We take a moment at the beginning of the new year to mark the arrival of the most imaginative author of the Twentieth Century. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on this date in 1897 in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
It is without hyperbole that I may say that his work has had a unfathomable effect upon my life, and while the inspiration he has given me shall never lead to imitation (for my gifts, such as they are, are not his), he has filled my mind and soul with a world of wonder.
Happy Birthday, Professor!
