Anthropomorphic Bear Movement: Paddington the Bear

A friend showed me something really great a couple of days ago.

Perhaps some of you may remember an old show that used to be on Nickelodeon in the 1980s called Paddington the Bear.  It was a British child's show that Nickelodeon used in the days when it still had to draw a lot of programming material from Across the Pond.

It seems that a new movie about Paddington the Bear is coming out this winter.  I must say, as I observe the movements of this bear in the previews, I am able to more clearly visualize the movements of the bears who meet and travel with Bovodar.  I suppose if my Bovodar stories ever get made into film, I'd probably go with this special effects company.

Two Years Writing Bovodar and the Dragons

My work on the first draft of Bovodar and the Dragons continues.  I suppose I'm one of those traditional cases where a man comes home from work and struggles to write what he can when he can in his off hours.  I have a growing family and a job that sometimes asks for an extra shift from me every other week.  So, the high-minded pursuit of writing is often put to the side.


In any event, Bovodar and the Dragons continues.  I would say that I am about three fifths finished with the first draft.  Already, the length of this work has exceeded the word count of the first book, but length is not my goal in this new story.  The characters have become more developed, and there are more details about the relationships between Bovodar and his bear friends.  More characters have appeared in this book than I expected, and we even get to learn more about the Wolf King and the world that Bovodar inhabits--its power structures, its geography, and some of its history.  

At this point, Bovodar has encountered two dragons.  Ironically, even though this sequel is titled Bovodar and the Dragons, he will actually encounter far more in the third book of the trilogy: Bovodar and the Wolf.  

So, this second book is taking longer than I had intended.  I am now approaching the end of year two for this book.  I do realize there are other writers out there who throw together novels within a month's time, but then again, writing is not my career...yet.

Is Tolkien Gnostic?

I have recently been made aware of a Catholic priest who contends that J.R.R. Tolkien's series about Middle Earth is gnostic and bad.

I couldn't believe it!

Catholics love Tolkien, and we typically hold on to him as our standard bearer for Catholic literature.  So to hear a priest comment about the non-Catholic spin in Tolkien's approach to Middle Earth was overwhelming for me.

There are two lectures over an hour long each:


http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20140128-Fantasy-Tolkien-and-Mystic-Flight-part-1.html

http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20140128-Fantasy-Tolkien-and-Mystic-Flight-part-2.html

There is also this transcript, in case it is easier to just read what this anonymous priest had to say:

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-fantasy-writing-of-tolkien-was.html

The priest sounds sort of whiny at times, and he can come off as annoying and condescending when it comes to the tone of his voice.  But there is a lot of content in his words, which I have tried to focus on.

I have also discovered that someone tried to write a condensed summary of the first lecture.  The highlights are as follows:

- WELL-INTENTIONED PEOPLE [CAN LOOK] FOR ANSWERS IN THE WRONG PLACES

- TOLKIEN HATES ALLEGORY

- TOLKIEN EMBRACES MYTH, BUT THE CHURCH DESPISES MYTH

- FRUITS OF TOLKIEN'S SERIES [ARE NOT THAT GREAT]

- TOLKIEN'S WORLD "ARDA" HAS A GNOSTIC CREATION

- TOLKIEN'S ANCIENT HISTORY OF ARDA LENDS ITSELF TO EVOLUTION AND PAGANISM

- TOLKIEN DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT DEATH IS

- TOLKIEN'S MAGIC IS HORIZONTAL, NOT VERTICAL

Could this priest be true in his warnings against the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion?  His presentation goes against a lot of my sensibilities as a Catholic reader.  But perhaps I am only reacting against the priest in this way because I love the Lord of the Rings so much?

It is hard to tell.

Happy Birthday to J.R.R. Tolkien!

Today, let us remember the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien, whose work continues to inspire us to this day, one hundred and twenty-two years after his birth.

On the 3^rd January 1892 JRR Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. To celebrate this event, on this day each year Tolkien fans around the world were invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this much loved author 21:00 (9 pm) your local time.

The toast is "The Professor".

For those unfamiliar with British toast-drinking ceremonies:

To make the Birthday Toast, you stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words 'The Professor' before taking a sip (or swig, if that's more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.

These instructions, and further information about this legendary writer can be found at The Tolkien Society's home webpage.


Cheers!