Rivendell Group Meetings and Topics, 1980-85
compiled by Marianne Hageman for Last Homely Hearth #10 (?)
1980
January The Travelor In Black, by John Brunner. Moderated by Margaret Howes.
February. Watership Down, by Richard Adams.
March. The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis.
April. I: The Faded Sun: Kesrithh, by C.J. Cherryh, at Minicon.
II: The Keeper’s Price & Other Stories, by Marion Zimmer Bradley & the Friends of Darkover. [As the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows.]
May. I: “Readings from Rivendell.”
II: Lecture by Prof. Stephen Prickett, author of Victorian Fantasy: “Uncle Henry’s Trousers.”
June. {Did we meet?}
July. I: Born to Exile, by Phyllis Eisenstein, at David Lenander’s apartment, “Hollin.”
II: “Mythomusic” singing and playing fantasy oriented and inspired songs & filksongs. At David Lenander’s, with Greg Bohen on guitar.
August. Ariosto, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and Orlando Furioso, by Ariosto.
September. I: Mythopicnic at the Renaissance Festival, topic: the Palantir Players’ production, and “Tolkien’s Myth Takes Hold.”
II: “Fantasy in popular musical recordings” at Lesa & Jeff von Munkwitz-Smith’s home.
October [actually Nov. 1] All Hallows’ Eve, by Charles Williams.
November. Two To Conquer, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. [As the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows.]
December. I: “Readings from Rivendell.”
II: F.O.D. Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows Midwinter Festival Party, at Tess & Jane Kaufenberg’s (a.k.a. Caer Donn Guild House).
1981
January. “New Writings by Eleanor Arnason”
February. The Heritage of Hastur and The Sword of Aldones, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. [As the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows. Followed by party at Tess & Jane’s]
March. The “St. Germaine” books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
April. Sorceror’s Son, by Phyllis Eisenstein.
May. J.R.R. Tolkien [?]
June. Mike Levy spoke on Fairies.
July. The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope.
August. Lord Valentine’s Castle, by Robert Silverberg, at Caroline Stevermer’s.
September. Mythopicnic at the Renaissance Festival, topic: the play by the Palantir Players.
{Gillikins luncheon at David Maxine’s}.
October. The Owl Service and other fiction by Alan Garner, at Jane Kaufenberg’s.
November. Inferno, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, and Inferno by Dante.
December. “Readings from Rivendell.”
1982
January. Sharra’s Exile, by Marion Zimmer Bradley [as the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows].
February. The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis and the Narnian Calendar by Michael Hague.
March. A Wizard of Earthsea and The Language of the Night, by Ursula K. LeGuin.
April. Titan and Wizard by John Varley, at Minicon. Varley was present for part of the discussion.
May. Roots of Tolkien’s Tree lecture by Carleton College visiting professor Rodney Shewan, author of Oscar Wilde: Art & Egotism (London, 1977), on Wilde and “The Nightingale and the Rose,” advertizing funded by the MSA small grants program. Followed by discussion at Prof. Shewan’s.
June. Peregrine Secundus, by Avram Davidson, at The Liesches’.
{Natalie Babbit spoke on campus–some of us attended}
July. I: Roots of Tolkien’s Tree slide lecture by Louisa Smith, “Monsters & Magic,” sponsored by the U of MN Children’s Literature Research Collections.
II: Discussion & slides with Louisa Smith of E. Nesbit’s fantasies, especially the Five Children trilogy, and Millar’s illustrations, at David Lenander’s.
August. James Thurber’s fantasies, including Thirteen Clocks, The Great Quillow, Many Moons, The Wonderful O, etc.
September. The Wirrun trilogy [The Ice is Coming, The Dark Bright Water, and Journey Behind the Wind] by Patricia Wrightson, at Louisa Smith’s.
October. I: Joint attendance at the animated film, Grendel, Grendel, Grendel, followed by discussion of the film and John Gardner’s Grendel, at Eleanor Arnason’s.
II: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
November. Roots of Tolkien’s Tree slide lecture on Lewis Carroll & John Tenniel by Prof. C. Michael Hancher, U of MN, “The Descent of the Jabberwock,” followed by discussion.
December. “Readings from Rivendell.” Ruth Berman, Joan Verba, Eleanor Arnason, Eric Heideman.
1983
January. Unfinished Tales, by J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. by Christopher Tolkien.
February. Hawkmistress, by Marion Zimmer Bradley [as the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows].
March. The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis, and All Hallows’ Eve, by Charles Williams, as background for cassette tapes of radio broadcasts by C.S.L. in which he discussed these works.
April. I: Inferno, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, at Minicon. Niven was present for part of the discussion.
II: Puck of Pook’s Hill and The Jungle Books, by Rudyard Kipling.
May. Barnstorming in Oz, by Philip José Farmer.
June. {perhaps no meeting?}
July. The Mabinogi, and Prince of Annwyn, by Evangeline Walton.
August. The Moomin books by Tove Janssen.
September. The Firelings, The Gammage Cup and The Whisper of Glocken, by Carol Kendall, at The Liesches’.
October. “The Wet Tolkien”
November. God Stalk, by P.C. Hodgell.
December. “Readings from Rivendell.” Ruth Berman, Joan Verba, Eleanor Arnason, Eric Heideman.
1984
January. “The Book of the New Sun,” by Gene Wolfe.
February. Thendara House, by Marion Zimmer Bradley [as the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows].
March. The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis.
April. Ariosto, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, at Minicon. Yarbro was present for the discussion.
May. Lord of Light, by Roger Zelazny.
June. The Elven Ship and The Disappearing Dwarf, by James Blaylock.
July. The Darwath trilogy, by Barbara Hambly, at Debby Jones’.
August. I: The Magic Three of Solatia, and other fiction by Jane Yolen at David Lenander’s.
II: “Mythcon Slides with Ellie Farrell” at Debby Jones’.
September. Tea With the Black Dragon and the Damiano trilogy by R.A. MacAvoy at Steve & Candy Liesch’s.
{2nd Foundation meeting: Ray Bradbury’s writings}
October. Lloyd Alexander’s fantasy, especially the Westmark trilogy [Westmark, The Kestrel, and The Beggar Queen].
November. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fantasy.
December. “Readings from Rivendell”.
1985
January. The fantasy of Edgar Allan Poe.
February. City of Sorcery, by Marion Zimmer Bradley [as the Friends of Darkover Council of St. Valentine-of-the-Snows].
March. Illustrators of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien, with slides by Ruth Berman.
April. God Stalk and Dark of the Moon, by P.C. Hodgell, at Minicon. Hodgell was present for the discussion, and also read from her forthcoming novel, Dark.
May. The Mushroom Planet books, other fantasy and The Green & Burning Tree, by Eleanor Cameron. Moderated by Marianne Hageman.
June. The Seventh Swan and other fantasy, by Nicholas Stuart Grey.
July. Cards of Grief, by Jane Yolen, at Margaret Howes’.
August. I: On Stories and other literary criticism by C.S. Lewis, at Debby Jones’.
II: “Folk, Filk and other Fantasy Songs with Greg Bohen & guitar” at David Lenander’s.
September. The Emperor and the Nightingale and other “Faerie Tale Theatre” productions, and the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, at Erik and Paula Biever’s.
October. Return to Oz, the Disney film, and the books that inspired it: L. Frank Baum’s The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, with some attention to the novelization and to the Disney film, The Black Cauldron, and the books by Lloyd Alexander which inspired that film.
November. Peter Pan, in its various realizations.
December. “Readings from Rivendell”.
1986 topics
January. Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart
February. Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
March. ? The Inklings, by Humphrey Carpenter.
