Talking Tolkien Professor brings Middle Earth to his English course

Jordan Utley-Thomson Roundup Reporter

One does not simply walk into this English professor’s office without noticing the mounted swords and ironclad armor and thinking “is this MiddleEarth?”

Lawrence Krikorian is a 55-yearold full-time English professor who has taught at Pierce College for the past twenty-seven years.

“There is so much Tolkien stuff in [my office],” Krikorian said. “My current favorite is The Lord of the Rings Pez set.”

Krikorian is teaching English 28, 86, 102 and 270 this semester, with 270 being his “absolute” favorite.

“He explains [material] very well and goes through everything, and makes English really fun,” said business major Anthony Morton, who is now taking English 102 with Krikorian. “I expected this class to be hard, but it’s actually pretty enjoyable.”

English 270 is a science fiction and fantasy course that meets once a week on Wednesday nights. The curriculum consists of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Out of the Silent Planet, Solaris, and Snow Crash.

“[Snow Crash is] about the future of the internet as predicted from 1992,” Krikorian said. “A lot of it has come to pass. It’s an extremely violent book, and it’s also pretty vulgar, but students think it’s the greatest book in the class.”

A big fan of fantasy himself, Krikorian enjoys all things J. R. R. Tolkien, with his 42 year love affair with The Lord of the Rings as proof of his devotion.

[See PROFESSOR , pg. 5