly HobbitIn this EMERGENCY EPISODE, co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance's love of Tolkien. When the Entmoot Podcast wished for a Tolkien fan in the White House, the monkey's paw curled. This episode is a sequel to our 2022 episode Hard Right Hobbits, which you can find here.Sources:Adam Wren (Politico) - How Lord of the Rings Shaped JD Vance's PoliticsSimon van Zuylen-Wood (Washington Post) - The Radicalization of JD VanceSalvador Rodriguez (CNBC) - Why Silicon Valley is obsessed with 'The Lord of the Rings'2024-07-2331 minThe Entmoot PodcastStarbrowIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's 1967 novella Smith of Wootton Major.Primary sources: Smith of Wootton Major (PDF) | Tales From The Perilous Realm (includes SoWM as well as all of Tolkien's other "minor works") | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien | On Fairy Stories (PDF)Secondary sources:Kocher - Master of Middle-earth (out of print)Webb - The Lives of the Saints (contains KT's favorite version of the Voyage of St Brendan)Calvino - Invisible CitiesLeave us a review...2024-07-1454 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Hero of the CountrysideIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's 1949 comic short story Farmer Giles of Ham.Primary sources: Farmer Giles of Ham (PDF) | Tales From The Perilous Realm (includes FGoH as well as all of Tolkien's other "minor works") | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Kocher - Master of Middle-earth (out of print)Link to the Alan Lee illustration of Farmer Giles and his blunderbussLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on...2024-06-2457 minThe Entmoot PodcastOf Faerie and Fairies (Part 2)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's 1939 essay "On Fairy Stories." Part 2 of 2.Primary sources: On Fairy Stories (PDF) | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLe Guin - The DispossessedFor discussion of "Man and the Machine" in Tolkien's work: Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common GoodLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted...2024-03-0148 minThe Entmoot PodcastOf Faerie and Fairies (Part 1)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's 1939 essay "On Fairy Stories." Part 1 of 2.Primary sources: On Fairy Stories (PDF) | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyFor discussion of Tolkien and race/culture: Mills - The Wretched of Middle-Earth: An Orkish ManifestoFor discussion of Tolkien's arguments with Christopher Wiseman: Garth - Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-EarthFor discussion of "Man and the...2024-02-161h 05The Entmoot PodcastA Mere IndividualIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's experience fighting in World War I and the ways it informed his worldview.Primary sources: The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien | The Fall of GondolinSecondary sources:Garth - Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-EarthGarth - The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places That Inspired Middle-EarthCarpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLoconte (for NYTimes) - How J.R...2023-11-151h 08The Entmoot PodcastAnd Melkor Was AfraidIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters seven and eight of the Quenta Silmarillion, including Feanor's creation of the Silmarils, Melkor's first plot to steal the Silmarils, Feanor's exile from Valmar, and Melkor's destruction of the Trees.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...2023-10-1255 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Orkish Problem (Part 2)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam continue their discussion of a posthumously published essay by Charles W. Mills on the subject of race and racism in Lord of the Rings. Part 2 of 2.Primary sources: The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Mills - The Wretched of Middle-Earth: An Orkish Manifesto | Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyFurther reading:Mills - The Racial ContractJamelle Bouie for NY Times - obituary for...2023-08-1652 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Orkish Problem (Part 1)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss a posthumously published essay by Charles W. Mills on the subject of race and racism in Lord of the Rings. Part 1 of 2.Primary sources: The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Mills - The Wretched of Middle-Earth: An Orkish Manifesto | Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyFurther reading:Mills - The Racial ContractJamelle Bouie for NY Times - obituary for Mills...2023-07-1648 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Quendi Have Fun And Let Go A LittleIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters three, four, and five of The Silmarillion, including the origin story of the Elves.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyMentioned in this episode:A helpful diagram of the Elven "family tree" | Price - Children of Ash and ElmLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com!...2023-06-2753 minThe Entmoot PodcastAulë and the Seven DwarvesIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss chapters one and two of the Quenta Silmarillion, including the creation of the Trees and the origins of the dwarves.