Geek of the Week: J.R.R. Tolkien

Here we honor Muggle geeks who embody Ravenclaw spirit...
when they succeed, they soar, and when they fail, they fail spectacularly!

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is the suitably fancy full name of the father of high fantasy literature. Ronald to his friends, he was well known as a linguistics nerd. Tolkien learned Latin, French, and German from his mother; studied Middle English, Old English, Finnish, Gothic, Greek, Italian, Old Norse, Spanish, Welsh, and Medieval Welsh at school; and invented Quenya, Sindarin, Adûnaic, and Naffarin for funsies.

He was employed at the OED, and as the youngest professor at the University of Leeds, before he wrote The Hobbit and the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings while on fellowship at Pembroke College.

Tolkien and the love of his life, Edith, had four kids: JFR, MHR, CJR, and PMAR.  He and Edith have the names Beren and Lúthien engraved on their headstones.

Find out more about J.R.R. Tolkien on Wikipedia.
Or read a biographical sketch at The Tolkien Society website.

p.s. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard.
p.p.s. One does not simply walk into Mordor.
p.p.p.s. Carefully, carefully, with the plates.
p.p.p.p.s. Fool of a Took!