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to mystic institute.org. And I would like to actually start by focusing on two quotations,

one from Tolkien himself and another from one of the best and deepest readers of Tolkien, the late

Stratford Caldecott, who I had the gift to know and from whom

I learned so much about not only Tolkien's vision, but also his enduring contributions for our time.

And if you'd like, in the question period, I'm also very happy to recommend books.

And the first person I would suggest as a resource for you would be Stratford Taldecott on his work on Tolkien,

as well as Beppe Pizzini, who has just published a book on Tolkien's Aesthetics with Cambridge University Press.

So here are the two quotes I would like to start with.

First, this is a quotation from Tolkien in his later life within the last few years

of his life. And it's a brief but telling admission. And it's from a letter to his publisher.

He was talking to his publisher about the fact that for a time due to an injury, he wasn't able to use his right arm.

And he found this deeply painful because it meant he couldn't write.

And for him, writing was life and life was biting.

He says, I found not being able to use a pen or pencil

as defeating as the loss of her beak would be to a hen.

And then there's another quotation I would like to share with you,

and then I'll talk about why I'm starting off this way.

So this is an introduction to Tolkien as a thinker,

...