] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 1, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 16:17:05 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Howdy. Just 24 shopping days left 'til Christmas! In regards to_The Patchwork Girl..._, > I was somewhat struck on this rereading with the large > number of IEs, considering that this book is a Quest rather > than a Tour. Both encounters with Victor Columbia Edison; > the cottage where Ojo sleeps and eats but is tired and > hungry afterward... You know, that IE about the cottage bothers me. There has to be a lot more to it that Baum mentions. If Ojo is not refreshed nor his hunger appeased, is the entire company under some delusion, or perhaps just Ojo? The wolf appearing at the door three times has to be more significant than just a reference to the old saw about poverty. For that matter, if the reference is to that old saying, where is the poverty? The whole episode felt ominous to me, but nothing more happens in regards to it. > On the meeting of Scarecrow and Scraps. Both of them brag > about having brains but no heart yet at first > sight--Bang!--they're in love. They even brag about their > heartlessness and their attraction to each other in the > *same* conversation. Is this ironic or what? :-) Think > Baum's trying to tell us love comes from one's brain? Or > even "Love conquers all"? :-) I was reminded of those gruff people that we all know. You know, the ones who are just softies on the inside. Bears can be that way. Speaking of Bears, > Golly, first Spark sounded like me and now Hulan. Maybe I'm > infectious! :) I'll give you interesting, but infectious? Gawd, I hope not. > THE "L"-WORD: For the record, Liberals spell just the same > way Conservatives do. It's just "in" these days to blame > Liberals for everything from inner city crime to the Battle > of Hastings... > We weren't responsible for the Battle of Hastings? Damn, and I've been taking credit for it. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 19:51:41 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, Thanksgiving Edition Hello. all--hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. THE THANKSGIVING EDITION: Re money in Oz: Baum finally saw the best thing and ruled out money in Oz (even if not at first)--and then RPT came along and changed that? Figures. Robin: Ouch! I only shaved three fingers--carpal tunnel is far more painful (my mom has had that for years, and my 15-year-old sister is showing some symptoms. Luckily for my piano playing, it's not struck me yet). (Yet.) THE 30TH: Talk about conservative South: Dallas, Texas (or rather a suburb thereof), where I lived five not-so-pleasant years of my growing years (sorry, those of you who live in Texas), was incredibly conservative. It wasn't until last year that my mother said it was the suburban area that made Dallas so right-leaning, that Dallas itself (at least downtown) was, like other downtown areas, much less so. Now in Georgia, I just happen to live in Fayette County, where my parents must watch their conversation when they go out to play bridge, lest the game turn in to a political discussion and any hope of friends be banished. What are we doing here? Beats me; my parents tell me it was a temporary home, until we found a better one--but we never did. David: You say, "Actually the Winged Monkeys say they belong in "this country," which could include all of Baumgea. But their king also says they can't cross the desert, which does seem to restrict them to Oz proper." Do you imply that all of Baumega was once one country? It'd be an interesting "historical" novel, that theory ... Robin: As I said above, injured hands do eventually get better. <> My family often violates tradition too--not this year, but many years we've had baked ham ... This year we joined with a rather conservative family and had a joint celebration, where each family did half the cooking and preparing. PG and IE's: Not as bad as Rinkatink, I don't think... Sky Witch-message: In the book, none, but if we look at the 1939 movie, SURRENDER DOROTHY, as I recall. <> Funny, that's what I blamed Conservatives for ... ;-). Liberally yours, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 20:22:26 -0500 From: Mark K DeJohn Subject: Ozzy Digest Sender: Mark K DeJohn From: Barbara DeJohn I do have a copy of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Unfortunetly the spine is missing and there is not a publisher mentioned anywhere on the inside. I think it is probably a First Edition since it was given to Tommie Smith Christmas1902. It only has 18 of 20 plates and of course no dust cover. I am very involved in my sorority at U of Pgh and the system is designed so that each sorority would receive the same number of pledges and that every girl would receive a bid. It does not always work out this way but mostly because the rushee may not want the groups that are interested in her. Fraternities do not folllow this structure at all. Does anyone know if The Heather &The Holly Oz catalog is coming out . I haven't received it yet and would like it. Ozzily, Barbara DeJohn mbdejohn@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 21:56:18 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Nome Kingdom: In _Ozma_, Baum places the Nome Kingdom to the east of Oz, across from the Munchkin country. In every other reference, it is to the east, across from the Winkie Country. It is possible that the King of the Munchkins mentioned was Boq (assuming they took a circuitous route to the EC), but it was probably not Cheeriobed. ********** SPOILER FOR OJO IN OZ ********** Bear: Actually, the idea of Unc Nunkie has already been used in _Ojo in Oz_. Of course, RPT only scratched the surface here. Much more can be written. ********** END OF SPOILER ********** Eureka has been the subject of much discussion. It is highly unlikely that she could be one of the leading personalities at the palace. Given the forgiving nature of the Ozites, it is entirely possible that she has been cleared of wanting to eat the piglet and is now at least tolerated around the palace. But one of the big "men" (pardon the phrase) on campus? No way. Obviously, Shaggy was just trying to keep Bungle on her toes. Bear: Didn't the Tin Woodman once say that Oz only has one law: "Behave yourself"? It's also been suggested on the Digest that Oz has no laws, but all justice, etc. is based on the assumption that Ozma is good, kind, wise, just, etc. so that anything she decides must be right. This philosophy has the advantage that it is completely unfettered by bureaucracy or precedent. John Bell: The theory of confinement occurs again in _Tik-Tok_, with the army of Oogaboo being trapped in the Slimy Cave and Shaggy's brother trapped in the metal forest. Prior to writing _Patchwork Girl_, Baum went broke and may have felt trapped in a financial sense. That is, he may have felt forced into writing Oz books to stay afloat. Of course, I'm reaching here. "Ve are Vatching you" (V's on purpose): If I was planning to conquer Oz, I'd stick a V-chip into the Magic Picture! Crime and Punishment/Coddling: Despite my allegiance to Bear in this, our ideas of of a judicial system with various punishments really do not apply in Oz since the situation is so radically different from our own. It is to be remembered that some people have endured some rather harsh punishments, like Glegg, Mombi, Gorba/Abrog and Mooj. The bed and couch form the majority of my reading-places. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 20:38:37 -0800 From: Robert Schroeder Subject: Ozzy Digest Stuff Re: "Wizard of Oz in Concert" Video I recieved a copy of this video for Christmas 1995. It was part of a "limited collectors edition" box set, which included the Concert video, CD, a THX enhanced copy of the 1939 movie, a copy of the script and several still photos, also from the movie. As I said, this was a Christmas surprize for me, as I had already taped the concert and didn't expect this set, nor the complete Barbie as "Scarlet O'Hara" set. Needless to say, my list to Santa this year includes the Barbie and Ken "Wizard of Oz" set and hopefully...just hopefully, the "My Fair Lady" Barbie set. Did I mention that I collect Barbies dressed as movie stars? I hope that you can find this video, but there is one little "flaw" with the video. For the TV broadcast, the bumpers were short "Making of WOZ the Concert" clips...which remain in the video. grrrrr!!!! Robert ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 23:11:22 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Bear: >Do you all remember?< "Surrender Dorothy" (Nya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha......... :-) ) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 23:10:45 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Bear: >Ijust can't imagine snuggling in bed with my computer. Bed is where I do all of my reading. Where do the rest of you read?< Bed is not my only place to read, but it's my favorite, too. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 20:48:50 -0800 From: Robert Schroeder Subject: another Ozzy thing... Just one more thing... For the Oz Collector, don't forget to check out Hallmarks Keepsake Ornament selections for this year. Three years ago, they began a WOZ series by putting out Dorothy, Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. Then, the 1995 edition was Glinda the Good, and 1996 was The Wicked Witch of the West. Haven't seen the 1997 edition, yet, but I suspect it will be the Wizard. I'm off tomorrow so I will be hitting the stores until I find it and the 1997 Star Trek ornament for my roommate. It makes our Christmas a real fantasy season, if you know what I mean!! Robert ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 04:30:55 -0800 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Ozzy Digest stuff [144.80.104.94] didn't use HELO protocol David Hulan: In _Ozma_, the King of the Quadlings is mentioned soon after the King of the Munchkins. He is described as a subject of Ozma. J. L. Bell: I don't have a copy of _Patchwork Girl_ handy, but a Bugle article on Neill revealed that the more "rounded" Woozy was Neill's first attempt. Baum rejected the drawing, and Neill drew a more square Woozy. For some reason, the rejected drawing of the Woozy appeared in the finished book, as well as in _Who's Who_. Melody: I would guess that Nick Chopper has the ability to love, but does not realize it (at least by the time of _Tin Woodman_). I'm not sure he ever really loved Nimmie Amee that much. In _Wizard_ (I think, although it might have been _Tin Woodman_), Nick says something like, "She was so beautiful that I grew to love her." He seems to be indicating that his "love" for Nimmie Amee was based primarily on a physical attraction. Racism and Stereotyping in Oz Books: I don't really think that Jinnicky's owning Negro slaves indicates that RPT condoned slavery or racism. It could indicate racism on Jinnicky's part, but I prefer to think that the "slaves" are willing servants of Jinnicky. In regards to their skin color, I would assume that the majority of the people in northeastern Ev are Negroes. There is no reason to believe that Jinnicky is conducting a slave trade with some other country. Besides, Jinnicky's miners, who are Negroes, do receive wages (and good ones, at that), according to _Silver Princess_. I would have to agree that the treatment of Orientals in _Royal Book_ was slightly racist. At one point, Thompson states that "The Silver Islanders themselves were too stupid to enjoy its [the island's] beauty." Of course, it is possible that this is just what the Scarecrow is thinking. An unusual culture often seems "stupid." There were a lot of Arab-esque villains in the Thompson Oz books, but I never really thought that people such as Mustafa, Skamperoo, the Pasha of Rash, and the Sultan of Samandra were meant to represent typical Arabs. There is more that I wanted to say on this topic, but I can't think of how to say it just now, so I think I'll end this message. -- Nathan Mulac DeHoff vovat@geocities.com or lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark." ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 09:59:49 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Bear and J.L. Bell and David Hulan: Ojo and Unc Nunkie's relation to the ancient Munchkin kings as a lead-in to a story (Bear) -- as David Hulan commented, Thompson did. Did a nice job of it, too. Her Ojo is perhaps a more likable character than Baum's, who whines a but too much about his unluckiness. (The Patchwork Girl herself, though, is an engaging character, and it's no wonder Baum wound up naming the book after her, even though she's not the protagonist. He doesn't seem to have considered naming the book "Ojo of Oz," though.) It's an oddity that Baum generally did better with girls as protagonists, while RPT generally did better with boys. I notice that J. L. Bell makes a reasonable case for continuity of characterization between Ojo/LFB and /RPT. Also enjoyed J. L.'s comments on frustration as a theme. Suggestion that Baum felt frustrated in this book at resuming series he'd abandoned sounds plausible, as does idea that the discrepant Ojo-illo was a retread of a something else. (Answer to Bear's trivia question: "Surrender Dorothy.") The artwork in "Patchwork Girl" is unusual in the series for its repetition. One of the "Bugle" articles on Neill commented that in "Patchwork Girl" not only are there several illos essentially the same as "Little Wizard" illos (it is apparently not clear which of the two books Neill did them for first), but several of the illos are inserted (presumably by someone at Reilly & Lee) by taking a more elaborate two-person drawing and dividing it into two portraits, with some minimal reworking of the backgrounds to make it less obvious that one illo is appearing three times. Perhaps he was rushed that year, or perhaps the initial plan for the book's layout aimed at having fewer illos, and the publishers changed their minds too late to get more. Another part (or another article?) quoted a letter from Baum objecting to the overly stiff, wood-like Woozy Neill had drawn and pointed out that although Neill made a more flexible-looking, un-grained Woozy for the first portrait, and drew him that way for most of the rest of the book, the one illo mentioned apparently is that original drawing Baum didn't like, and another example of some kind of problem in getting enough artwork to fill up the book. Earlier, a short article on the Woozy by Dan Mannix pointed out that Neill's Woozy looks rather like a parody of cubism, as represented in such famous paintings as Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase" (and suggested that the predominant browns in Duchamp's "Nude" may have influenced the color illos of the Woozy as brown, when the text describes him as dark blue -- although Neill's impression of the Woozy as made of wood may also have influenced the color, and in turn evidently influenced RPT, who described the Woozy as made out of wood in one of her books). Either Baum or a publicist at R&L must have noticed the cubist style of Neill's Woozy, because, although the text of the story doesn't use the term to describe him, a poem written to publicize the book (reprinted in a "Bugle" "Oz Scrapbook" page) used it more than once. Dave Hardenbrook: Enjoyed your comments on the set of silent movies. David Levitan and Tyler Jones: Baum doesn't say that the Tin Woodman is the Emperor of the Winkies in the "Road" parade, but take note that (as I pointed out in my "Elusive Rulers of Oz" essay) the Tin Woodman is NOT marching elsewhere in the parade. His servants are marching elsewhere in the parade, but he is not described as being with them. So it looks as if Baum in fact meant that the Emperor of the Winkies was the Tin Woodman there, as in the other books. (If you're interested in getting a copy of the essay -- if you send me your address, I'll send a copy of it. Or you might want to drop a line to Andrea Yussman and ask if there are some more copies of that Oz Research Group mailing available. I don't have her address here at work, but she's in the IWOC directory.) Melody Grandy: Probably sexifolium rather than trifolium duplex? Ruth Berman P.S. Andrea Kelman Yussman's address is 2800 Rockhaven Ave, Louisville KY 40220, and the "Rulers" essay was in my "Dunkiton Commentator" #4 in the summer 97 Oz Research Group mailing. (I think. I actually sent it to her as part of #3 for the previous mailing, but I think she accidentally omitted it and put it in with #4 in the summer one.) ====================================================================== Content-return: allowed Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 17:24:37 +0100 From: Bill Wright Subject: Oz Digest Bob Spark. Ref you note about viewing the "Concert in Oz" video. Could you tell me where you were able to find it? I'm interested in buying a copy. Bill in Ozlo Note to all: If any member of the digest would like copies of the two Oz audio books (WWOO and ECO) for Christmas presents, they can be had as a one time offer at 40% discount. Send me an email if interested. They make great gifts.... Bill in Ozlo bw@computas.no ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 10:39:38 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Bear: >Bed is where I do >all of my reading. Where do the rest of you read? Mostly in my easy chair, though also at the table when I'm eating (always when I eat alone; usually when it's just Marcia and me, since she likes to read while eating as well). And in bed for about 10-15 minutes at night before I turn off the light, but I restrict that to rereading old favorites - Oz books, Rick Brant, Burroughs, Georgette Heyer, etc. >Yesterday I got into a Trivial Pursuit game. What question should I get >but, "What message did the witch write in the sky?" I finally pulled it >out of my tired old brain, but not before perspiration began to form on my >forehead. Do you all remember? Sure: "SURRENDER DOROTHY". We had a discussion on this in the Digest a few months back, speculating whether there should have been a comma and "Dorothy" was in the vocative, or whether it was written correctly and "Dorothy" was in the accusative. (Since English nouns don't change form with case except for the genitive, you can't tell, but a Latin translation would have been something like "Se dede Dorothea" for the first and "Dorotheam trade" for the second. I think I have those right, though I'm working from a Latin dictionary and 45-year-old recollections of Latin grammar, so I'll defer to anyone whose Latin is more recent and/or thorough.) Melody: One wonders whether there might not somewhere be a left wing from a yellow butterfly that had been otherwise destroyed by some natural means. Snapped up by a bird or the like, for instance. I'd have certainly asked the Magic Picture to find one before giving up - though since the Wizard had come up with another way to break the enchantment by then, it was irrelevant. John K.: >After considering the description of the voice on the record and the >meter of the verse (such as it is), I am now convinced that what Baum >is actually describing (and any contemporary reader would have known >this) is a white singer (possibly Irish) performing an instance of the >then-fashionable genre known as the "coon song", which, to my mind, >considerably exonerates him. Good point, since Baum clearly is contemptuous of that style of "music"; it could be that he intended to show equal contempt for that style of racism. Dave: >_PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ_: >At least the IEs in _Patchwork_ are a lot of fun and not strictly the >mundane "Get the visitors to be just like us" formula. Not many of Baum's IEs followed that formula; that was more Thompson's style. Baum used it in _Road_, but I can't think offhand of any other instances in his books. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 97 11:04:09 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things E-TEXTS: The question of Oz books online has been brought up...This is of course in my FAQ, but I have all the Baum 14 available for anyone who wants them, as well as non-Baum Oz books that are public domain, i.e. _The Royal Book of Oz_, _The Wishing Horse of Oz_, _Captain Salt in Oz_, _Handy Mandy in Oz_, _The Silver Princess in Oz_, _Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz_, _The Magical Mimics in Oz_, and _The Shaggy Man of Oz_. Also, I'll take this opportunity to announce that (in the spirit of the upcoming Christmas season) the Ozzy Digest archive now includes _The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus_. (BTW, does anyone know where _Zixi_ and the two Trot books are available in Vanilla ASCII format?) LAW OF THE LAND: Tyler wrote: >Didn't the Tin Woodman once say that Oz only has one law: "Behave >yourself"? Well, one might argue for a set of laws that are a little less vague... :) Of course, I've always considered this Ozian "law" the directed-at-children Ozzy equivalent of the credo of Shangri-La: "Be kind". OZIAN BOTANY: >Melody Grandy: Probably sexifolium rather than trifolium duplex? I think Zim knows what he's talking about. Besides the "duplex" I think gives it away: tri- = 3, duplex = 2; 3 * 2 = 6. But perhaps Zim could explain to us the exact meaning of _Trifolium duplex_... "LEFT WING OF A YELLOW BUTTERFLY": In the event that I get around to writing the script for my movie version of _Patchwork_ :) I keep looking for some clever pun that Baum might have used to give himself an out, make the quest successful without any cruelty to arthropods, and avoid the weak "Wizard ex machina" ending; but I haven't found one yet...Can anyone think of one? Jeremy?? :) :) -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 2, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ***** OZZY DIGEST SECOND ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIGEST! :) :) ***** ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 15:42:43 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Bear & Bob Spark: People in the past have asked about the meaning of the wolf at the door episode, but no one seems to have a likely-sounding answer. As you say, the proverbial wolf at the door doesn't seem to be an explanation. I wonder if there might have been something else about it that cut from the ms. There was one chapter in the book that got cut, "The Garden of Meats," but that was from later on, after leaving the Emerald City. All that's known of it is in a letter of Baum's and a few illos by Neill (published in the "Bugle" several years back), a couple showing mobile vegetables tending a garden with children's heads growing up from the ground, and one that presumably didn't actually belong in