I have been reading a book of Tolkien’s letters. He’s such an odd character; at once very much of his time and very much not of it, which I think comes from being sort of doubly old-fashioned, both now and also for most of his life. But here’s an entertaining one from the mid-1960s.

I can only imagine what Graves would have found to lecture on in the mid-60s

I get a big laugh out of Kingsley Amis' stories about Tolkien the professor. "Incoherent and often inaudible" and absolutely deadly in front of a classroom as he droned on and on.

I bet Graves's lecture involved his idiosyncratic takes on mythology. A colleague knew a chemistry professor who was seated beside Clint Eastwood at an award dinner and asked what he did. Eastwood said "I mostly direct films" and the prof replied "sorry, but that doesn't sound very interesting."

I’m so curious about this lecture now

I wonder if Ava Gardner found the encounter quite restful.

Bertrand Russell, in iirc, the conquest of happiness, talks about how important hobbies, such as American Baseball, are

Evidently Ava Gardner wasn't elf-maiden standard.* * She absolutely was

For an academic, the most relatable thing about Tolkien is his habit—established early and sustained throughout his life till the very end—of complain-apologizing for being late with or failing to complete any real work recently due to the mass of pettifogging obligations and annoying interruptions.

"but an Ass"

That long description of Graves is very funny.