Exploring Tolkien

Exploring Tolkien is a weekly show that dives deep into JRR Tolkien and all the ages of Middle-earth. Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine are your hosts as they read through Tolkien’s works, interview other Tolkien enthusiasts and authors, and criticall

Listen to latest episode

Recent Episodes

70. An Interview with Viggo Mortensen

Posted September 25, 2023 • 00:29:16

Here’s the next episode in our series of interviews from the December 2, 2003 roundtable discussions (our

69. Music is Escape : An Interview with Jeff Johnson - Musician, Composer, Producer

Posted September 18, 2023 • 01:02:08

If you haven’t listened to Jeff Johnson’s music yet, you’re missing out. I’ve been a fan of his music for over 20 years, having been first inroduced...

68. An Interview with Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom

Posted September 11, 2023 • 00:26:34

Here’s our 3rd recording from the December 2, 2003 roundtable interviews (our Peter Jackson episode is at https://youtu.be/JqhF91GJbGg)!

In...

67. An Interview with Ian McKellen : He Read Tolkien EVERY NIGHT Before Filming

Posted September 4, 2023 • 00:28:17

Here’s another recording from the December 2, 2003 roundtable interviews I was invited to join with a few other journalists to speak to the actors...

66. Happily Ever After isn’t Enough - On Fairy Stories, Part 6

Posted August 28, 2023 • 00:55:19

We’re wrapping up Tolkien’s seminal essay this week looking at Consolation–and with that–Tolkien’s well-known term, Eucatastrophe. With so...