Mythmoot V: Fantastic Frontiers was held on June 21-24, 2018, in Leesburg, VA
In June 2018, we convened at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA, for Mythmoot V: Fantastic Frontiers. It truly was a weekend of fun, learning, and fellowship.
This page preserves some of the details around the conference. Please also be sure to check out the Signum Library Digital Collections for proceedings from Mythmoots past.
Welcome from Dr. Corey Olsen
Signum University and the Mythgard Institute have been around for over five years now, and each time we’ve hosted a Mythmoot conference, it has been special. As an institution, Signum strives to make serious scholarship on imaginative literature and all the fun that goes along with it available to everyone, and from its inception, Mythmoot has been the place where that mission gets embodied in a local gathering. This year, we have put together our biggest program ever. We’ve invited more guests, extended the conference an extra day, and discovered a wonderful new venue that enables us to plan the most exciting conference we’ve ever hosted. Whether you are a casual fantasy fan or a professional scholar, you will find Mythmoot a marvelous opportunity for intellectual explorations, creative expression, and stimulating conversation. I hope to see you there!
Mythmoot V Special Guests
John Garth
Author of Tolkien and the Great War
Douglas Anderson
Scholar of fantastic literature
Marc Okrand
Inventor of Klingon and professional conlanger
Prancing Pony Podcasters
Hosts Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese
A (Very Humble) Moot Point
By Sarah Powell
A moot is quite a merry gathering,
a welcoming, a chattering,
a come-sit-down-and-we’ll-discuss
of wizard’s luck and hobbit pluck.
Digging deep like dwarves, behold—
we’ll find a treasure more than gold:
friends new and old, and tales told,
and fellowship is forged in bold.
We’ll spin enchanted webs of banter,
drawing in the deeper matter:
hope and light and wrong from right,
to trust in small, not just in might.
And when the hours are spent and done
we’ll draw our hoods and everyone
will trundle home with thoughts afresh,
and Signum will have earned its rest
until the next moot gathers, blessed.
Used with permission.
Myhtmoot V Schedule
Thursday, June 21, 2018
- 4 – 5:30pm: General Meetup (National Secret)
- 6:30 – 7:30pm: Prancing Pony Podcast Meetup (National Secret)
- 7:30 – 10pm: Pub Trivia (National Secret)
Friday, June 22, 2018
- 8:30 – 9am: Welcome with Corey Olsen
- 9 – 10am: John Garth, “The creation of Tolkien’s Creation myth”
- 10:30am – Noon: Academic Sessions
- 1 – 2pm: Tom Shippey, “The Hero and the Zeitgeist”
- 2 – 3:30pm: Literary Performances
- 4 – 5pm: Douglas A. Anderson, “Borders, Boundaries, and the Spaces In-between: Perspectives via Genre and through Imaginary Worlds”
- 7 – 8pm: SilmFilm Readings
- 8 – 9pm: Klingon Workshop with Marc Okrand
- 9 – 11pm: LOTRO Run with Corey Olsen
Saturday, June 23, 2018
- 8:30 – 9am: Surprise Presentation!
- 9 – 10am: Creative Presentations
- 10:30am – Noon: Academic Presentations
- 1 – 2:30pm: Prancing Pony Podcast Live!
- 2:30 – 3:30pm: Marc Okrand, “Klingon and Conlanging”
- 4 – 5:30pm: Signum University Graduation Ceremony
- 7 – 10pm: Masquerade Ball
Sunday, June 24, 2018
- 9 – 10am: Douglas A. Anderson, “The ‘Ballantine Adult Fantasy’ Series”
- 10:30am – Noon: Academic Presentations
- 1 – 1:30: Closing Session with Corey Olsen
Project Paparazzi: The Mythmoot V Photo Contest
Over the Mythmoot V weekend, we asked participants to take pictures of Signum University President Dr. Corey Olsen. We then picked a random winner from among the pictures submitted to receive a signed copy of Corey’s book, Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
The winner of the photo contest was Signum MA student Emily Austin. Her winning photo is provided below, along with a few other notable entries.
Looking for more information about Mythmoot? Use our contact form or email [email protected].