Monday, February 2, 2015

Recommendations!


While we wait for the finished deck to appear in print (which could really be any time now), here are a couple of Good Things that will expand your knowledge of L. Frank Baum, the Land of Oz and its people. 

Did you know that the Wizard is based on a real person? 

Did you know that The Emerald City and the Yellow Brick Road have their origins in real-world places? 

Did you ever wonder why L. Frank Baum created such strong female characters in an era when women were considered subservient and not even allowed to vote?

The answer to these and other questions can be found in Evan Schwartz's neat book, Finding Oz, available now only through used and out-of-print booksellers online, or through Google Books, and in an hour-long documentary from the Smithsonian, derived in part from Schwartz's book, called The Origins of Oz, narrated by Natalie Merchant. This hour-long film is available for free at the Smithsonian website, at iTunes, and even at Youtube. Just search The Origins of Oz and you'll find it easily. 

I highly recommend both the book and the film, to both hard-core and casual fans of the land of Oz.

Until next time;

-- Frede.