A 🧵 on grief & Tolkien: Today is the birthday of my friend, who passed too soon some dozen years ago, so long the years I’ve missed her outnumber those I knew her.

When Laura died, I handled it poorly for most of a year. I was listless, barely meeting minimum commitments 1/ My advisor arranged for me to teach my own course, suggesting “Tolkien & the Middle Ages” as I was an avid (if casual) fan & that seemed marketable on my CV. It was my first time teaching on my own, & I needed to do a deep dive & refresh on Tolkien. 2/