You may now read HOBBIT NEWS, Volume 2009, Issue 4, February 1 online.

From this issue:

• Turbine lets fans play LOTRO for free
• Royd Tolkien cleared of libel complaint
• Tolkien's American publisher in financial distress
• Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable features Tolkien lecture in Interfaith Week
• Elzabeth Town Community and Technical College to discuss Tolkien's racial diversity
• From TheOneRing.Net: Tolkien 2005 Conference gift to City of Birmingham
• Empire kicks off coverage of "The Hobbit" movies

Hawke Robinson and I have been unable to record another show for Middle-earth Talk Radio recently but I hope we can get back onto the project this evening.

I'll do my best to cover these topics and topics from the last issue as well.

In other news, I forgot to mention Dr. Dimitra Fimi's new book, TOLKIEN, RACE AND CULTURAL HISTORY: FROM FAIRIES TO HOBBITS, which has just been published. She looks at the historical contexts for Tolkien's races. I have not read the book yet but I'll try to set aside some time for it soon.

Thanks to John Rateliff for pointing me to the book.