the excised chapter, apparently a portrait of the lazy Quadling's wife with the one eel she caught. The letter indicates that he omitted the chapter at the publisher's request, as the ms. was too long, but that he was pleased to do it, as he wasn't satisfied with the way the chapter turned out. The "Bugle" editor speculated that he might have decided it was too horrific, if the vegetables used their meats-from-the-garden for food, as we do garden vegetables. By the way, I think Mr. Yoop gets his name from the Yoopers of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Jeremy Steadman: RPT doesn't really have money in Oz. She has money below Oz, in the kingdom of Down Town, and she has economic bases for her various Ozzy towns, but the base is barter, not money, I think. And it seems reasonable enough that Oz towns might specialize in goods to offer (rags from Ragbad in poor times or fine cloths in good, posies and buttons from Kimbaloo, etc.) in exchange for food from the countryside, considering that Baum's version describes everyone as contributing something? The McGraws have ceremonial coins used as a kind of play-money on special occasions in "Forbidden Fountain." Tyler Jones: Maybe Eureka is a Somebody around the palace because she's Dorothy's cat, and so Dorothy is fond of her, and Dorothy's enough of a Somebody for that to count. (For that matter, since she was the one who brought Shaggy to Oz, her ideas may count with him even more than they do with palace-dwellers generally)? Robert Schroeder: The Hallmark Oz ornament this year is Miss Gulch on her bicycle. She doesn't really look cross enough, though, to be convincing. (Whether you'd want a really cross-looking Miss Gulch on a tree is another matter, but she doesn't seem right as Miss Gulch. In fact, my first reaction, looking at the long dress and straw-hat, was to wonder if this was a scene from Disney's "Mary Poppins" I'd forgotten.) Dave Hardenbrook: On punning ways to get a left wing of a yellow butterfly -- well, you could sculpt a fly out of butter and cut off its left wing. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 20:47:35 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" >Melody: One wonders whether there might not somewhere be a left wing from a yellow butterfly that had been otherwise destroyed by some natural means. Snapped up by a bird or the like, for instance. I'd have certainly asked the Magic Picture to find one before giving up - though since the Wizard had come up with another way to break the enchantment by then, it was irrelevant.< Believe it or not, that idea had occurred. Perhaps a left wing found in a spiderweb. (Spider: Munch, munch, munch, munch.....) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 20:46:52 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Ruth: >Probably sexifolium rather than trifolium duplex?< Interesting Latin Name possibility. "Trifolium" *is* the real-life family name of the clover family, though. So "trifolium" is used to indicate Zim's six-leaf clover plants are still in the clover family--and "duplex" to indicate both that they have six leaves & that's double the number a member of the "trifolium" family should have. :-) Literally, the name's supposed to mean "double three-leaf" or "three-leaf doubled." Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 21:16:36 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Barbara > I am very involved in my sorority at U of Pgh and the system is designed so that each sorority would receive the same number of pledges and that every girl would receive a bid. Surely this is a joke? When did this start? If this is for real it isn't a sorority, it's an assigned living situation, like a dorm. I'm sure the Conservative vs Liberal thing that continues on the Digest informs and entertains us. However, it is getting to the point where I want to be differentiated from all of the possibly overly-religious "Conservatives to whom some of you are apparently exposed. My Conservatism is focused on economic, legal and ethical issues. As far as I'm concerned, religion is a personal issue and no one elses business. Thus...... >>LAW OF THE LAND: Tyler wrote: >>Didn't the Tin Woodman once say that Oz only has one law: "Behave yourself"? >Well, one might argue for a set of laws that are a little less vague... :) >Of course, I've always considered this Ozian "law" the directed-at-children >Ozzy equivalent of the credo of Shangri-La: "Be kind". Now as a Conservative I feel this is where we went wrong in this country. We used to have some laws and judges who dispensed justice. In the 60's, IIRC, someone decided that a law should be made for everything. Then if everything was covered by law, no one could corrupt government employees. As a result, we started graduating lawyers by the thousands and our governing bodies started passing laws as fast as possible. What has resulted is a bogged down legal system and gigantic bureaucracies in which no one is capable or willing to make a decision (see e.g. FDA, IRS, HEW, etc.). So, I am all in favor of the "Tin Woodman's law." Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 02:58:55 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 I was going through my desk at work recently and came across a clipping I've kept for 6-7 years now. It's a short piece on Baum from the Fedco Reporter titled "The Wizard's Old Black Coat". It's by Richard Bauman of Hacienda Heights. Is this the same Richard Bauman who's on the Digest? Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 20:32:20 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Dave Hardenbrook wrote: >Besides, perhaps Shaggy used a ZIP file or some Huffman Compression >technique. Actually, Morse did a frequency analysis on English text. Morse code _is_ a crude Huffman code. In any case, transmitting a good-sized Oz book wouldn't take more than a few days. // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 22:43:22 -0500 (EST) From: JOdel@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, whenever... So, on to Patchwork Girl. This is one of the ones which we had when I was a kid. It was missing a page, somewhere in the last third, but so far as I can recall, it wasn't in a crutial spot. This was never one of my top favorites, since the failure of Ojo's quest always soured it for me, even though the book had the required happy outcome. Baum seemed to be working very hard to reconstruct the way that his fairyland opperated, and to get it down in writing so there would be no confusion. He didn't succeed, since he went on messing with it. But there does seem to be a strong degree of explanation throughout. No one, so far, has commented that the plot of Patchwork Girl seems to mimic, if not actually to parody, that of Wizard, at least as much as the plot of Tik-Tok does that of Ozma. We have a child from a backwards, rural area who abruptly finds himself in what might as well be a "new world" (to wit, deep in the Munchkin country of Oz), forced out of a quiet, isolated existence by what seems to be a natural disaster -- even if a very silent one. This child is immediately deprived of the elderly relative who stands in loco parentis, and is thrust upon a quest to recover him. Furthermore, the child is accompanied on this quest by a newly-animated stuffed doll, (already supplied with brains) and a live hunk of some mineral substance (already with a heart). Very soon they encounter and enlist a animal of freakish nature (with, it claims, a ferocious roar) and they all set out to find the Yellow brick road to the Emerald City. The big difference in this book is that every one of the freaks is happy just the way they are, and nobody but Ojo wants anything but an adventure. So far the only thing missing is Toto. The itinerary is also familiar. We travel from the Munchkin country, along the Yellow brick road, (I think their capture by plants is a reprise of the deadly poppy field, myself) to the Emerald City. Where Ojo's night in the city lock-up, and his subsequent trial stands in for the period that Dorothy and her companions hung around the court waiting to get in and see the Great Oz. From this point, the child explains his purpose and is given support in his quest, and sent from the Emerald City on a second leg of his quest which will ultimately take him into the Winkie country. This time the side trip into the Quadling country, where rather than being thrown about by trees they get thrown about by Tottenhots, who can at least be negotiated with, comes in the middle section, rather than at the end. . The requisite butterfly is denied, much as the balloon leaves ahead of schedule, and Ojo is stumped. All is not lost, however, and the once all the characters are assembled, the Wizard, no longer a humbug, saves the day. These similarities can hardly ALL be accidental. As to the comments already made, I agree with the comment that the theme here does seem to be heavily tied in with the motifs of confinement and frustration. As to David's comment on the pacing, I also agree. It is very good in this book. And the IEs are well integrated, for the most part. (I also agree that the Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey are highly irrelevant and, frankly, irritating. So is Victor Columbia Edison, but that's the point.) I do think that it is a flaw in the ploting that the main quest's failure and the happy ending are set back-to-back. In Wizard, the departure of the balloon took place some time before the end, so that Dorothy and the reader can come to grips with it, start over, and bring things to a sucessful conclusion by asking the right person for help. The needs of the reader, if not the characters, is less well served here. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 22:55:45 -0600 From: "R. M. Atticus Gannaway" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 DAVE HARDENBROOK: >"LEFT WING OF A YELLOW BUTTERFLY": >In the event that I get around to writing the script for my movie version >of _Patchwork_ :) I keep looking for some clever pun that Baum might have >used to give himself an out, make the quest successful without any cruelty >to arthropods, and avoid the weak "Wizard ex machina" ending; but I haven't >found one yet...Can anyone think of one? Jeremy?? :) :) perhaps pipt misread the ingredient and it was really a "left-wing butterfly"? BUTTERFLY: i suppose ozma has outlawed not only six-leaf-clover-picking but POT, too! atticus * * * "The crash of the whole solar and stellar systems could only kill you once." Visit my webpage at http://members.aol.com/atty993 ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 00:03:55 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Ruth: SInce I'm a member of the Oz Research Group, I probably have your essay somewhere, since I've never thrown any away. Dave: I forgot that another law in Oz is do not practice magic unless you are on Ozma's A-list. This law seems a little vague, since such characters as the three Adepts and Reera are allowed to continue their magic after being discovered. Perhaps the rule is do not practice wicked magic. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 21:48:01 -0800 From: Douglas or Lori Silfen Subject: For the Ozzy Digest Hi. My take on THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ. I thought it was great until the ending. I think we all agree that the Glass Cat and Scraps have become staple characters in Ozlore. Baum lays out the quest very well. The Horner/Hopper war is a super chapter as well. Ok...regarding the ending....I have brainwashed myself to believe that upon returning to Oz...the Wizard obtains a "porcelin" yellow butterfly wing from Glinda. He then mixes it with all the items that Ojo has aquired and the Woozy sticks his tail in the potion and voila!! The andidote is made! With this ending, Ojo's quest is more meaningful to me. Regarding Eric Shanower's graphic novel, THE FORGOTTON FOREST OF OZ. I liked it. I know some folks here didn't, but I thought it was very very interesting. Maybe it wasn't Ozzy as much as European fantasy, but I enjoyed it. I haven't read Shanower's first graphic novel, but of the four I've read, I'll rate them as follows: The Secret Island of Oz- 6 out of 10 The Ice King of Oz - 8.5 out of 10 The Forgotten Forest of Oz- 7 out of 10 The Blue Witch of Oz- 7 out of 10 Regarding Grammar and Punctuation- :-)---- When I write, I write online and spontaneously and there will be many many mistakes, but that is the way I am. You will not find this if you read my Maters Thesis in American History. Douglas ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 21:51:03 -0800 From: Douglas or Lori Silfen Subject: For Ozzy Digest 2 Oh yeah, I forgot, I read almost all fiction in bed too!! :-) Non-Fiction, is about 50-50 between reading in a chair and reading in bed. Weird, huh? Doug ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 08:20:49 -0600 From: Mike Denio Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Dave, At 12:10 PM 12/1/97 -0800, Dave L. Hardenbrook wrote: >E-TEXTS: >(BTW, does anyone know where _Zixi_ and the two Trot books are available > in Vanilla ASCII format?) I've converted the e-mail texts from Aron Adelman. These files are actually superior to the other .TXT files, since (once converted), the line feeds can be used as paragraph markers, and thus the document imports into MS Word with all the paragraph formatting intact! I can now convert any of these files (_Mo_, _Sea Fairies_, _Sky Island_, _Dough_, and _Zixi_) into MS Word, Word Perfect, or MS-DOS text, but if you want MS-DOS text, the formatting information (paragraph breaks) will be lost (as with the other "formatted" .TXT files). Mike Denio ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 06:22:12 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Bill Wright, When I said that I had watched "The Wizard of Oz in Concert" on VH-1 I meant the cable TV channel, not videotape. At the end of the piece it says that it is on Turner Home Video. I believe that Scott said that Turner had turned (is that a pun?) it over to PBS and he had queried them about it but received no response. One suggestion: At least in my area, PBS has a service called "Video Finders". They are usually fairly good. I have purchased a few videos from them. You might give them a try. The number that I have is 1-800-842-2298. I have no idea if that is a valid number in Ozlo, or just in California. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 97 14:58:39 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things "LEFT WING OF A YELLOW BUTTERFLY" II (TRYING TO ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION): How about this -- The Wogglebug presents Ojo with a *fossil* of an extinct species of yellow butterfly, and this satisfies the recipe... THE MAGIC LAW: Tyler wrote: >I forgot that another law in Oz is do not practice magic unless you are on >Ozma's A-list. This law seems a little vague, since such characters as the >three Adepts and Reera are allowed to continue their magic after being >discovered. Perhaps the rule is do not practice wicked magic. Come to think of it, Dr. Pipt is the only example I can think of an "unauthorized" magic worker even being acknowledged, let alone being disiplined, by Ozma. Are there any other exapmles that I don't know or recall? E-TEXTS: Mike Denio wrote: >I can now convert any of these files (_Mo_, _Sea Fairies_, _Sky Island_, >_Dough_, and _Zixi_) into MS Word, Word Perfect, or MS-DOS text, but if you >want MS-DOS text, the formatting information (paragraph breaks) will be >lost (as with the other "formatted" .TXT files). My current Oz texts are ASCII because I want to ensure that everyone can read them, even if they're on an Amiga (as I was until recently). But at this point I'll accept them in any format that Microsoft Works will read. -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 3 - 5, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 19:23:49 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 First of all, let me wish the Ozzie Digest (and all of you) a very happy second birthday. Let us all give a lot of credit to Dave Hardenbrook who does a marvelous job. From Leah Garchik's column in today's San Francisco Chronicle": > Vacationing in Costa Rica, Jerry matters saw an American car > with a bumper sticker that read, "Auntie Em: Hate you, hate > Kansas, Taking the dog. Dorothy." Bear, > So, I am all in favor of the "Tin Woodman's law." Me too!!! Maybe you ARE infectious. Speaking of Bear: > I was going through my desk at work recently and came across > a clipping I've kept for 6-7 years now. It's a short piece > on Baum from the Fedco Reporter titled "The Wizard's Old > Black Coat". It's by Richard Bauman of Hacienda Heights. Is > this the same Richard Bauman who's on the Digest? > > Scott Olsen If this is indeed our Richard Bauman (come on, 'fess up), how about making it available to all of us? With Bear's permission, of course. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 22:46:26 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz at length Sender: "J. L. Bell" David Hulan asked: <> As isolated as Ojo is, he nonetheless knows one thing that "people say" (p. 21), and he seems to know about Ozma--I infer that because her name raises no questions from him even as he asks about Jack Pumpkinhead (p. 30) and Dorothy (p. 76). By the time of his conversation with Nick, Ojo's been out in the world, and may have heard even more--especially because he was primed to note anything that made him feel unlucky. On page 313, for instance, Ojo takes his inability to swim as a reflection of his luck, even though Dorothy can't swim, either. Clearly Baum was playing with notions of self-image, as in WIZARD when the Tin Woodman declares he has no heart while weeping heartfelt tears (Ch. VI). David also questioned: <> One important aspect of a justice system is that trials be public, both to warn citizens of the consequence of crime and to assure them that justice is being done for both society and defendant. Nathan DeHoff and Ruth Berman both mentioned a BUGLE article that: <> Ha! I guessed right about the drawing on p. 114 of PATCHWORK GIRL! Ironically, in two details that reflects Baum's description of the Woozy better than Neill's standard style: ears as "openings in the upper corners" rather than tufts, and legs that "folded...as if they had been hinged" (p. 103). Dave Hardenbrook declared: <> I quite agree, and commend you for your metaphor. When I ordered my set a coupla years ago, I asked only for the three Oz Film Mfg videos. The order-taker remarked that most people seemed to want the Larry Semon WIZARD. "Ah," I said, "but I've seen it." In a theater, no less. Madison, Wisconsin. 1976. I can't erase the horrid memory from my brain. Tyler Jones wrote: <> The simplest explanation of this discrepancy is that the Royal Historian slipped when he said the Ozians stopped with the ruler of the Munchkins. Rather, they traveled east from Ev to the *Winkie* Country, paused at Nick Chopper's castle to wet their whistle [groan!], and proceeded to the Emerald City. It wouldn't be the last time Oz's chroniclers obviously confused east and west. That explanation requires no speculation about who officially ruled the Munchkins between the Wicked Witch of the East and Cheeriobed. Nathan DeHoff wrote of Nick Chopper: <> WIZARD, Chapter 5: "I made up my mind that instead of living alone I would marry, so that I might not become lonely. There was one of the Munchkin girls who was so beautiful that I soon grew to love her with all my heart. She, on her part, promised to marry me as soon as I could earn enough money [!] to build a better house for her." Lest we condemn Nick for wooing out of loneliness and physical attraction, and Nimmee Ammee for accepting out of expediency, let's remember that this was how practically all our of ancestors came to wed. Nathan also argued: <> In judging how Thompson depicted non-European ethnic groups, we need to examine both what she showed and what she didn't show. She probably didn't set out to depict "typical" people in any group, but when her portrayals all point in one direction, they're clearly influenced by what she'd learned to consider normal for that group. Thompson showed blacks as slaves--not just servants, but *slaves*. Jinnicky's staff aren't the only enslaved blacks in her books: there are more in GNOME KING. I recall no free blacks. It may make Jinnicky's domain seem like a nicer place if we assume free Negros live there happily--but there's no indication of that in her books. Thompson used Middle Eastern names (Mustafa, Matiah, Akbad) and titles (Pasha, Sultan, Shah) for sneaky, greedy, and/or hot-tempered villains. Did she equally use such names or titles for good characters? Ree Alla Bad echoes "Allah," (d)jinns comes from Arabic tales, Alibabble is no less likable than her other officious bureaucrats, and the Comfortable Camel loves his Karwan Bashi--but those are the minor exceptions. Thus, even though Thompson makes no explicit statement about slavery or ethnic characteristics, her depictions of blacks and Arabs fit right into and pass on the American stereotypes of her time: that Africans were naturally servile and Arabs sly and villainous. Incidentally, I don't see Skamperoo as an Arab caricature, especially when put next to Matiah, who clearly is. I think Neill drew him as a caricature of Mussolini, and Thompson may have written this ambitious conqueror the same way. Finally, David Hulan wrote: <> Encouraging news about Emerald City Press. I consider IEs to be potentially valuable to an Oz book's main plot in two ways: * Even when they don't advance the main plot, they can serve it by affecting the book's pacing. * They can reflect the book's themes. For instance, the many tourist stops in EMERALD CITY (I like Bunnybury best) draw out the book as Guph goes about his business, thus increasing the suspense; and they show us what's at stake in the potential conquest of Oz. In my own full-length manuscript, one protagonist does go through a coupla IEs that affect the main plot but little. However, I planned those so that they progress from nature to civilization and force him to accept responsibilities. I'm now working on a half-length manuscript (perhaps ECP length) that's much tighter because its heroes don't need that sort of awakening or introduction to the Ozian universe. Finally, a question for the assembled wisepeople: In which book did Ruth Plumly Thompson have Trot and Betsy elevated to princesses of Oz? J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 23:06:18 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Writing: When I write in other capacities, I am anal beyond all comprehension. All spelling and punctuation is rigorously checked, and each word is carefully chosen. As Bob Mohan (he's like the Rush Limbaugh of Phoenix) would say, I am a "Word Smith". With the Internet, though, I am totally stream of consciousness. In the long run, this may be for the best. In a sense, the Digest is "unplugged". --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 23:56:27 -0500 From: Lisa Bompiani Subject: Ozzy Digest Hello everyone! Wow! I've been out of the ring for awhile. It seems I've managed to catch a lung infection and have been down for three weeks now. Ugh, the cold does not make breathing easy. Oh well,. . . Robert: The Hallmark ornaments are Mrs. Gulch and a four piece miniature set of the four main characters. I will read anywhere, but my favorite places are curled up in my HUGE overstuffed easy chair with a great cup of coffee and my cat, or on the rocky summit of Massanutten Mountain in Virginia where nothing is better than a beautiful, warm, sunny day and a great book. I find that when I read in bed, I usually fall asleep or don't recall a lot of what I've read. being in grad school, I always have a book with me since any time I can sneak in a few words it helps! In regards to the "behave yourself" law of Oz, it brings to mind the do unto others as you would have them do unto you notion. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where people governed themselves by treating one another respectfully without having to be told to do so? Off to the land of compound nouns, Peace & Love, Bompi ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 01:13:18 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: The Prodigal Ozzian Returns! Hi! It's been a long, LONG time since I posted to the Ozzy Digest, but I just happened to be home with a cold...suffice it to say that I still love it and read it avidly. (And I'll most assuredly post when the books under discussion get to my all-time favorite, RINKITINK...) Scott wrote: <> Actually, it was one of his assistant directors who did that, and was also responsible for the notorious sequence showing Mighty Mouse sniffing a flower as if it were cocaine. (Reportedly an accurate parody, much like an old Warner Bros. cartoon I saw with Old Faithful discharging its gases into a spitoon...and equally confusing to me as a child, since I'd never seen anyone use a spitoon.) I've heard the assistant identified as John Krikfalusi (sp?), which, if true, would explain a good deal about his subsequent work as a producer/director (REN & STIMPY et al). J.L. Bell wrote: <> I don't know if they'e confused with each other any more than Lewis Carroll's ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, also probably published (since their earliest editions) more often under a single cover than separately. (Then again, A.A. Milne's WINNIE THE POOH and THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER, though usually still published separately, tend to be confused as well...and sometimes, inexplicably, even with Milne's two books of humorous poetry, which have about as much in common with them as FATHER GOOSE: HIS BOOK has with THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ...) I wonder if Alcott originally intended (as Edward Eager, among others, claimed) to have Jo (her fictional alter ego) marry Laurie (said to be based on a one-time, though very chaste, boyfriend)? Or remain single (as Alcott ultimately did)? Could it have been her ultimate parting that led Alcott to have Laurie (whose original was much younger than Alcott) marry Jo's younger sister Amy instead? <> Agreed. Much as I love Shanower, he resembles Jack Snow (and me) in arguably being such a dedicated fan that he takes Oz, paradoxically, too seriously and tends to neglect the humor. A lot of both men's humor consists of inside jokes that are hilarious to those of us who recognize them, but perhaps leave some readers confused. It took me about a day to realize that (in MAGICAL MIMICS) Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo's wayward son was Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen's dummy (no doubt familiar to readers of the 1940's, but not something children or even adults of later generations would necessarily think of immediately). Shanower can be even more esoteric; Imogene might have been patterened on a cow character from the 1903 musical, but how many non-dedicated Oz fans know that? Who's next, Sir Wylie Gyle? (Actually, Donald Abbott did bring him back, too, in one of his BoW books. I think the field is still clear for Sir Dashemoff Dailey, though...) <> Which went completely over my head as a child. From an evolutionary perspective, the transformation is a confusing one, anyway (goat to lamb to ostrich to Tottenhot to Mifket to Prince...why the bird in the middle of a sequence otherwise consisting entirely of mammals?), and obviously involved magical esoterica one would need to be close to Glinda's or the Wizard's level to understand. Especially since, in TIN WOODMAN, Glinda later encountered even more difficulty in transforming Woot back from a green monkey, certainly closer to him in an evolutionary sense than a goat was from Prince Bobo. <> I like to think that the exile was a temporary one, much as later (non-FF) writers indicated that the Wizard's removing Jenny Jump's temper and de-aging her against her will were strictly temporary. (On the other hand, in those cases there was at least evidence that the original writer, Neill, didn't support those changes.) <> A library book? A rented videotape? <> Unless the restriction to Oz, like the command to obey the wearer of the Golden Cap, was part of Gayelette's spell. For that matter, Baum distingushed quite carefully between "fairylands" (where magic and magical items could work) and "civilized countries" like America, so just because the Winged Monkeys (like the Silver Slippers and the Magic Belt) couldn't travel to America wouldn't necessarily mean they couldn't go to Ev or Ix or Mo... <> One reason I like Baum so much! Also, again reversing a subtle trend some children's writers seem to fall into, when he has child protagonists of both sexes, the girl tends to be older (e.g., Trot and Button-Bright in SKY ISLAND). Baum never says anything about the characters' ages, but that seems to be the implication, made more explicit by Thompson (who established that, in the eternal non-aging atmosphere of Oz, Dorothy was 11 and Ojo was 10). <> But, at least in Baum, Ojo's disobedience is always rooted in a noble cause (to spare Scraps a lifetime of dull-witted slavery, and to save his uncle from six years as a statue). I can't fault him too much. <> I think that was discussed in a BAUM BUGLE article a few years ago. That picture was indeed, Neill's original sketch rejected by Baum on the grounds that the Woozy wasn't made of wood (an impression Thompson later got somehow, probably from that very picture), but somehow got statted onto that page anyway... David Hulan wrote: <> Thompson herself misspelled it in more than one occasion (usually as "Gilliken"), so he has plenty of company! Ruth Berman wrote: <> Unless one postulates a magical cataclysm of some sort that connects the island to the mainland, a la the moves of Umbrella Island and the Biscuit-Shooters' Island, between the time of the two books? <> I'd love to see it! Robin wrote: <> Which traditional way? When dealing with dog showing and breeding (as I sometimes do), I can't think of any alternative to using it in the *original* traditional way. <> Maybe it seems that Thompson was racist because she tended to keep her stereotyped characters onstage longer? As someone else pointed out, she had quite a few Arab villains who were the main antagonists of entire books, as opposed to only one for Baum, and in a non-Oz book (JOHN DOUGH AND THE CHERUB), and perhaps a few others in brief sequences of other non-Oz books like THE MASTER KEY. (Come to think of it, didn't he have at least one Arab protagonist, in his non-Oz book THE LAST EGYPTIAN? I've never read it...) Bear wrote: <> Didn't Thompson already do that in OJO? <> Reading this juxtaposed with Dave H.'s comments on the Oz movies makes me wonder if this, too, wasn't a case where the movie was scripted before the book...and if she wasn't a leftover reference to Dr. Pipt's daughter in that version, who accompanied the group because her boyfriend (not only her mother...) had been turned to stone along with Margolotte and Unk Nunkie... Dave Hardenbrook wrote: <> Ironically enough, this was probably the inspiration for the famous MGM movie, which also expanded the Kansas sequence and added three farmhands to Uncle Henry's farm who later became Dorothy's Oz companions. But surely an odder trio would be hard to come up with than Larry Semon (who also directed and/or produced the movie), Oliver Hardy (before he and Stan Laurel hooked up) and G. Howe Black (more Politically Incorrect than all Baum's and Thompson's minority characters rolled into one; this was an African-American actor with all the stereotypes of Stepin Fetchit and absolutely none of Fetchit's talent), who became (via disguse rather than dream) the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion respectively... << The Munchkin girl [in Baum's PATCHWORK GIRL movie] carries the statue of her beau (miniaturized by Pipt) in her basket, and Jinjur causes trouble by repeatedly trying to steal it, she being in love with the fellow herself.>> Which would seem to indicate that her marriage to the cow farmer (as reported in OZMA OF OZ) didn't last? (Which, judging from the reports of their domestic life in that book, combined with the fact that no husband is in sight when others visit her in TIN WOODMAN and the non-FF A RUNAWAY IN OZ, seems entirely probable.) Time I went to bed! Rich Morrissey (glad to be back!) