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 Read more at 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