Welcome!
Tolkien's Office
On this website (and through my podcast feed on iTunes), I will be posting many different kinds of material, mostly in the form of digital audio files. The heart of my work on this site is my extended, in-depth lecture series on Tolkien's major works, but I have also provided several methods through which we can enter into a more interactive conversation. All of my recorded material is completely free; I hope you have as much fun listening to them as I have making them!
My name is Corey Olsen. I am a tenured English professor at Washington College and a PhD in medieval literature, and I have been a student of Tolkien's works for as long as I can remember.

I have become increasingly frustrated with the
separation between academics and general readers,
and I am determined to come out of the cloister and
spend my own career sharing my scholarly work
with the public. I founded this website because I
wanted to connect with other people who are eager
to be included in a thoughtful literary conversation
about the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Since I launched
this site in July 2009, listeners have downloaded
more than 1,200,000 of my lectures.

If you are interested in joining me on a rich and exciting exploration of Tolkien’s stories, then…
Click friend, and enter!
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Recently Posted Material
Stay in touch with the Tolkien Professor:
Questions? Comments? Email me at olsen@tolkienprofessor.com, or check out
the Discussion Board.

TP in the news!
In the second week of February, the Washington Post ran a very flattering story about me and my podcast, written by Post reporter Daniel DeVise. You can check out the article, a live text chat, and a FAQ quiz that I did with the Post.

The Minstrel, The Painter, and The Scholar
A Roundtable Disussion with John DiBartolo, Ted Nasmith, and Corey Olsen
In November 2010, John DiBartolo (musician and songwriter with The Lonely Mountain Band), Ted Nasmith (world-famous painter and Tolkien illustrator), and I got together by Skype to talk about our work and our different approaches to interpreting Tolkien's work. We also answered together a number of questions from listeners and fans. The recording will be released in three parts: I hope you enjoy it!
Part I
Part II
Part III
Announcing the MYTHGARD INSTITUTE
Want to study Tolkien for credit towards an MA (or just for fun!) with world-class scholars and teachers?
THE DAY HAS COME!

Visit www.mythgard.org today!

Listen to the recording of the live broadcast announcement of the Mythgard Institute, courtesy of Middle-Earth Network Radio:
Mythgard Q&A Call-In Show, 11/27/11: .mp3