Hobbit enthusiasts converge on Spokane August 13-15 for Tolkien Moot

Aug. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- Spokane, WA -- Eastern Washington fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth gather in Spokane for 6th annual Tolkien Moot August 13 through 15.  Guests include Elvish singer Rehtaeh and Tolkien scholar Michael Martinez and activities will be simulcast live on the Internet.

Tolkien Moot combines role-playing games based in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth with scholarly presentations on Tolkien's books, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  Past guests of Tolkien Moot (formerly known as MERPCon) have included John D. Rateliff (The History of The Hobbit), Dr. Thomas Morwinsky, and Professor Chris Seeman.

This year's Tolkien Moot features three live performances by Elvish singer Rehtaeh (http://www.rehtaehmusic.com/).  Heather Downing, from Kansas City, has released three CDs since 2005 under the performing name of Rehtaeh.  Her music has been described as haunting, with a Celtic-like quality that draws upon folk, classical, and pop music traditions.  Rehtaeh's latest CD, "ElementAria", is available for sale or download as MP3 files from Amazon, iTunes, Napster, and other online music sellers.

Michael Martinez (www.michael-martinez.com) has published three books about J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, including Visualizing Middle-earth, Understanding Middle-earth: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, and Parma Endorion: Essays on Middle-earth, 3rd Edition.  Michael was contributing editor for Tolkien and Middle-earth on the Suite101.com Website from 1999 to 2002.  He also founded the Tolkien and Middle-earth fan track at Dragon*Con, one of the world's largest science fiction conventions.

Activities at Tolkien Moot include role-playing games, a live interview with Rehtaeh on "Raw Hobbit", a Tolkienized sendup of William Shatner's "Raw Nerve" cable show, and a live broadcast of Middle-earth Talk Radio.  Middle-earth Talk Radio (http://www.middle-earthtalkradio.com/) is co-hosted by convention organizer Hawke Robinson and Michael Martinez.  Attendees must RSVP through the Tolkien Moot Website (http://www.tolkienmoot.org/) in order to reserve seats at the gaming tables.

Attendance is free and open to the public during Rehtaeh's performances (Friday at 6:00 PM, Saturday at 7:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM) and for "Raw Hobbit" (Saturday at 6:00 PM) and Middle-earth Talk Radio (Sunday at 5:00 PM).  Tolkien Moot is being held at East West Fitness World, 1506 North Monroe, in downtown Spokane.

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