Arts
4 — Wednesday, April 20, 2022
WHEN I WAS approximately 13 years
old I wrote a “The Lord of the Rings” fan-
fiction. It never got past three chapters,
mostly encompassing the moment Merry
and Pippin are captured by Orcs until the
rest of the Fellowship find them after The
Battle of Isengard. It also never saw the
light of day, and now collects dust in a 42
page document on my computer titled “Old
Stories” that makes me sick to my stomach
every time I open it. And I’m sure the Tolk-
ien Estate would like it to stay there.
When I logged onto Twitter on March
7 and saw #Tolkien trending, I enthu-
siastically clicked the hashtag, hoping
for updates on Amazon Prime’s upcom-
ing “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of
Power.” What I got was far less desirable:
“The Estate sure would like to make Tolk-
ien irrelevant to contemporary creative
and consumer culture” read one tweet.
“Tolkien estate once again in their grima
wormtongue era” read another. There were
hundreds more like this — statements bla-
tantly calling out the Tolkien Estate’s (who
oversees the rights to the works of J. R. R.
Tolkien) stance on fanwork surrounding
“The Lord of the Rings” franchise, which
had been reworded and brought back to
light with the website’s relaunch.
Almost every tweet I saw had a screen-
shot or link to the Tolkien Estate’s FAQs
attached. On fanfiction, they stated, “You
cannot copy any part of Tolkien’s writ-
ing or images, nor can you create materi-
als which refer to the characters, stories,
places, events or other elements contained
in any of Tolkien’s works.” The language
of the FAQs is a little disturbing — I’ve
written a lot of fanfiction in my day and,
as a young teenager, did a lot of research
around the legality of fanwork just in case
my writing got me into any trouble. In all
of that time, I have never seen an author or
estate crack down so severely on fanwork,
and it is baffling that the Tolkien Estate,
the manager of arguably one of the most
successful literature and film franchises
of all time, would want so badly to prevent
its fans from participating in the universe
that it protects.
The Tolkien Estate has a long history
of this sort of behavior. In the 2015 ver-
sion of their FAQs, the question of writ-
ing stories set in Middle-earth was posed.
The Tolkien Estate’s response was, “The
short answer is most definitely NO!” The
2007 version similarly stated, “The sim-
ple answer is NO.” Both answers go on to
state that, while tempting, the publica-
tion of fanfiction about Tolkien’s works
is not allowed nor will the Tolkien Estate
ever allow it on legal grounds. The Daily
reached out to the Tolkien Estate for com-
ment on their policies, but they did not
respond.
The truth is that the legality of fanfic-
tion is complicated. Very complicated.
Fanfiction is technically a derivative work,
so copyright holders are allowed to sue
fanfiction writers on the basis of copy-
right infringement. The copyright holder
just needs proof that the writer copied or
used the copyrighted work in their fanfic-
tion. This is where fair use comes in: Just
as fanfiction is a derivative work, it can
also, in some cases, be defended under fair
use as a transformative work. If a piece of
fanfiction follows the original work too
closely, seeks commercial profit or impacts
the market of the original work, fair use is
less likely to be a strong legal argument.
However, if a work moves far enough away
from the original and does not profit off of
its publication, the argument strengthens.
The legality of fanfiction is still murky and,
even now, is widely subjective and often
considered on a case-by-case basis.
Interestingly enough, the Tolkien Estate
has yet to take any formal legal action
against fans producing Tolkien-inspired
writing. There are a few factors to con-
sider when discussing the Estate’s stance
on fanfiction, and their failure to make
good on those claims. For one, the Tolkien
Estate simply is not the law. So long as your
work does not violate the laws I outlined
above — and the countless other copyright
laws I probably don’t know about — then
the Tolkien Estate cannot stop you from
writing all the Legolas fanfiction your
heart desires. Second, takedown notices
proffered by the Estate do not constitute
lawsuits. Simply put, the Tolkien Estate
can’t do much about fanfiction despite
their proselytizing.
And even if they did attempt legal action
against fanfiction writers, the Tolkien
Estate would be alienating a massive
chunk of its audience. On Wattpad, search-
ing “Lord of the Rings” yields around
30,000 results, and “The Hobbit” on AO3
shows 40,046 works. To remove that mas-
sive amount of material from the internet
is to remove the expansiveness of Tolkien’s
worlds and works, and it would only sig-
nal to fans that they are not wanted by the
Tolkien Estate. See, fanfiction goes beyond
all the complicated legal jargon — it is a
crucial element of modern fandom.
Fanfiction provides both readers and
writers with several experiences that tra-
ditional publication and literature compa-
nies cannot. It operates as a space in which
authors can personalize their favorite con-
tent, experiment with diversity and iden-
tity in fictional worlds, hone written skills
and engage in a collaborative part of the
internet. The beauty of fanfiction is that it
is subject to the whims of fans who wish to
explore their favorite worlds. It allows for
critical engagement and communal imagi-
nation about what could happen in a text,
and it encourages readers to delve into the
stories that inspire them to write. Creating
fanfiction does not require money or even
much experience — it only requires a pinch
of courage and a good deal of imagination.
