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October 1st, 1941 - November 3rd, 2010
We regret to record the death of Glen GoodKnight, the founder of the Mythopoeic Society. Our condolences go to his family and friends.
Glen was born on October 1st, 1941, and discovered the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in 1958 as a teenager at high school. Whilst a history major at Cal State L.A. in September 1967, he founded the Mythopoeic Society, following a since-legendary picnic in honour of Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday in a local park. The Society focussed on the Inklings generally, with the first number of its journal, Mythlore, edited by Glen, coming out in January 1969. Branches of the Mythopoeic Society were soon established in other parts of the U.S. and Canada, albeit with a preponderance in California. Glen organised Mythcon I - the first conference of the Mythopoeic Society — in 1970; and he married Bonnie Bergstrom at a ceremony held during Mythcon II the following year. They had a daughter, Arwen, but divorced in 1979. The Mythopoeic Society merged with the Tolkien Society of America in 1972.
Glen and Bonnie made a 6-week visit to England, Ireland and parts of Europe in mid-1975, which included attending a Northfarthing Smial Innmoot and a Smial meeting proper. He visited the UK again in 1992 for the Tolkien Centenary Conference, jointly organised by the Tolkien Society and the Mythopoeic Society.
Glen retired from active participation in the Mythopoeic Society in 1998 after some 30 years’ service, although he still maintained an interest. He began attending Mythcons again in 2007, at which event he was given a standing ovation.
In his ‘outer’ life, Glen taught at elementary schools in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, making sure always at some point to introduce his charges to The Hobbit and to C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books.
He died of natural causes on November 3rd, 2010, after some years of poor health, survived by Ken Lauw, his partner of 23 years, and a sister.
Glen GoodKnight will long be remembered for his outstanding contribution to both Tolkienian fandom and scholarship, as well as his friendly encouragement to all who wanted to take part.
Charles E. Noad
