Issue 4 of the esteemed literary journal “Silver Leaves” was published on September 22, 2012–also known as “Hobbit Day.” The journal begins shipping in October 2012 with the title “Here Be Dragons.”
Focusing on high-fantasy works inspired by authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, “Silver Leaves” combines beautiful illustrations from renowned artists and illustrators with poetry, fiction, and scholarly writings from respected authors and poets.
This issue of the “Silver Leaves” journal is dedicated to dragons which are included in the myths of many Eastern and Western cultures. Whether serpentine or feathered, friend or foe, “Silver Leaves” takes a look at dragons in their many forms.
According to L. Lara Sookoo, Editor in Chief of the literary journal, “Tolkien himself had a profound desire for dragons and he wrote some of the most malicious, intelligent, frightful dragons into his legendarium. We hope to explore these and other dragons in this issue.”
Artist Jef Murray, whose evocative dragon illustrations are featured throughout the journal, talked to ChristianActivities about the deeper meaning behind much of “Silver Leaves.”
“Since Tolkien’s Legendarium inspires and illuminates all of the writings and art in this quixotic publication, there can’t help but be an undercurrent of Christian orthodoxy in its content” Murray states. “But, more than that, Tolkien himself brilliantly wove into his tales real Truths that often go unspoken in our day. These help readers steal past those ‘watchful dragons’ that C.S. Lewis so famously identified…the ones that keep out Goodness, Truth, and Beauty, because they fit so ill with our ‘modern’ sensibilities.”
Murray, a member of the Catholic Illustrators’ Guild and Artist-in-Residence for the St. Austin Review (StAR), has numerous works of art in Issue 4 as well as the inspirational essay “The Unmarked Byway: Echoes of Middle Earth.”
I was honored to have three of my original poems included in this issue of “Silver Leaves,” including “Dragon” written especially for the “Dragons” issue, “A Friend Like Sam,” and “Snow Sprite.” “Silver Leaves” has graciously included my articles, poems and reviews in all four editions.
“Silver Leaves” is an annual project of the White Tree Fund. Published in Canada, the literary and artistic journal sells for $35 CAD. “Here Be Dragons” is available to order at whitetreefund.org/order-silver-leaves.
Related:
Silver Leaves: The Journal of the White Tree Fund – a Review
Journey to the Sea – Poems Inspired by ‘The Lord of the Rings’
