Podcast
Words Do Things
Hosted by Sørina Higgins · EN
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words... can really hurt you. Join Dr. Sørina Higgins and guests to think about the powers and limits of language. Are words magical? Can they actually effect change? Why do people weaponize them? Can we shift our use of public rhetoric? What have great authors believed about the relationship between writing and the divine? How can you become a more powerful and effective writer?
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
On the Naming of Stars: Kristine Larsen Takes Tolkien to Outer Space
6d ago00:58:30Tap to summarizeAstronomer Kristine Larsen takes Elvish English in a different direction: To outer space! She and Sørina talk about how mythology makes constellations, about the origins of the moon, and about the aurora borealis JRRT saw in the skies over Oxford. Dr. Larsen shares about how objects in space get named: Can you guess which ones must be named after Tolkien characters? And as if celestial bodies aren’t enough, they also explore cosmology and the apocalypse: the beginning and the ending of Middle-earth. #Tolkien #Middleearth #LordoftheRings #astronomy #science #stars #geeks #geek culture #Eärendil Here’s Dr. Larsen’s faculty page: https://www.ccsu.edu/person/kristine-larsen. Here’s Kristine’s Tolkien Gateway profile: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Kristine_Larsen. If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle: https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina. If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/. If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins.
Transcribe →"We Need Dictionaries": Simon Horobin
2w ago01:03:56Tap to summarizeSørina gets to talk to Dr. Simon Horobin, Professor of English Language & Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. In one of the most scholarly episodes in the series, they discuss what C. S. Lewis did in his day job and what he thought of modern literature, how Lewis encouraged Tolkien, and what the job of a philologist is. Prof. Horobin describes Tolkien’s work at the Oxford English Dictionary. They speculate whether spelling is becoming more or less standardized, survey the current Oxford English syllabus, and dig into meaningful metaphors. #Tolkien #CSLewis #LordoftheRings #language #literature #fantasy #linguistics #philology #Oxford #English #books #dictionary #dictionaries #OED #OxfordEnglishDictionary #translation Professor Horobin’s Oxford Faculty Page: https://www.english.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-simon-horobin Professor Horobin’s Magdalen College Faculty Page: https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-simon-horobin/ Simon’s books on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/152360.Simon_Horobin If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
Transcribe →Tolkienian Humor: Rebecca Davis-Lock & Arthur Harrow
3w ago01:03:14Tap to summarize(In)famous Tolkien punsters Dr. Rebecca Davis-Lock and Arthur Harrow, MD, join Sørina to talk about (and make) Tolkien-related jokes. They discuss what kinds of laughter Tolkien's writing evokes, what's the purpose of humor, and how the fandom has gone to town in creating Middle-earth amusements.
Transcribe →Knewbettadobetta: Did Tolkien Write Hip-Hop?
4w ago01:06:14Tap to summarizeTikTok star Knewbettadobetta (Willie Jenkins) talks to Sørina about Tolkien’s special power of creating a sense of depth through the withheld image. Then he compares Tolkien’s highly rhythmical, alliterative writing style to the virtuosic poetry of today’s hip-hop stars. They lament the political and ideological appropriation of Tolkien by ill-intentioned fans and celebrate ways the lore of Middle-earth brings people together. Knewbettadobetta on TikTok Knewbettadobetta on YouTube Knewbettadobetta on Instagram Knewbettadobetta on Patreon Voices of Arda Podcast If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor If you want more thoughts on politics and religion, subscribe to my Substack
Transcribe →Tolkien vs the Robots: Jason Fisher
Jul 501:12:04Tap to summarizeWas Eowyn a tradwife?! This episode tackles a triad of topics: Tolkien and source criticism, Tolkien and AI, Tolkien and politics. Filled with some of the most beautiful poetry recitations of the series and packed with both technical details and inspiring insights, this talk between Jason Fisher and Sørina Higgins dips into the cauldron of stories, coming up with rich and delicious details—and also denouncing big tech companies who appropriate names from Middle-earth while opposing Tolkien’s ethics. It ends with a thoughtful examination of why people from opposite religious and political positions all claim Tolkien as their own. #tolkien #lordoftherings #literature #books #fantasy #reading #rhetoric #languages #language #fairies #faeries #myths #myth #mythology #politics #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #generativeAI #LLM #palantir #anduril Jason’s blog: https://lingwe.blogspot.com/ Jason Fisher on Tolkien Gateway: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Jason_Fisher If you like my work, please support me by joining my Author’s Circle: https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ If you want thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
