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Tom Shippey
13quotes
Tom Shippey: A Life of Scholarship and Passion
Full Name and Common Aliases
Tom Shippey is a British academic, author, and scholar, commonly known by his full name, Thomas Alfred Shippey.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on June 8, 1943, in Cheshire, England, Tom Shippey is still alive today, with no reported passing date.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Shippey is a British citizen, holding the position of Professor Emeritus at St. John's College, Oxford University. His academic background spans multiple disciplines, including medieval literature, Old English, Middle English, and translation studies.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in England, Shippey developed an early interest in languages, particularly Latin and Greek. He attended the University of Leeds, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Classics. He later pursued a Master's degree from the University of Oxford and completed his Ph.D. at Yale University.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Tom Shippey has made significant contributions to the fields of medieval literature and language studies. Some notable achievements include:
His work on Old English and Middle English translation, which has helped bridge the gap between modern readers and these ancient languages.
The publication of "Old English Vocabulary" (1972), a seminal study that examined the vocabulary of Anglo-Saxon England.
Shippey's translations of major medieval works, such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.Notable Works or Actions
Some of Tom Shippey's notable publications include:
"Old English Riddles" (1972)
"The Poems of Caedmon" (1978)
"Beowulf: A Verse Translation" (1994)
* "The Road to Middle-earth" (1982), a study on J.R.R. Tolkien's influence on modern fantasy literature.
Impact and Legacy
Tom Shippey's work has left an indelible mark on the fields of medieval literature, language studies, and translation theory. His dedication to making these complex subjects accessible to a broader audience has earned him recognition as one of the leading scholars in his field.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Tom Shippey's influence extends beyond academia, inspiring authors, artists, and enthusiasts alike with his passion for medieval literature and languages. His extensive knowledge and engaging writing style have made him a beloved figure among readers and scholars, ensuring his legacy as a pioneering scholar in the field.
With an illustrious career spanning multiple decades, Tom Shippey has left an enduring impact on the world of academia, literary scholarship, and beyond.
Quotes by Tom Shippey
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The cry that ‘fantasy is escapist’ compared to the novel is only an echo of the older cry that novels are ‘escapist’ compared with biography, and to both cries one should make the same answer: that freedom to invent outweighs loyalty to mere happenstance, the accidents of history; and good readers should know how to filter a general applicability from a particular story.
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Our reading can affect our imaginations in ways of which we are not consciously aware. It is quite common...to re-read something after a gap of many years and realize that it has been there all along, without any memory of where it was first encountered. But it may have been working away all the time.
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Many sci-fi authors, we know, are as clever and tricky as so many Coyotes. Ms. Le Guin, though, has matured from the vividness and imagination she had from the beginning into wisdom and a clearsightedness that reaches past sympathy.
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Science fiction is hard to define because it is the literature of change and it changes while you are trying to define it.
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I reckon it would take you 40 hours to read the first book out loud. Cutting that to three hours -- well, what can you do? The answer is, abridge, ... If you know the story, you can see them skipping.
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Tolkien reintroduced the world of fairy tale to a new audience. It was a very traditional image of fairy tale -- elves, dwarves, trolls, dragons, wizards. Those have all come out of fairy tales. But Tolkien put the whole thing on the map, ... A lot of that stuff is traditional material that he has codified and rationalized in a kind of 20th-century way.
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My colleagues in the literary department say it's all very escapist stuff. I think, 'No, no, no.' It's actually all about what happened in the 20th century. The 20th century has basically been industrialized warfare,
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If we're looking back in 1,000 years time, his work will be instantly recognizable as 20th century, ... entirely characteristic of that period, and articulating the concerns of the century.
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Glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago', comments the narrator; and his comment shows that the ancient smith was not glad, did not know, was condemned to defeat and death and oblivion in the barrows. Still, even after thousands of years hope should not be lost; nor relied on.
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