Did JRRT encourage new ME stories?

[Morwen]

Originally posted by SpM
However, while (for these reasons) I find the substance of this digression irrelevant to the main thrust of this thread, it does raise a valid issue, which is the one that Thena has been trying to tease out. Given that Tolkien, being an individual, had a unique perspective on life, no one (not even Christopher, although he would come the closest) could ever write a tale set within Middle-earth which would be entirely consistent with Tolkien’s own Middle-earth writings. None of us would be able to ‘get’, let alone reproduce, every single ingredient which went into making his tales what they are. Does that mean that no one should try? Leaving aside the question of authorisation, which is a matter for the Estate, I cannot for the life of me see why not. If people derive pleasure from writing fan-fic and others derive pleasure from reading it, what is the problem? What does it matter if Hobbits do lunch or Elves snort? If you do not like it, you do not have to read it.

Speaking for myself the writing and reading of fanfiction is not an issue. Of course, no one has yet posted anything to that directly states that Tolkien encouraged such a practice, in which case the answer to the thread's initial question is no. But if persons who have read LotR, etc are inspired to create their own stories and persons read and enjoy these stories, there is no problem there. As you point out, those who don't want to read fanfiction don't have to.
I too would leave the question of authorisation aside. For my part that is what I have objected to/expressed reservations about.
Back to the digression.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Morwen

Of course, no one has yet posted anything to that directly states that Tolkien encouraged such a practice, in which case the answer to the thread's initial question is no.

Strictly speaking, 'not proven'.

[Morwen]

Originally posted by SpM
Strictly speaking, 'not proven'. [img]ubb/wink.gif[/img]

True . Still, after 300 posts somebody should have come up with something. Well, I did ask Sauron the White a while back if he could point to a quote showing Tolkien's encouragement of other tales but I believe he couldn't find any.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by Morwen

True . Still, after 300 posts somebody should have come up with something.

You asked for it.

[Morwen]

Well what I actually asked for is a quote from Tolkien expressing his views on the matter, which perhaps people might provide after voting in your poll.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Morwen

Well what I actually asked for is a quote from Tolkien expressing his views on the matter, which perhaps people might provide after voting in your poll.

What has been offerred is Tolkien Sr's own handling of the matter, within his written work and within his own papers. In LotR, he sets up the model of the translator and refers several times to how the papers come down through Bilbo and then Sam's family. Then with his own papers, he gives his son extensive rights to publish or destroy his vast collection of drafts and unpublished work. Christopher Tolkien then has himself gone through several models of editorship, from the intrusive one in The Silm, to the hands off of UT, now to CoH, which CT himself has called an artificial text (p. 289). CT calls his work trying to simulate what he [JRRT] himself did not do (p. 288).

Actions, it is said, speak louder than words.

[Morwen]

The fact that you choose to see his actions as encouraging new tales is your opinion. It can't be offered as conclusive proof of Tolkien's encouragement of new tales. As I see it, his actions, at best, might indicate that he thought Christopher might carry on the work, not that he thought that anybody might do so. This is of course my opinion and also not conclusive proof of what Tolkien may have thought.
And we could go on, exchanging opinions and speculations. What I have asked for is some concrete evidence of what Tolkien thought on the matter.