John McQuillen's guest appearances

John McQuillen

The Catholic Culture Podcast

Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

Donald Trump

Alex Gibney

Ray Isle

David Gordon

Karen Cooper

Ann McElhinney

Marc Lamont Hill

Randy Shaw

Walt Whitman

Caitlin Zaloom

Grace Lee

Sarah Parcak

James Wilson

Orson Welles

Ryan Wilson

OwlTail

Holly Ordway

While Tolkien’s brilliance as a world-builder and storyteller is well-established, fewer people are aware of just how unique (and obsessive) his creative process was, or that he was a gifted visual artist. That is changing thanks to an unprecedented exhibition of Tolkien’s personal items, manuscripts and artworks, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth, currently on display at the Morgan Library in Manhattan. John McQuillen, Assistant Curator at the Morgan Library, and Holly Ordway, author of the upcoming study Tolkien’s Modern Sources, join me to discuss the exhibition, which sheds light on Tolkien’s use of visual art to help him solidify his literary vision, the role his stories and artworks played in his family life, and (perhaps surprising to many who view Tolkien as a conservative fuddy-duddy) his willingness to draw on an eclectic range of sources, including distinctly modern ones, to enhance his creative expression.   Links Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth at the Morgan (view selected images from the exhibition) https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tolkien The exhibition book, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth by Catherine McIlwaine  https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859 Holly Ordway http://www.hollyordway.com/ Sheen Center for Thought &amp; Culture https://www.sheencenter.org/ Past Tolkien-related episodes Episode 15: Online Education with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=15 Episode 16: Extremely Specific Middle-earth Q&amp;A with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=16 This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

While Tolkien’s brilliance as a world-builder and storyteller is well-established, fewer people are aware of just how unique (and obsessive) his creative process was, or that he was a gifted visual artist. That is changing thanks to an unprecedented exhibition of Tolkien’s personal items, manuscripts and artworks, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth, currently on display at the Morgan Library in Manhattan. John McQuillen, Assistant Curator at the Morgan Library, and Holly Ordway, author of the upcoming study Tolkien’s Modern Sources, join me to discuss the exhibition, which sheds light on Tolkien’s use of visual art to help him solidify his literary vision, the role his stories and artworks played in his family life, and (perhaps surprising to many who view Tolkien as a conservative fuddy-duddy) his willingness to draw on an eclectic range of sources, including distinctly modern ones, to enhance his creative expression. Links Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth at the Morgan (view selected images from the exhibition) <a href="https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tolkien" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tolkien</a> The exhibition book, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth by Catherine McIlwaine <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859</a> Holly Ordway <a href="http://www.hollyordway.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.hollyordway.com/</a> Sheen Center for Thought &amp; Culture <a href="https://www.sheencenter.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sheencenter.org/</a> Past Tolkien-related episodes Episode 15: Online Education with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=15</a> Episode 16: Extremely Specific Middle-earth Q&amp;A with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=16</a> This podcast is a production of <a href="http://CatholicCulture.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CatholicCulture.org</a>. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! <a href="http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio</a>

Episode 30--What Tolkien's Visual Art Tells Us About His Creative Mind--John McQuillen and Holly Ordway

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” With these 10 words, the Oxford professor J.R.R. Tolkien ignited a fervid spark in generations of readers. From the children’s classic “The Hobbit” to the epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien’s adventurous tales of hobbits and elves, dwarves and wizards have introduced millions to the rich history of Middle-earth, the world of his own creation. The Morgan Library &amp; Museum’s new exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth celebrates the man and his creation. The most extensive public display of original Tolkien material for several generations, the show will include family photographs and memorabilia, Tolkien’s original illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts, and designs related to “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarillion.” In this edition of “Leonard Lopate at Large,” assistant curator of printed books and bindings at the Morgan Library John McQuillen discusses the work on display that makes this show critical viewing for any true Tolkien fan.

John McQuillen talks about the history behind a new Tolkien show at the Morgan Museum. (2/12/19)