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 10:23:25 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 I have been away for Thanksgiving, so rather than reply to all the past digests, I will only reply to the 12/2 one. > We used to have some laws and judges who dispensed justice. In the 60's, > IIRC, someone decided that a law should be made for everything. I lived through the 60's and recall no such proclamation. > As a result, we started graduating lawyers by the thousands and our > governing bodies started passing laws as fast as possible. The passing of laws protecting individuals and society from the rapacity of business interests far preceeds the 60's. Laws against exploitation of child labor, requiring safe workplaces, requiring food and drugs not to be harmful to the individuals who purchase them are not innovations of the 60's. But laissez-faire businessmen have opposed all of them as intrusions on their rights to exploit. This does not mean that there have not been beaurocratic abuses of these laws, but if corporate entities refrained from polluting the air and water to save the costs of avoiding the problem we would not need laws against them. However, we cannot count on their benevolence. It would be as true as to say, if the people refrained from taking other people's property we would not need laws against theft. However Ozma's law against picking six-leaf clovers is a case of a law being against an act that is not evil in itself but could lead to acts that are bad. This if like a law against alcohol because some people who drink then ingage in behavior that is anti-social--or a law against using marijuana because using it could lead to bad behavior. So we have laws against what we consider the causes of social evils rather than simple against the evils themselves. END OF SERMON > > Regards, Bear (:<) > > So, on to Patchwork Girl. This is one of the ones which we had when I was a > kid. This was never one of my top favorites, since the failure of Ojo's quest > always soured it for me, even though the book had the required happy outcome. > Actually it has been one of my favorites despite the fact that the quest failed, it is a very enjoyable book, though loaded with IEs. It should be noted that it was the third Oz book (after WW and LAND) to be dramatized by the Junior League and was performed at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. It was also the subject of the first Oz Film Manufacturing Company feature film. However the fact that it was written just before OFMC came into existance might explain that. > Regarding Grammar and Punctuation- :-)---- When I write, I write online > and spontaneously and there will be many many mistakes, but that is > the way I am. You will not find this if you read my Maters Thesis in > American History. > > Douglas What was your Paters Thesis in? > > > Oh yeah, I forgot, I read almost all fiction in bed too!! :-) > > Non-Fiction, is about 50-50 between reading in a chair and reading > in bed. > Since the question of "where do you read?" has come up I should give my answer: I read almost anywhere I am. I try never to travel without a book. I read on busses, trains, airplanes, in bed (where I sometimes fall asleep over a book), at table (unless there are others present--always when eating alone), while walking down the street (I do look up occasionally especially when crossing streets), while watching television (unless it is a really informative program) even in the classroom--but there I usually read aloud to keep my students awake. If I can't read a book, there are often magazines, newspapers, or in a final extremity, cereal boxes. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 11:01:22 -0500 From: Mark K DeJohn Subject: Ozzy Digest Sender: Mark K DeJohn From: Barbara DeJohn Bear: The sorority rush system is set by the Panhellenic Association which governs all sororities. It actually is a mutual selection process where a rushee attends every groups parties in the first round and then ranks them by preference. The sororities also rank the rushees or release them to go elsewhere. It is kind of complicated but works pretty well although there can be hurt feelings when a rushee is released by a group she particularly liked. I can't believe I never checked out the rare book section of the Library while I was at Pitt. It seems that there are several of you that are not to far away from Pittsburgh. Is anyone interested in a informal get-together? We could have it at my house or some in-between location. Barbara DeJohn ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 10:45:40 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 While I'm thinking about it, and before I get on to comments on the last Digest, I'd like to note for those of you who are members of the IWOC that the ballot for the officers is now out, and I'm a candidate for the Board. I'm not all that widely known in the Club, so I hope that those members on the Digest will vote for me if you think I'd make a good Board member. (If you don't think I'd make a good Board member then I hope you won't bother to vote. I'm no hypocrite...:-) ) Bob Spark: The IE about the cottage and wolf has puzzled a lot of people. I've read the theory that Baum intended to do something else with it (possibly in connection with the "Garden of Meats" chapter that's known to have once existed and been cut), changed his mind, but left the incident in. Jeremy: >Do you imply that all of Baumega was once one country? It'd be an >interesting "historical" novel, that theory ... I didn't mean to imply that, but at the time of _Wizard_ Oz itself wasn't one country in the sense of having a single government over the whole territory, either. Yet the Winged Monkeys were able to fly from the Winkie Country to the Emerald City to the Quadling Country with no difficulty. Based on that, it would be possible to infer that by "this country" the king of the Winged Monkeys didn't refer to a political unit but to a geographical area, which might have included all of Baumgea - since all of it has been shown to be a Fairyland to at least some degree. >PG and IE's: >Not as bad as Rinkatink, I don't think... Huh? Name an IE in Rinkitink! That's the one book Baum wrote that was essentially free of IEs. Tyler: I don't think Shaggy's statement that Eureka is "a palace favorite" really implies that she's a major mover and shaker there. I imagine that she's about the same status as Toto or the Sawhorse (or later the Woozy); well-liked by the other palace residents, but not one who's typically consulted on matters of state. That seems to be the situation in _Magic_, which is the only FF book she has lines in after _DotWiz_. >Didn't the Tin Woodman once say that Oz only has one law: "Behave >yourself"? It's also been suggested on the Digest that Oz has no laws, but >all justice, etc. is based on the assumption that Ozma is good, kind, wise, >just, etc. so that anything she decides must be right. This philosophy has >the advantage that it is completely unfettered by bureaucracy or precedent. The Tin Woodman said that, but at least by the time of PG it obviously isn't true; we know at least there's a law against picking six-leafed clovers, and one against doing magic except for Glinda and the Wizard. There are probably others. Nathan: >David Hulan: >In _Ozma_, the King of the Quadlings is mentioned soon after the King of >the Munchkins. He is described as a subject of Ozma. I checked, and found the reference - which also refers to kings of the Winkies and Gillikins, neither of whom is referred to outside this sentence except for the parade in _Road_. The king of the Winkies in _Ozma_ seems not to be Nick Chopper, since he's always referred to as "Emperor," and also in that book serves as commander of Ozma's army rather than a regional ruler. _Ozma_ is one of my favorite books in the series, but there are a lot of discrepancies between it and the rest of the books. Dave: >"LEFT WING OF A YELLOW BUTTERFLY": >In the event that I get around to writing the script for my movie version >of _Patchwork_ :) I keep looking for some clever pun that Baum might have >used to give himself an out, make the quest successful without any cruelty >to arthropods, and avoid the weak "Wizard ex machina" ending; but I haven't >found one yet...Can anyone think of one? Jeremy?? :) :) You might postulate a type of yellow butterfly that periodically sheds its wings for new ones (like snakes' skins); butterfly wings are rather fragile, and if Ozian butterflys are immortal (which is the implication in PG as it stands; there's no requirement that the wing be from a living butterfly, so if butterflies died it would be simple enough to take a wing from a dead one) their wings would surely wear out eventually. Such a shed wing, abandoned by its owner, would be "left" even if it were from the right side of the butterfly. If the breed of butterfly is relatively rare then it's quite possible that Nick wouldn't have known of it (after all, at that point he'd only lived in the Winkie Country something like 6-10 years). Maybe one of his palace servants could offer the information. Another alternative that occurred to me would be for Ojo to find a pub (serving only root beer and other non-alcoholic drinks, of course) called the Yellow Butterfly, with a central section and two wings. The left wing of a building is a rather bulky item to put into a compound, but perhaps Dr. Pipt could shrink it somehow first. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 11:56:29 -0500 (EST) From: JOdel@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Left wing etc. Now I always thought that there ought to have been SOME way in which the wing could be removed painlessly and replaced with a tinfoil one. In such a case, the butterfly would have been known thereafter as the Imperial Butterfly, and they could have asked for a volunteer. Someone probably would have, for the glory of it. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 15:28:15 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Wow! So it's been two years already! Congratulations, Dave, and to my fellow Digesters . . . (tho I know I was not in from the beginning myself). Re Flying Condiments: One could say, of course, that since Delta gives you a betterfly, the adventurers should go to the Atlanta junkheap, where they pick out an abandoned wing . . . Or better yet, we find that flying insects have infiltrated our American political system, leading to such oddities as conservative grasshoppers and left-wing butterflies . . . (If that's what you were hinting at, Atticus, it was lost on me.) "Behave yourself": If such a simple law would have the Utopian effects you suggest it might, that would conclusively prove that not only is Oz not on this planet, but it is not in our galaxy, universe, or plane of existence, either. Bear apparently thinks that with one simple law, the world would instantly be a better place--filled with vastly different people than those we have now. Bear, if you know such a place, please send me the directions, because I want to visit . . . Jeremy Steadman, kiex@aol.com (jsteadman@loki.berry.edu) during the school year http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9619 ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 17:20:33 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 JOdel: Interesting theory about _P.Girl's_ being a kind of a reprise of _Wizard_. I'll have to chew on it for a while.... --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 16:33:00 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Happy Birthday, Digest! I didn't get my comments on the 12/1 Digest off in time, so you'll have to put up with two days' worth in this one... Ruth: RPT refers to the boys of Kimbaloo returning with their button-boxes full of coins; that sounds like money to me. (The girls came back with "heavy pockets," which I suppose could be from barter, though it would usually imply coins as well.) I seem to recall other references to money in Oz in her books, but that was one that was easy to check. Melody: >Interesting Latin Name possibility. "Trifolium" *is* the real-life family >name of the clover family, though. This is probably a nit, but the first word in a species name is the genus, not the family. If "trifolium" is the genus name for common clover then Trifolium duplex would be a good name for the six-leaved variety (though I'd always assumed that a six-leaved clover would be a diploid variant within the common clover species rather than a separate species); if it's the family name, then it wouldn't appear in the species name (family being a higher taxonomic grouping than genus). Most family names end in "-idae", though, at least in birds and mammals; I'm not sure about plants. Bear: >I'm sure the Conservative vs Liberal thing that continues on the Digest >informs and entertains us. However, it is getting to the point where I >want to be differentiated from all of the possibly overly-religious >"Conservatives to whom some of you are apparently exposed. My Conservatism >is focused on