Mythlore
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Mythlore |
| Publisher: | Mythopoeic Society |
| Editor(s): | Glen K. GoodKnight (founder), Janet Brennan Croft (present) |
| Organizer(s): | |
| Author(s): | |
| Cover Artist(s): | |
| Illustrator(s): | |
| Type: | fanzine, peer-reviewed journal |
| Date(s): | 1969 - present |
| Topic: | |
| Medium: | print and online |
| Size: | unknown |
| Frequency: | |
| Fandom: | J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and other myth and fantasy studies |
| Rating(s): | |
| Warning(s): | |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | https://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore.htm |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Mythlore is the peer-reviewed journal of the Mythopoeic Society. The journal originated as a fanzine, first published in 1969. In 1999, under the editorship of Theodore Sherman, the fanzine transitioned to a peer-reviewed journal and has remained so since.
Mythlore's history page describes its early years as follows: "In its early years it was a 'fanzine' that included articles, a great deal of art work, columns, book and media reviews, poetry and other creative work."[1] Glen GoodKnight was the editor of the first eighty-four issues, with the exception of 1978-80, when the journal was edited by Gracia Fay Ellwood. When Dr. Sherman took over editing Mythlore in 1999, he transitioned the journal to a refereed format, which accepts only articles and book reviews "with the occasional letter, note, and editorial."[2] In 2006, Janet Brennan Croft began editing the journal.[1]
The journal experienced some inconsistency during the transitions between editors when expected issues were not released. In addition, it had to, on three occasions in its history, send out "fake" issues of just a few pages in order to meet U.S. postal regulations as a quarterly publication.[2]
Mythlore has existed in print-only format for most of its existence. Until 2006, when Croft took over as editor, the journal was released in four issues per year, ranging in length from twenty-seven to ninety-eight pages (excluding the 1992 Tolkien Centenary Conference proceedings).[1] After 2006, the journal was released twice per year in 200-plus-page issues, around April and November. In 2013, the journal became available in online format as well, and subscribers now can receive it print, online, or both. In fall 2016, Phillip Fitzsimmons, the Reference and Digitization Librarian at Southwest Oklahoma State University, offered to digitize Mythlore, including the submission process, making Mythlore a completely open-access journal.[2] (When was this project completed? When did the SWOSU archive open?) In addition to the SWOSU archive, Mythlore also includes an online, comprehensive index that is frequently updated and free to download and use.[3]
Across its four-decade-plus history, Mythlore has collaborated with other Tolkien- and Inkling-related fanzines and journals. It absorbed the Tolkien Journal in 1976. At times in the 1970s, the Mythopoeic Society's quarterly bulletin Mythprint was included as part of Mythlore. The proceedings of the 1992 Tolkien Centenary Conference was published by both Mythlore and Mallorn, a fanzine that has also since transitioned to a peer-reviewed publication.[1]
First and Early Issues
The first issue of Mythlore was advertised as follows in the fanzine Locus (#12, November 1968) in late 1968 by Bernie Zuber:
It was inevitable that the Mythopoeic Society would start its own journal or fanzine. The name of this fanzine will be MYTHLORE. Glen Goodnight [sic] is editor, yours truly associate editor and art editor, and Tim Kirk associate art editor. Deadline for material is Nov. 30th. The first issue will contain an editorial and explanation of the society, a report of the Tolkien Society meeting at BAYCON, a report on the Bilbo/Frodo Birthday Party, an article on C.S. Lewis’ Theory of Mythology, an article entitled “Making The Lord of the Rings Into a Movie?”, an article on the social & literary relations between Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams, an introduction to Worlds of Fantasy, a couple of pages of photos relating to the society, and a report on C.S. Kilby’s visit to Southern California. Art by George Barr, Bg Callahan, Tim Kirk and myself. Mimeo (Electro stencils for art) and running approx. 50 pages. First issue price: 50¢. We are planning this as a quarterly.[4]
A few months later, Zuber updated, again in Locus (#17, January 1969) with more information on the inaugural issue of Mythlore. He describes a process of mimeographing and hand-collating the zine that is a familiar narrative in the history of many early fanzines:
