#hardcover#rare#Tolkien#essay#shortstory#poem#poetry#fantasy#fantasylit#literature This difficult to find collector's item is in terrific shape other than a crease/tear on the top, right, front cover, some adhesive residue on the back of the dust jacket where a Borders Books price tag used to be, and a bookplate sticker inside the front cover (covering where some idiot [read: me] wrote his name, like a dog marking his territory. On the positive side, at least I used ink, not pee. From the inside flap of the dust jacket: Fairy stories are not just for children, as anyone a anyone that has read Tolkien will know. First published in 1964, "Tree and Leaf" goes far in explaining Tolkien's vision of fantasy writing, its significance and place in the literary world. In his essay "On Fairy-Stories," Professor Tolkien discusses the fairy-tale as a form of literature which offers a combination of values peculiar to itself, providing what the New York Times called "a haunting and successful demonstration of the qualities of faerie." One of Tolkien's earlier short stories, "Leaf by Niggle," is included as an apt and elegant illustration. This 1989 edition also contains the poem "Mythopoeia" (the making of myths), as well as a new introduction by Christopher Tolkien, editor of his father's posthumous works. Indispensable to all who are interested in the literature of fantasy and myth, "Tree and Leaf" shows Tolkien's mastery and understanding of the art of "sub-creation," the power to give fantasy "the inner consistency of reality." As the Cambridge Review stated, "the book must be read . .. it goes far to explain the nature of his art and justify his success." ----- Collector's Edition (hence the unusually high price, which makes me feel weird to post, since I usually tend to price books on the low side to get them into a good home quickly) ----- I donate all money made from these book sales to local non-profits (SE Pennsylvania) that help people facing a wide range of crises.