Are you a Tolkien fan and want to be part of Marquette University’s Tolkien fandom oral history project? Here’s the deal:

Marquette University has one of the most impressive collections of Tolkien writing and materials in the world (including the original hand-written manuscripts of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit!). Luckily, I happen to work within a stone’s throw of this magnificent collection.

The archivist for the Special Collections and University Archives, Bill Fliss, is spearheading a new project that seeks to compile an oral history of Tolkien fans’ testimony on why they find the Professor so captivating (interviews are limited to three minutes). They’re looking to collect “6,000 audio interviews, one for each of the Riders of Rohan that Théoden mustered and led to the aid of Gondor.” (Yes, it’s geeky, but delightful too!) My interview was just posted, and was lots of fun to prep for and do. Very low pressure!

If you’re in the Milwaukee area, you can contact the Archive to set up a time to come in, or if you’re elsewhere, you can give your interview remotely as well.

Wæs þu hal!