At first glance, the epic battles of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth may seem like pure fantasy. But, for world-renowned author and scholar John Garth, it represents something far more profound—a real-world exploration of how the darkest human experiences can be transformed into enduring art.

On Tuesday, April 7, the Society of Skeptics welcomes Mr. Garth to a different hilltop for his inaugural visit. An acclaimed biographer and journalist, he plans on sharing more about how J.R.R. Tolkien’s service in the trenches of World War I shaped the heroism and tragedy found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, revisiting a path from the horrors of the Great War to the creation of the most influential books of our time.

“I’ll talk about how the young Tolkien fought in World War I, and how his experience of fear, tragedy, courage, and heroism helped to shape what he wrote,” shared Mr. Garth in a pre-event interview. “Good can emerge from the darkest times. You can make something uplifting out of the most terrible experiences, if you channel your feelings into creativity.”

Students who attend the event will hear how Mr. Garth’s own career evolved—from building a following during the era of print journalism to pursuing a “nerdy” passion on the side until it became a second career.
“The best thing about my career overall has been learning about other people and, in the process, about myself,” says Mr. Garth. “Twenty years of working in newspapers taught me how to investigate and communicate. Meanwhile, a private passion for Tolkien eventually led to writing books that make me proud, traveling the world, and working directly with his handwritten manuscripts.”

For students navigating their own major life decisions, Mr. Garth offers a perspective rooted in patience and self-introspection. He encourages them to seek work that enriches them emotionally while maintaining practicality.
“Find what you love to do and do it as much and as well as you can,” he advises. “But it can take a long time to find what you love doing. Meanwhile, pick studies and a career that enrich you mentally and emotionally as well as giving you financial security.”

Ultimately, his hope for future leaders is that they will recognize the value of their own voice in an increasingly automated world. “Writing is hard even when you can do it well,” he says. “But it’s by writing—and not using AI—that you can really learn to think.”

All are welcome to hear Mr. Garth speak in the forum of the Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.