Mythlore lives! The first issue was born on January 2nd in one of the buildings of an Episcopalian church in Temple City (approx. 12 miles from downtown L.A.). I drove over there at about 9 P.M. and the first sight that greeted me was a large table full of Mythlore pages. Glen was still turning out the last few pages . . . he had been working at it since 2 P.M. Two of the girls from the Mythopoeic Society were there and I soon joined them in a kind of “collating dance” around the table. Glen finished the collating the next day and copies were distributed at a party that evening and again at the San Fernando branch of the Society, which met on the 4th. The reaction was good. I think the members were happy that the group now had a fanzine of its own. The covers by Tim Kirk and myself and two of the inside art pieces by Bonnie Bergstrom and George Barr are printed. The rest is mimeo. It came to 52 pages if you count the covers (and we did). The articles are pretty much the way I announced them in Locus 12. They vary from scholarly to humorous and I think they’re a good cross-section of Tolkien-Lewis-Williams fans. ... Deadline for the next issue is Feb. 28. It will be dated April 1969.[4]
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a comment on the first issue (owned by Rene Van Rosenberg and reported in Mythlore #75): "Contains some very interesting material." [5]
Sarah Beach, the art editor and associate editor of Mythlore beginning in 1984, recalls some of the challenges of working with a fanzine in the pre-digital age:
One special memory during my time in the position was when we received the first piece from Sue Dawe (one of Lúthien dancing). We also started commissioning head piece art (and occasional additional column pieces) for featured articles. As Associate Editor, I tried to keep Glen on schedule (not always easy), helped with layout (in the days of literal cut-and-paste, before computer layout), and then the massive task of preparing the mailing of issues. It was a lot of work, but a time of many valued memories.[6]
Evolution from Fanzine to Journal
In 1999, Ted Sherman took over editing Mythlore, and the publication became a refereed journal with a double-blind peer-review process. Mythlore's history page describes the motive for this shift as "the articles became more and more scholarly."[1]
Tolkien fandom has always had a strong scholarly or academic component. In addition to more traditional literary analysis, Tolkien fans have analyzed his work through the lenses of linguistics, history, mythology, and the sciences. While some fans embrace this, others find it off-putting or alienating. In 1983, GoodKnight described tensions between what he saw as two poles in the Tolkien fandom and the need for Mythlore to establish a "Middle Way," not in terms of balancing its focus on its primary three authors (Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams) but
rather the Middle Way between "fandom" (a term that has nearly as many definitions as there are fans) and "scholars” or "academia."
To some this is an irreconcilable dichotomy, but I fail to see it that way. Rather, within the context of the Society, there is a spectrum of attitudes, approaches, and modes of behavior. Both extremes are stereotyped, particularly by those in the opposite camp. Frequently these prejudices arise because of an initial negative reaction to the surface differences, without going beyond to discover the real worth within. For sane, the need for a "them vs. us" attitude is deep seated and prevents any tolerance or realistic understanding. These prejudicial stereotypes abound, and regrettably the extremes of both camps provide fuel for these. I have met stuffy, dry-as-dust academics and immature, bubble-headed fans, and feel uncomfortable with both.
Speaking generally, it is not likely for the forseeable future that fandcm (sic) and academia will be at ease with each other (despite encouraging exceptions) and that that tension is bound to continue to affect the Mythopoeic Society. ...
I feel such a systhesis (sic) is possible in the context of the Society because it was founded upon the devotion to Tolkien, lewis, and Williams and seeks to serve all who are interested in them. It was not meant to serve either organized fandom or academia. It is intended to be as inclusive as is possible, not exclusive. Both fandom and academia have a specialized vocabulary, which may serve them well, but does tend to exclude those not active in their respective circles, creating the impression of aloof indifference to others.
From my perspective, I find that the majority of Society members are a happy blend of the fan and the academic.[7]
GoodKnight went on to state the the Mythopoeic Society received complaints from both extremes (either purely fannish or purely academic) that they indulged the other too much, seemingly unaware of the polar opposite complaints being made by the opposite faction. The eventual decision, therefore, to "choose a side" by becoming a scholarly journal versus a fanzine that published scholarship, in addition to other content, is interesting. Possibly influencing the decision was the growing acceptance of Tolkien studies as a legitimate academic discipline. Tolkien fan scholarship has always tended to a high standard, but Tolkien studies were dismissed by the academy at large. Fans who attended or taught at universities in the first decades following the publication of the Lord of the Rings describe academics expressing dismissiveness of Tolkien's work. This attitude shifted over time to where many universities offer Tolkien studies courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, increasing the demand for and legitimizing Tolkien studies literature.
