More often than not, however, the person who flatly states 'Elves aren't like that!' is hard pressed to describe how they really look.... as if Tolkien has summoned archetypes from so deep in our minds that we can only recall them incompletely.

Howe American mechanical engineer
John W. John Howe may refer to:
John Howe (Australian settler) (1774–1852) Australian settler of Muswellbrook New South Wales
John Howe (bishop) (1920–2001) Episcopal bishop of St Andrews Dunkeld and Dunblane
John Howe (illustrator) (born 1957) Canadian book illustrator
John Howe (loyalist) (1754–1835) American loyalist and printer
John Howe (politician) (born 1963) American politician from Minnesota
John Howe (puritan) (1630–1705) English Puritan theologian
John F. Howe (bishop) Episcopal bishop of Central Florida
Sir John Howe 1st Baronet (died 1671) British politician and MP for Gloucestershire
John Howe 1st Baron Chedworth (died 1742) British MP for Gloucester and Wiltshire
John Howe 2nd Baron Chedworth (1714–1762) Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
John Howe 4th Baron Chedworth (1754–1804) last Baron Chedworth
John Howe (ski engineer) American ski designer and author.