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-04-2042 minThe Entmoot PodcastA Surrogate For The RevolutionIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss leftist interpretations of Tolkien's work, and take some detours along the way.Primary sources: The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Landa - Slaves of the Ring: Tolkien's Political UnconsciousCurry - Defending Middle-Earth: Tolkien: Myth and ModernityJameson - The Political Unconscious: Narrative As A Socially Symbolic ActCarpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography2023-03-2551 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe Powers of ArdaIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the Valaquenta, our formal introduction to the Valar and the Maiar.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-02-1144 minThe Entmoot PodcastMusic of the AinurIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the Ainulindalë, the creation myth of Tolkien's universe.Primary sources: The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-01-2854 minThe Entmoot PodcastHard Right HobbitsIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the hard right's obsession with Tolkien, particularly through the figures of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and tech financier Peter Thiel.Sources: Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy's New Leader -- Jason Horowitz, New York TimesOf Hobbits and Tigers: The Unlikely Heroes of Italy's Radical Right -- Tobias Hof, Fair ObserverHow 'Hobbit Camps' Rebirthed Italian Fascism -- John Last, Atlas ObscuraIn Italy's Deserted Democracy, Far-Right Giorgia Meloni Has Emerged Victorious -- David Broder, Jacobin2022-11-2648 minThe Entmoot PodcastMaking Tolkien A Neocon (Part 2)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss The Hobbit Party by Jonathan Witt and Jay W. Richards, and slightly lose their minds in the process. Part 2 of 2.Primary sources: Witt/Richards - The Hobbit Party | The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The SilmarillionSecondary sources: Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography | Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common Good | Konczal - Freedom From The Market | Graeber - The Dawn of Everything (for discussion of state-created markets) | Belloc - The Servile State | more on Malthusianism...2022-11-1259 minThe Entmoot PodcastMaking Tolkien A Neocon (Part 1)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss The Hobbit Party by Jonathan Witt and Jay W. Richards. Part 1 of 2.Primary sources: Witt/Richards - The Hobbit Party | The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The SilmarillionSecondary sources: Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography | Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common Good | Dreher - Crunchy Cons | Jay's Twitter | Jonathan's TwitterLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...2022-10-2949 minThe Entmoot PodcastSex and the SilmarilsIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss sex and sexuality across Tolkien's legendarium, particularly in the story of Beren and Luthien. Please be advised that this episode contains non-graphic discussion of sexual assault.Primary sources: Beren and Luthien (contains all verse read on the show) | The Lays of Beleriand (contains the full text of The Lay of Leithian) | The Silmarillion | The Lord of the Rings | The Letters of J.R.R. TolkienSecondary sources:Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyLeave us a review...2022-10-1555 minThe Entmoot PodcastFrodo Lives! (w/ Maurice Isserman)In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the influence of The Lord of the Rings on the 1960s counterculture. Later, Maurice Isserman, the Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of American History at Hamilton College, talks with Kenny about his own experience discovering The Lord of the Rings and what it meant to the subculture that he belonged to.Maurice's latest book is The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America's Elite Alpine Warriors, out now in paperback from Mariner Books.Also by Maurice Isserman:Continental Divide...2022-10-0148 minThe Entmoot PodcastMob Rule in Middle-earthIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss formal democratic institutions (or lack thereof) across Tolkien's legendarium.Primary sources: The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien |Secondary sources: Nardi - Political Institutions in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth | Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography | Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common Good | Fonstad - The Atlas of Middle-Earth | Wills - Lincoln At GettysburgLeave us a review! Send...2022-09-1751 minThe Entmoot PodcastOf DistributismIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the economic philosophy of distributism and how it influences Tolkien's depiction of life in The Shire.Primary sources: The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien | Rerum Novarum | Quadragesimo AnnoSecondary sources: Imbert - Tolkien's Shire | Nardi - Political Institutions in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth | Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography | Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common GoodLeave us a review! Send us an...2022-09-0350 minThe Entmoot PodcastThe ProfessorIn which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien.Primary sources: The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings | The Silmarillion | Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth | The Children of Hurin | Beren and Luthien | The Fall of Gondolin | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien |Secondary sources: Carpenter - J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography | Hren - Middle-earth and the Return of the Common GoodLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted...2022-08-201h 16