Transcribe →"Read Old Books!" says Larry Swain
Jun 2801:01:23Tap to summarizeIn which the host talks far too much (ahem!), but the guest—when allowed to get a word in edgewise—gives great insights into the teaching of classic literature. We need to read old books, he says, for their sheer beauty and for their themes, which we badly need today. The same goes for the works of Tolkien, and Larry and Sørina work through the complexities of how “the long defeat” and “eucatastrophe” are both true. #tolkien #lordoftherings #literature #books #fantasy #reading #rhetoric #languages #language #myths #myth #mythology #theology #heaven #eucatastrophe Dr. Larry Swain’s profile at Bemidji State University: https://www.bemidjistate.edu/directory/facstaff/larry-swain/ Larry’s profile at Signum University: https://signumuniversity.org/people/larry-swain/ If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
Transcribe →War & Peace with John Garth
Jun 2100:57:56Tap to summarizeThe award-winning author of Tolkien & The Great War and several other books on Tolkien joins Sørina to talk about John Ronald’s war experience, the relationship between trauma and silence, what’s wrong with generative AI, and more. John Garth’s website: https://johngarth.co.uk/ John’s fundraising page: https://steady.page/en/john-garth-on-tolkiens-life-and-works/about John’s blog: https://johngarth.wordpress.com/ If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author’s Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
Transcribe →Did Tolkien Believe in Faeries? with Janet Brennan Croft and David L. Emerson
Jun 1401:21:11Tap to summarizeThat’s not the only topic we discuss! Sørina gets her clearest answer yet about the relationship among consciousness, language, and mythology, and Janet solves the mystery of animal sentience! They dive into the history of Tolkien’s fame and what he’s done for the fantasy genre, and they close with a look at how The Lord of the Rings applies to their situation living in Minneapolis at the height of ICE activity and citizen response. Janet on Tolkien Gateway: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Janet_Brennan_Croft David on Tolkienists: https://tolkienists.org/david-l-emerson/ If you like my work, please support me by joining my Author’s Circle: https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ If you want thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
Transcribe →Malcolm Guite: "Camelot Against Barbarism"
Jun 701:15:37Tap to summarizePlease welcome my friend & hero, “the world’s least likely influencer”; poet, priest, rock-n-roller; the #1 best-selling poet in the world: Malcolm Guite! In his inimitable, inspiring fashion, the Rev. Dr. tells tales to delight the mind and the ear, praising the beauties of rhyme and meter, eschewing irony. He rhapsodizes about Tolkien’s prophetic power and genuine magic to speak worlds into being. As a special gift to listeners, he reads the entirety of his evocative--and invocational--poem “Spell.” Order Galahad and the Grail here—once they print more copies! Follow Malcolm’s YouTube channel, “A Spell in the Library.” Here’s his website. If you like my work, please support me by joining my Author’s Circle. If you’re a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor or Writing Coach. If you want thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack.
Transcribe →"Spa Day for the Mind" with the Lord of the Mark and the Man of the West!
May 3101:26:42Tap to summarizeShawn Marchese & Alan Sisto talk Tolkien! The Prancing Pony Guys get back together for this delightful conversation about phonetic fitness, word nerdery, linguistic beauty, and personal delight in the Legendarium. What’s your favorite moment in the show? Please share! * Be sure to subscribe to The Prancing Pony Podcast if you don't already! https://theprancingponypodcast.com/ * Follow Prancing Pony Productions for all Alan's content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJvdkW6YasPhksZnPFfLZw. * Subscribe to Shawn's substack: https://substack.com/@shawnemarchese. * Buy a copy of Alan & Shawn's book, Why We Love Middle-earth, wherever fine books are sold (buy local! choose used!). * If you like this work, please support it by joining my Author's Circle https://buymeacoffee.com/higginssorina * If you're a writer, hire me as your Consulting Editor: https://wyrdhoard.com/ * If you want more thoughts on politics, subscribe to my Substack: https://substack.com/@sorinahiggins
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