[ElfstoneLARP] Mystical Realms Newsletter for November, 2009

Greetings!

Welcome to my newsletter for November, 2009! Please feel free to
forward this to anyone you think would be interested in keeping up
with me. To receive these newsletters regularly, please drop me an
email or subscribe online from my website (http://www.JefMurray.com )
or at: http://groups.google.com/group/Mystical_Realms . Notices of events and items of interest are at the bottom of this email. Note that there's lots of news to share!!

Pitchers ===============

There are 3 new paintings posted on my website: two are Tolkien-
themed, and one is for a book that I am illustrating that will be out
in the spring. The Tolkien works include: "Andúnië" and "Meduseld".
The third painting, which can be seen in my "Once Upon a Time…"
gallery, will ultimately have the title of the book on whose front
cover it will appear. You can see all of these by going to http://www.JefMurray.com and clicking the "Newest Works" gallery button at top left, or by clicking:
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~jmurra2/jefmurraystudios/new.html

I welcome your thoughts and comments on these new works!

Ponderings ==============

I wrote the following with the idea that, many centuries after the
departure of Bilbo and Frodo into the True West, cautionary tales
would be told to youngsters `round the fire on spooky autumn evenings.
These tales wouldn't, strictly speaking, be entirely accurate in their
placement of people and events, but they would serve to remind little
Hobbits to be cautious in their dealings with the strange world beyond
the borders of the Shire.

With this in mind, then, I offer the following poem…ideally to be read
to young Hobbits and other free folk `round the hearth on All Hallow's
Eve:

Ring-wraiths
by Jef Murray (with apologies to James Whitcomb Riley)

Uncle Bilbo Baggins' come
to our house to stay,
to sing to Hobbit little ones
and tease their cares away,
To sip his mead and tell us tales
when we're all gathered `bout,
of how the Ring-wraiths'll getcha
if ya
don't
watch
out!

Once they was a little bairn
who didn't do his chores,
he'd hide among the cabbages
and dawdle on the moors,
and into Farmer Maggot's fields
he'd creep when he was out,
and mushrooms he would sneak and steal
and every fence he'd flout.

He'd ferry `cross the Brandywine
and to the High Hay flee,
And there he'd sit and gobble down
his stolen goods with glee,
but when he growed up older
and his exploits he would tout,
the Ring-wraiths came to drag him back
to Mordor by his snout!

They chased him through Bywater and
then through ol' Woody End,
they chased him through Crickholler `til
through Barrows he did wend,
they chased him `til he feared that none
would hear him cry and shout,
`cause the Ring-wraiths'll getcha
if ya
don't
watch
out!

Well Frodo ran and ran some more,
to Mount Doom he did hie,
with Sam he took the Ring of Power
right to the mountain's eye,
There was a scuffle and it seemed
its fate was still in doubt,
and that the Wraiths'd have `em both
before the day was out.

But his mercy towards the Gollum
was repaid that fateful day,
and with the Ring destroyed,
the Ring-wraith's spirits passed away.
But though the men of Gondor came
and Sauron they did rout,
the boast that Wraiths are gone for good
still causes some to doubt.

So you'd better mind your mummy,
and your aunt and cousins dear,
you'd best avoid the Farmer's fields
and keep your conscience clear,
`cause if you don't, come darkest night
when there's no one about,
the Wraiths'll come to fetch ya
if ya
don't
watch
out!

Prospects ===================

- The Three Farthing Stone Smial will have its next meeting on
Saturday 5th December 2009 at The Bell Inn, High Street, Moreton in
Marsh. 01608-651688. 12 noon gathering, 1pm lunch, 2.30pm meeting
until late. For more info and to book a spot, please email Malcolm at
ma...@adcbooks.co.uk.

- The first ever "Beyond Bree" calendar has been announced. It will feature artwork by myself, Ted Nasmith, Tim Kirk, Kay Woollard, Sylvia Hunnewell, Louise Ying Chen, Octo Kwan, plus more! To order yours, please contact Nancy Martsch at beyondb...@yahoo.com

- In addition to the above, there will also be a new Heren Istarion calendar available almost immediately. Again designed by Phil and Megan Goss, it will include artwork by Henning Janssen, Ruth Lacon, and a little bit from me (including the cover image). For more info, contact Anthony and Jessica at www.herenistarion.org .

- The next full exhibition at Moreton in Marsh has been announced. It is entitled "The Edge of the Wild", and will include art by Ted Nasmith, Ruth Lacon, Peter Pracownik, and myself. Friday, March 26, 2010 at 7:30 pm until Monday, March 29, 2010 at 5:00 pm. You can find out more on Facebook by searching on "Edge of the Wild", or by checking out the ADC Books website at http://www.adcbooks.co.uk/

- There is a new Tolkien event on the horizon for next summer. The Festival in the Shire (www.FestivalintheShire.com ), in Wales, will be an academic conference, an art/collectibles exhibit, and a bit of a country fair, all thrown into one. The event is to take place in Machynlleth on August 13-15th, 2010. The guest list is in the early stages, but this could prove to be a delightful new venue for Tolkien gatherings. I hope to see many good friends there…. You can also find detailed and up-to-date news by searching on "Festival in the Shire" on Facebook.

- The latest issue of the "St. Austin Review (StAR)", features my painting "Cartophilus" on its cover. This issue focuses on philosophy, and in addition to the interior logo design, Joseph Pearce has also graciously included a review I contributed of the book "The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism," by Feser. The latter is highly recommended, as is this issue of StAR in general. You can see the original image of "Cartophilus" at:
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~jmurra2/jefmurraystudios/sacred/288...)

- The next issue of "Silver Leaves", the journal of the White Tree Fund (http://www.whitetreefund.org/) , will be featuring a couple of my painting images (although not, to my knowledge, the cover image!). The issue focuses on fantasy art, so I am particularly delighted that they will be including my work. I also have a short article in this, the third volume, of "Silver Leaves".

- Many of you know that my wife, Lorraine, is a columnist and author of four non-fiction books. But, she is now a published novelist (!), and her first mystery, entitled "Death in the Choir", is currently available from Tumblar House on Amazon.com and BN.com. Please see a description and links at http://www.LorraineVMurray.com . You will need to click on the "My Books" button at the top. And, yes, for those who asked before, I _did_ develop the cover illustration and design for the book.