Today is the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien. In storytelling circles, Tolkien is and should continue to be one of the most influential storytellers of our time. He is best known for his books of epic fantasy: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
Tolkien’s fantasies speak to us of people who live in other places and times, but they are people like ourselves: ordinary men and women who dare to struggle against the most inconceivably strong forces of evil. They suffer dreadful losses but go forward with unshakeable determination.
In our age, wars and environmental hazards leave us uncertain about the future. Modern story creators and tellers need to capture and share that hope that Tolkien found in the heart of every person, that humanity can and will prevail over life’s most challenging moments.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
