About the Author
J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other tales of Middle-earth, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but even as he studied these classics he was creating a set of his own. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
About the Narrator
Paula Poundstone is an author and popular panelist on NPR’s weekly comedy quiz program Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! She tours regularly, performing stand-up comedy throughout the country. She was the first woman ever to share the stage with the president as host at the White House correspondents’ dinner. She has had numerous HBO specials, starred in her own series on HBO and ABC, is included in Comedy Central’s list of Top 100 Comics of All Time, and has won an American Comedy Award. She is the national spokesperson for the American Library Association’s United for Libraries Volunteer Network.