However, it is possible that tension between the two perceived poles subsided over time. The shift to a peer-reviewed format occurred at a historical moment between the publication of the final volume of the History of Middle-earth series (a twelve-part collection of Tolkien's drafts and notes, posthumously published by his son Christopher Tolkien) and the release of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films—in other words, at a time when scholarly engagement in Tolkien's works was at a relative high but fannish engagement was not yet reignited by the films. Commenting on GoodKnight's editorial in a fifty-year retrospective on Mythlore, for example, Janet Brennan Croft notes of the Tolkien fandom at the time of her writing: "I believe that many, if not most, contributors to and readers of Mythlore today would happily identify as scholar/fans and find no existential contradiction or tension between the two roles."[2]
Timeline
Below are key events in the history of Mythlore. All sources are the Mythlore history page, unless otherwise noted.[1]
1960s
- 2 January 1969. First issue is published, at 84 pages[4]
1970s
- 1975. Tolkien Memorial Issue published
- 1976. Merged with the Tolkien Journal[8]
- Autumn 1978. Gracia Fay Ellwood becomes editor
1980s
- Summer 1980. Glen GoodKnight returns as editor
1990s
- Summer 1992. Tolkien Centenary issue
- Summer 1993. Dorothy Sayers Centenary issue
- Winter 1996. Proceedings of the 1992 Tolkien Centenary Conference (also published as Mallorn 33)
- Summer 1998. C.S. Lewis Centenary issue
- 1999. Edith Crowe begins the Mythlore indexing project[9]
- Winter 1999. Ted Sherman becomes editor
- Winter 1999. Journal switches from fanzine to peer-reviewed format
2000s
- 2001. Special Narnia issue
- 2006. Janet Brennan Croft becomes editor
- 2006. Journal begins releasing two issues per year[10]
2010s
- 2013. Mythlore becomes available digitally, as well as in print[10]
- Fall 2016. SWOSU offers to host the Mythlore archive online
- Spring/Summer 2018. Special Section on Divination in Fantasy
- November 2019. Special Issue: Mythopoeic Children's Literature
- April 2021. Special Issue: Honoring Ursula K. Le Guin
Mythlore Staff
The following lists come from Croft's retrospective "Mythlore at 50" and the designation "current" refers to the member being current at the time of publication in 2019.[11]
Editorial Board Members
- Robley Evans, #58-84
- Verlyn Flieger, #58-current
- Pat Allen Hargis, #58-68
- Mason Harris, #58-84
- Rev. John Wm. Houghton, #123-current
- Charles Huttar, #58-current
- Judith Johnson, #58-84
- U. Milo Kaufmann, #58-84
- Don King, #58-84
- Judith J. Kollmann, #60-84
- Alexei Kondratiev, #58-84
- Doris T. Myers, #67-84
- Nancy-Lou Patterson, #58-84
- Barbara Reynolds, #87-126
- Taum Santoski, #58-65
- Peter J. Schakel, #67-current
- Darrell Schweitzer, #67-84
- Gloriana St. Clair, #67-84
- Chris Vaccaro, #134-current
- Richard C. West, #85-current
- Donna R. White, #89-current
- John Wooten, #68-84
- Manfred Zimmerman, #67-84
Editorial Staff Members
- James Allan, Art & Production Editor, #12-15
- Sarah Beach, Associate & Art Editor, #40-76; Associate Editor #78-83
- Ruth Berman, Poetry Editor, #39-57
- Corbin S. Carnell, Contributing Editor, #15-49
- Edith Crowe, Art Editor, #26-39
- Gracia Fay Ellwood, Associate Editor or Advisor, #11-17; Poetry Editor #26-38
- Phillip Fitzsimmons, Administrator of Mythlore & Society Archives, #131-current
- Glen H. GoodKnight, Consultant, #18-23
- Elliott Grasett, Art & Production Editor, #12-15
- Thomas Howard, Contributing Editor, #14-49
- Paul Nolan Hyde, Philology Editor, #33-78, & Submissions Editor, #79-84
- Tim Kirk, Associate Art Editor, #1-9
- Paul Kocher, Contributing Editor, #14-49
- Laurence J. Kreig, Managing Editor, #11
Resources
References
- ^ a b c d e f Mythlore: History and Back Issues, accessed 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Janet Brennan Croft, "Mythlore at 50," Mythlore 47, no. 2 (Spring 2019), 7.
- ^ Mythlore Index Plus, accessed 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Janet Brennan Croft, "Mythlore at 50," Mythlore 47, no. 2 (Spring 2019), 5.
- ^ Janet Brennan Croft, "Mythlore at 50," Mythlore 47, no. 2 (Spring 2019), 12.
- ^ Janet Brennan Croft, "Mythlore at 50," Mythlore 47, no. 2 (Spring 2019), 11.
- ^ Glen H. GoodKnight, "Editor's Opening," Mythlore 10, no. 1 (Spring 1983), 3-4.
- ^ Mythlore Index Plus, p. 1, originally published 31 July 2012; updated October 2022; accessed 4 February 2023.
- ^ Mythlore Index Plus, p. 4, originally published 31 July 2012; updated October 2022; accessed 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b Mythlore: Subscriptions, accessed 4 February 2023.
- ^ Janet Brennan Croft, "Mythlore at 50," Mythlore 47, no. 2 (Spring 2019), 13.