J. R. R. Tolkien left behind a world that
has only grown with the times and has
been passed down through generations to
land at this exact moment when it is easier
than ever for writers to engage with their
favorite texts and share their work. I argue
that the Tolkien anthology has only flour-
ished and become more well-worn and
well-crafted with the advent of fanfiction,
and it seems foolish that the Tolkien Estate
would actively desire to cut off a medium
that has helped make the modern Lord
of the Rings fandom what it is. Of course,
I am not a member of the Tolkien family,
nor do I have any claim to “The Lord of
the Rings” beyond making my roommates
watch the movies with me, but I find it
disheartening that the estate would seek
to destroy meticulously-crafted fanwork
that functions as a love letter to Tolkien’s
universe.
HARRY STYLES HAS begun releas-
ing singles from his upcoming third album,
Harry’s House, starting with an upbeat, ’80s
inspired song, “As It Was.” The song is an
obvious step forward for Styles in terms of
experimenting with a new sound and dig-
ging deeper with his song lyrics. The words
are melancholic and introspective, disguised
by a synthy instrumental somewhat remi-
niscent of a-ha’s “Take On Me.” “As It Was”
broke records within the early hours of its
release, becoming Spotify’s most-streamed
single in one day; the music video has already
amassed almost 50 million views in just over
a week.
As Styles steps out of his Fine Line era, he
seems to step into an in-between space. “As It
Was” is a story of loneliness, of feeling stuck
between the past and the future. He’s run-
ning around in circles, something quite liter-
ally shown in the music video as he and his
partner rotate in a circle, not meeting each
other in the middle until he is all alone by the
end. Styles acknowledges topics he hasn’t
taken on in his music before, such as directly
addressing his somewhat strained relation-
ship with his father in the lyrics “Your daddy
lives by himself, he just wants to know that
you’re well.” While Styles has frequently
discussed the feeling of being lonely in older
tracks like “From The Dining Table,” this is
the first time we’ve seen him give direct ref-
erences to his personal life, and it feels like
he is taking a step towards creating music
that truly reflects his inner feelings.
Styles is certainly no stranger to using
sounds inspired by older music and other
artists, with this song taking inspiration
from the ’80s to create something haunting-
ly beautiful. The poppy and bouncy instru-
mental perfectly counteracts the sadness
and longing of the lyrics, creating a song that
people will sing along to without even real-
izing what they’re saying, à la “Hey Ya.” This
combination perfectly fits Styles’s public
perception of just being a heartthrob with a
good voice, so much so that fans will ignore
his pleading in the lyrics of “As It Was.” It’s a
strong track, hopefully suggesting a new and
exciting direction for Harry’s House.
One does not simply ‘write’ Lord of the Rings fanfiction
‘As It Was’ marks a new era for Harry Styles
Emily Henry’s newest
romance is the dream for all
‘Book Lovers’
BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS are
like the main character of a
movie saying “my life is so not
a movie” — they’re oddly self-
aware and reassuring. You meet
characters who also love the
musty smell of libraries and
appreciate the rush of purchas-
ing a new book. Emily Henry’s
newest contemporary romance
“Book Lovers” is exactly what
its title suggests — it’s a book
about book lovers talking about
books like it’s their job (hint: it
is).
At the beginning of the story,
Nora Stephens meets Charlie
Lastra, and the two don’t exact-
ly hit it off. She’s a no-non-
sense literary agent and he’s a
brooding book editor, but their
potential working relationship
immediately turns sour the
moment Charlie says he isn’t
interested in editing Nora’s
favorite client’s book, “Once in
a Lifetime.” Much to Charlie’s
dismay, the book becomes a
bestseller two years later.
When Nora’s younger and
very pregnant sister, Libby,
convinces her to take a much-
needed girls’ trip, the two trav-
el to the small town of Sunshine
Falls, the setting of “Once in a
Lifetime,” for a month. Inspired
by the book, Libby comes up
with a vacation bucket list
to ensure the two have their
own life-changing small-town
adventure. Nora’s plan to lie low
and enjoy her vacation is ruined
when she bumps into Charlie —
again and again. As if Sunshine
Falls wasn’t small enough, they
are thrown together to work on
her client’s new book, but Nora
can’t ignore the biggest plot
twist yet: she and Charlie actu-
ally work well together. Just as
Nora and Charlie grapple with
their connection in a new set-
ting, they begin to wonder if
their relationship will survive
back home in New York. Does
what happens in a small town
stay in a small town?
It should come to the sur-
prise of no one that “Book
Lovers” was considered one
of the most anticipated books
of 2022 by pretty much every-
body, myself included. As the
New York Times bestselling
author of young adult and adult
romance novels, Emily Henry is
the queen of fun and emotional
summer reads, and “Book Lov-
ers” is no exception.
“Book Lovers” is an ode
to the Miranda Priestlys and
Meredith Blakes of the world.
You know, the Ice Queens and
career-driven women we love
to hate in pop culture. Nora fits
this archetype: At work, she’s
known as the Shark, and she
hasn’t cried in 10 years. How-
ever, instead of villainizing her,
Henry gives us a well-crafted
and
sympathetic
character.
Nora is incredibly sarcastic,
which makes her first-person
narrative enjoyable and her
millennial-esque quirks (a.k.a.
being obsessed with her Pelo-
ton) not that annoying. Nora
knows she’s not the heroine of
her own story — she’s success-
ful but overly committed to her
job, and she puts the needs of
others, specifically Libby and
her clients, before her own. She
usually dates workaholic guys
just like her, until it inevita-
bly doesn’t work out and those
exes go on to marry Nora’s
complete opposites. But that
all changes when Nora gets to
know Charlie. Nora and Charlie
understand each other because
they’re both competitive within
the literary world and they’re
both New York City people until
they die.
The
trickiest
part
about
incorporating the “rivals-to-
lovers” trope is the transition
from the characters hating
each other’s guts to enjoying
the other’s presence, but Hen-
ry’s execution is seamless. The
animosity between Nora and
Charlie quickly fades, but the
chemistry and impeccable ban-
ter is constant throughout the
story. You can’t help but say
“Oh my god” after every single
scene involving Nora and Char-
lie. From the start, their con-
nection is obvious; but as the
story progresses, their romance
flourishes. Filled with scenes
of intimacy (in every sense
of the word), their romance
is inspired. Charlie is always
quick to remind Nora that he
wants her to have everything
she’s ever dreamed of. It’s such
a simple-sounding notion, yet I
can’t help but wonder if that is
what we can only hope for in
our romantic pursuits.
Cover art for “Book Lovers” owned by Penguin Random House
MADDIE AGNE
Daily Arts Writer
AVA SEAMAN
Daily Arts Writer
GIGI CIULLA
Daily Arts Writer
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
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MichiganDaily.com
puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com
By C.C. Burnikel
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
04/20/22
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis
04/20/22
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Release Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2022
ACROSS
1 Nail tech’s layers
6 Open mic night
host
11 Automated
Twitter user
14 Fire in the belly
15 Take one’s sweet
time
16 Dedicated lines
17 Top that!
19 Prefix with binary
20 Fair
21 Consider
22 Kabocha or
pumpkin, e.g.
24 Make-up artist?
26 Mike who voices
Shrek
28 David Ortiz’s
1,768, briefly
30 Beat that!
34 Park fixture for two
36 SoFi Stadium
player
37 Half and half
38 Caroline du Sud,
e.g.
39 Like some angles
41 Intestinal fortitude
42 __ on the side of
caution
43 Soon-to-be grads
44 Realm entered
through a
wardrobe
46 Strike that!
50 Miami-__ County
51 “Count me out”
52 Wee
54 Test versions
56 Farm skyscraper
58 Hairstyle for Nina
Simone
62 “Kinda”
63 Take that!
66 Hoover, for one
67 Come about
68 Like a foggy trail
path
69 Four-time WNBA
champion Bird
70 Divulge
71 Fine partner
DOWN
1 Cornfield calls
2 Cookie that has
a lychee flavor in
China
3 States further
4 Slate of chores
5 __ Lanka
6 Trimming tools
7 Nutmeg spice
8 Chewy chowder
chunk
9 Animal on
Idaho’s state seal
10 Application that
may help reduce
crow’s-feet
11 Game show
climax, often
12 Garbage feature
13 Mind, as a bar
18 Doc intended to
prevent leaks
23 Windy City
airport code
25 Ariana Grande’s
“God __ Woman”
27 Gulf of Aden
republic
28 Evoking the past
29 “Just wait a bit
more!”
31 Tie for roasting
32 Remove, as a
ribbon
33 Painted Desert
landform
34 Leak out slowly
35 Stinging insects
40 Regimen with
Workouts of the
Day
41 Ambiguous
point
45 Podcast
interrupters
47 Org. regulating
pesticides
48 Mischief-maker
49 Freestyle skier
Gu who won
two gold medals
at the 2022
Winter
Olympics
53 Where to wear a
metti
54 Auction actions
55 Old Testament
twin
57 “In that case ... ”
59 Terrarium
plant
60 Bust
61 “__-dokey!”
64 Foundry
delivery
65 Place to retire
SUDOKU
WHISPER
“Why did my
professor make
last possible
day?”
“Happy last
week of class!”
WHISPER
04/13/22
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com