economic, legal and ethical issues. As far as I'm concerned, >religion is a personal issue and no one elses business. Sure, if you'll let me be differentiated from the bizarre-educational-theory, criminal-coddling, nanny-state "Liberals" you've been exposed to. My liberalism is focused on defending the environment and the powerless from the full rigors of a market economy, without disturbing the working of the market any further than necessary. >Now as a Conservative I feel this is where we went wrong in this country. >We used to have some laws and judges who dispensed justice. Sometimes. Of course, if you were white and killed a black in the South, nothing happened to you - but maybe you consider that justice? (I don't think so, but at least you'd be consistent if you did.) Scott O.: >I was going through my desk at work recently and came across a clipping I've >kept for 6-7 years now. It's a short piece on Baum from the Fedco Reporter >titled "The Wizard's Old Black Coat". It's by Richard Bauman of Hacienda >Heights. Is this the same Richard Bauman who's on the Digest? No, that's not Bear, who lives in Palo Alto, but it's almost certainly someone I used to work with. When I first encountered Bear I asked him if he was that Richard Bauman. The one I used to work with lived in commuting range of Garden Grove (which would include Hacienda Heights), did a lot of free-lance writing for publications like the Fedco Reporter, and taught a commercial writing class at one of the community colleges in that area. Joyce: Interesting parallel between the plots of _Wizard_ and PG; I hadn't ever thought it through myself, but you're right. It was obvious, of course, that this was Baum's first "quest" book since Wizard, and that made certain parallels necessary, but I hadn't noticed the many other similarities you point out. (His later "quest" books - _Tik-Tok_, _Rinkitink_, _Lost Princess_, _Tin Woodman_, and to some extent _Magic_ - don't follow the same pattern at all closely.) Tyler: >Dave: >I forgot that another law in Oz is do not practice magic unless you are on >Ozma's A-list. This law seems a little vague, since such characters as the >three Adepts and Reera are allowed to continue their magic after being >discovered. Perhaps the rule is do not practice wicked magic. But Dr. Pipt's magic wasn't wicked, at least for the most part. (Making the Liquid of Petrifaction is arguable, I suppose, but the rest of the magic he does seems benign enough.) Douglas: I liked _Forgotten Forest_ well enough, but didn't think it was very Ozzy and liked it the least of all Shanower's graphic novels. Dave: >Come to think of it, Dr. Pipt is the only example I can think of an >"unauthorized" magic worker even being acknowledged, let alone being >disiplined, by Ozma. Are there any other exapmles that I don't know >or recall? How about Mrs. Yoop? Ozma turned her into a green monkey, which she said took away her magic powers. And I don't know if you'd say it was "by Ozma," but Ugu and the Su-dic both had their magic taken away from them as well. And that's just in Baum; later on there are Glegg and Mooj who are effectively destroyed, Clocker's magic is taken away, they take the magic emeralds from Skamperoo, Loxo loses his magic magnet, and I'm sure there are other instances that don't come to me offhand. But other people work magic a lot in the books and aren't disciplined at all for it if their use is benign - and in Neill Number Nine and Jenny Jump both work quite a lot of magic with Ozma's approval, though maybe they should be considered as added to her A-list. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 17:55:29 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Ozzy Digest 11-30 David:<> Maybe Baum was after an Appearance vs. Reality theme? The cottage, Wise Owl/Foolish Donkey, beautiful but deadly plants, backwards road, and gate all suggest this. Same with the Trick River, I s'pose. Even Unc, who is laconic enough to appear possibly unloving and the Crooked Magician, an ugly but nice fellow, follow that thematic thread. And Scraps' adoration of her own gaudiness, in spite of being "unattractively" not Munchkin blue. May be more than these in _P.Girl_ to support this notion. Too tired to try to figure it out right now. The Chiss thing would be good as stage business. Same with Victor Columbia Edison. The Lazy Quadling could lead to a good comic routine onstage. Baum was at the point in his life where he almost desperately wanted another stage success. He wrote _P.Girl_ as a response to outside pressure more than to satisfy his own artistic, creative urges. ...betcha he had the stage in mind.... John K.: Believe me, the boys who call each other "bitch" are not gay. Also, I find the association you made with the term and gay guys a tad offensive, although I'll assume you didn't mean it to be and were simply trying to add to the thread. Melody: <> I think he was probably trying to get something that would work well onstage. Really! --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 20:49:06 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Ozzy mythologies Sender: "J. L. Bell" Ruth Berman mentioned one unused illustration for PATCHWORK GIRL: <> I was surprised that there are *any* unused drawings since the book contains so many duplicates, cribs, and even floor sweepings of Neill's rejected version(s?). But the Quadling with the eel can really only fit in one place--chapter 25. And since that chapter filled seven pages of text after its opening, and the book's design dictated that chapters begin on rectos, using a large drawing of her would have required Neill to do *another* large drawing to fill the resulting blank page. JODel advanced an interesting reading: <> Michael Riley's OZ AND BEYOND also sees PATCHWORK GIRL as paralleling WIZARD; he bases his argument on the books' geographies, of course. I agree with both you and him that there are so many similarities that Baum probably reviewed his older book to make sure he could regain the magic touch. (Note to self: Make sure hero has an animal companion or two,...) I also think some of the parallel lines you drew are a bit askew. When you write, "The big difference in this book [PG] is that every one of the freaks is happy just the way they are," that's a very big difference! One whole theme of WIZARD is bound up in the companions' dissatisfaction with themselves. I see no equivalency between "Ojo's night in the city lock-up" and "the period that Dorothy and her companions hung around the court waiting to get in and see the Great Oz"--surely Dorothy's captivity in the Wicked Witch's castle is more comparable. And while you parallel the hungry plants to the Poppies, they're as much like the Fighting Trees (certainly more so than the Tottenhots are). Finally, you say that in the Emerald City, "the child explains his purpose and is given support in his quest"; I don't recall Dorothy getting any support beyond some food from Jellia Jamb. For some of the structural parallels, I find the following explanations more plausible than deliberate mimicry: * Dramatic utility. In *most* children's books the child-hero is thrown into the world on his or her own; that's just more interesting and fulfilling for young readers. (Trot being accompanied by Cap'n Bill is an exception.) In *most* fictional journeys there are ups and downs, so by stretching a little we can probably find parallels between episodes of many different books. (River crossings in WIZARD, LAND, and PATCHWORK GIRL, for instance.) * Themes that interested Baum throughout his career. There's clearly a parallel between Scraps and the Scarecrow, but Baum also explored the experience of coming to life in LAND, JOHN DOUGH, and elsewhere. One non-structural parallel you didn't mention is how the lazy Quadling, dependent on his wife, bears some similarity to the injured man in Chapter X of WIZARD; they both reflect the dynamic in Baum's own household, where Maud was usually in charge and often in better physical shape. Dave Hardenbrook wrote: <> The Ozian authorities went after Ugu, Mrs. Yoop, Kiki Aru, and the Sudic on the charge of practicing unauthorized magic--but also for the more harmful things they did. Dr. Pipt may indeed be the only person disciplined for practicing magic without evil intent. Nevertheless, the Crooked Magician's spells caused harm through his carelessness: he petrified Margolotte and Unc Nunkie, and brought the phonograph to life to terrorize the Munchkin landscape. We might ask whether Dr. Pipt was really punished, however. His rationalization for being "quite proud" of his crookedness depended on also being a magician (p. 42). He's "dejected" at losing his powers, but when the Wizard makes his limbs "perfect," Pipt utters a "cry of joy" (p. 336). Perhaps he sees trading his magic for a non-crooked body as a bargain. Finally, Bear shared his personal mythology with us: <> The reason I call this a mythology, Bear, is that, while it's obviously very important to you, it's as fictive as Mo. Of the specifics you blame on "the 60's," every single one dates from before that decade. HEW was started in 1953, the IRS in 1913, and the FDA in 1906. Complaints that the USA has too many lawyers go back at least to the Jacksonian period. Furthermore, the notion that before 1960 "We used to have some laws and judges who dispensed justice" whitewashes American society in this century. Jim Crow Laws didn't dispense justice; they dictated what people of different skin colors could do, down to which fountains they could drink from. America had laws that restricted liberty on baseless ethnic or sexual grounds in immigration, in marriage, in voting, in employment. The notion of a lost golden age (pre-1960 or pre-anytime) is a fallacy common to many mythologies. It's nearly useless to argue mythologies, however. When a person comes across facts that contradict her mythology, she doesn't discard her deeply-held notions. Instead, she complains that the facts are invalid; she insists that "everyone knows" she's right; she retreats behind expressions of faith that can't be proven and therefore can't be disproven. Discussing different mythologies is valuable mostly in revealing more about the people who hold them, not about the true state of the world. This discussion group makes a useful distinction between Oz-as-real and Oz-as-story. I hope we can make the same distinction between America-as-real, especially the historical context of the Oz books, and America-as-story--i.e., anyone's mythology about how to vote next November. Let's avoid gratuitous injections of contemporary political statements into our discussions. J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 20:57:40 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Years ago I picked up a paperback, "The Little Grey Men," a 1962 Penguin. The author is given as "BB." It was a nice little fantasy. Do any of you folks know who "BB" is? >"The Wizard's Old Black Coat". It's by Richard Bauman of Hacienda Heights. Is this the same Richard Bauman who's on the Digest? No, this is my good twin....... No, seriously, it's not me. What is the "Fedco Reporter?" Where can we get a copy? John >In any case, transmitting a good-sized Oz book wouldn't take more than a few days. I'll watch while you tap this out. Briefly, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 21:56:58 -0500 From: David Levitan Subject: Ozzy Digest Hi, I have completed all three quizzes, so if some of you can please check them, the address is http://www.bendov.net/dblhockey-asp/quiz/default.asp P.S.: You may need the books, the hard quiz is very picky! -- David Levitan wizardofoz@iname.com ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 12:56:17 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 11-30-97 Tip: Mombi?! When did you come back from the dead? Mombi: Don't you recall, your friend Nikidik brought me back? Tip: You mean the weirdo running the institution? Dave: I agree with your position on the wireless. In my Oz books, in which the historians have meetings with the characters, (seeing as how there are now well more than one, as we know), each historian is told the story from of best suited for him or her to tell. As far as mine are concerned, _That Ozzy Feeling_ is a pretend story, and Ozma does not find it the least bit offensive. :) Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:11:52 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Of course, technically, love does come from the brain, the heart is merely a pump. Certainly Baum knew this he wasn't some ancient superstitious guy. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:20:29 -0500 (EST) From: ZMaund Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 Re: the discussion of _Patchwork Girl_... The cottage episode is quite unusual. Or perhaps a better word is "inexplicable." I wrote an essay a few years back that somehow managed to make it in the _Bugle_ about this episode and the "Downtown" chapters of _Hungry Tiger_. Both odd, but for very different reasons.. Patrick Maund ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:29:51 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-01-97 You guys don't want to know what Martin Scorsese did with "Surrender Dorothy!" Robert: Never known any guys who collect Barbie, but I knew some must exist. So, it was MGM/UA that released the in Concert video, right? Correct me if I'm wrong. I need to get this. David: Martin Scorsese apparently thought this was the vocative, as I had interpreted it. But skywriting with a burning broom is risky business, so it's amazing she didn't spell it wrong. Everyone, I have right here in my hand a video called _The Real, The True, The Gen-U-Ine Wizard of Oz_, A Miller-Brody Video Production from the Meet the Author series, Order Number 0-07-509241-7. It only runs 16:55 and costs $42.00. I haven't been able to obtain this for my collection, but did manage to get it through interlibrary loan. It was published by American School Publishers, a division of MacMillan/McGraw-Hill (800) 843-8855. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 14:11:55 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Ruth: Down Town isn't belowm Oz, iirc, it's below Ev. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 14:13:41 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Jane: A couple of errors strike me immediately on the Chronology which you may wish to correct. The sugar and Spice Wizard of Oz video (with the Tinmanator) was released in 1991. In 1993 it was reissued on a tape with Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs and Cinderella, totally about 90 minutes. This is the Barbara A. Oliver/Doug Parker one. Story editor Tony Oliver is Barbara's husband (ex-, I think). What did Robert Barron tell me? Oz Squad was published by Brave New Words, not Brave New Worlds. Eventually Ahlquist move it to Patchwork Press, and it went on hiatus after ten issues, with Dorothy saying yo Ozma, "I'm pregnant." They said they would be back, but they haven't yet. I'll check the dates of the ten (very hard to find) issues. It was published sporadically. The Superfriends cartoon you list at 1991 was originally aired in 1978. I'm quite certain there is a film (if it is the two part film I'm thinking of) of _Journey to the West_ that was made in Hong Kong. I think I read about it in _Asian Cult Cinema_ or _Video Watchdog_. I'm guessing your version at home is updated, but it hasn't been updated on the page, hence the problems. there are a lot of misspelling, particularly of the foreign films, but I hope now that you have that filmography, which of course, is heftily updated by now, that this will change. Jim still hasn't put my filmography on the page. I just turned in my postmodern, semiotic, and ideological analysis of the _MASK_ episode, "The Oz Effect." Thus begins my actual writing of my Baum-based film research. Does this mean you'll give me the address of the gut with the 1910 film, Patrick? Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 14:29:04 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 A friend in sixth grade had an issue of _MAD_ magazine which had an old-style comicbook inside its mages. The first story was a Popeye parody called "Poopeye," the second was a parody of _The Wizard of Oz_ in which the Cowardly Lion was replaced by a purple hippo (A Moan dragon, a "smart reader," might think [Umberto Eco}. Does anyone know about this? How about Moskov Diafilm's Volshebnik film made before 1970? Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 20:03:18 -0500 From: Stan Butler Subject: wizard of oz question Hello fellow Oz fan! I was wondering if you knew the answer to the following question: What item from the Wizard of Oz is displayed at Universal Studios theme park? Is it the "ruby slippers" that are on a nation-wide tour? Please answer as soon as you can. I have a deadline to meet with a trivia contest at school. Thanks for any info you can provide. --Lisa Butler, Oz fan [I don't think Lisa is on the Digest, so please respond privately. -- Dave] ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 97 14:04:32 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things IRRELEVANT EPISODES: J. L. Bell wrote: >* Even when they don't advance the main plot, they can serve it by >affecting the book's pacing. >* They can reflect the book's themes. And I would add that IEs can reveal things about the protagonist(s)'s character, or even help to *develop* character. So I'd say that "Irrelevant Episodes" are frequently *very* relevant. But there are certainly examples of *genuine* IEs -- Arguablely the "cottage" episode in _Patchwork_; and the other that occurs to me offhand, although it's not Ozzy: The "Square Candies that Look Round" in _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_. This was an IE built around an inane play-on-words, and it's no wonder it didn't make it into the movie. >Finally, a question for the assembled wisepeople: In which book did Ruth >Plumly Thompson have Trot and Betsy elevated to princesses of Oz? Dunno...I guess I always took it for granted that they beame princesses upon taking up residence in Oz... "THROW-AWAY" NAMES: Rich M. wrote: >Shanower can be even more esoteric; Imogene might have >been patterened on a cow character from the 1903 musical, but how many >non-dedicated Oz fans know that? Who's next, Sir Wylie Gyle? I am of course relieved that you didn't say, "Who's next, Locasta?"! :) But I must say I used the name Locasta purely because I wanted my resurrected Good Witch of the North to have a name, and that one was available...I wasn't trying to deliberately go for an inside joke... SHANOWER: I've mentioned this before, but my main objection to _Forgotten Forest_ was Shanower's turning Zurline into a mortal-hating tyrant. (Though in _That Ozzy Feeling_ Melody and I provide an explaination for her weird behavior then.) BTW, I remember someone asking about the nature of the Scarecrow's facial features...I notice that Neill's Scarecrow seemed to have full-fledged "3D" features, whereas Shanower's Scarecrows features are merely painted on and animated like a flat cartoon. (I find Shanower's by far the more eerie...) MYTHOLOGY: J. L. Bell wrote: >It's nearly useless to argue mythologies, however. When a person comes >across facts that contradict her mythology, she doesn't discard her >deeply-held notions. Instead, she complains that the facts are invalid; she >insists that "everyone knows" she's right; she retreats behind expressions >of faith that can't be proven and therefore can't be disproven. This, BTW, is why Carl Sagan's referring to the Big Bang as the cosmologists' "creation myth" rings true for me...There is evidence that contradicts it (e.g. the discovery of stars older than the Big Bang's reckoning of the age of the universe!), but this evidence is dismissed out of hand as "invalid" because the Big Bang has obtained "mythology" status and cannot be refuted. -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 6 - 7, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 17:01:10 -0800 From: Robert Schroeder Subject: Ozzy Digest stuff... Congradulations Dave and Digest on your second birthday!! And let me tell you, I have really enjoyed the last five or six months since I've joined the Digest! Keep up the good work! Scott asked: >Robert: Never known any guys who collect Barbie, but I knew some must >exist. So, it was MGM/UA that released the in Concert video, right? >Correct me if I'm wrong. I need to get this. Yes, it was the MGM 1939 movie, with a remastered soundtrack, but the concert video as well as the concert CD were both Turner Home Entertainment. The script to the movie is quite fun, but it doesn't have any of the words to the songs included. About Barbie Collecting: I have actually just began collecting Barbies. And, yes, I have to admit, I did play with my friend's and my cousin's Barbies as a kid. I just wish I hadn't been so mean and cut the hair of that one in 1968, which would be worth, ohhhhh.....several hundred dollars now. The reason I started was because of the "Legends of Hollywood" series which so far has included "Gone With The Wind", "Wizard of Oz" and "My Fair Lady". Haven't checked out what this year's offering is yet. I am also very much in love with the Bob Mackie and Christian Dior Barbies, and as soon as I win the Lottery, I shall own them!!! (hint: the Mackie Barbies are in the $500 range...new.) Hallmark Ornaments: Thanks for letting me know what I'm looking for this year, but alas, I have yet to find them. Seems that the WOZ series is becoming more popular than the Star Trek series, which I had no problem finding this year. And then Hallmark started a Scarlett O'Hara series this year too! For those of you interested in collecting Hallmarks, let me pass along some info a friend of mine, who was a supervisor for Hallmark stores, and that is to always go for the first ornament of any series, and buy them as soon as possible. For instance, about eight years ago, Hallmark issued the first of its "Classic Convertables" series. About four weeks after release, they were recalled and replaced because the pipe-cleaner type tree used in the ornament did not hold its color. Oh sure, those trees are now a yucky brown in color, but the ornament is now worth about $400..... Until later!!! Robert ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 16:48:08 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 Dave, In response to Richard Bauman's query about the author, BB, I checked a couple of on-line catalogues and found that the official Library of Congress author entry is "B.B," 1905- There are a fair number of books attributed to that author. One entry, however, may provide a clue: Author: "BB", 1905- Title: Manka, the sky-gipsy; the story of a wild goose, written and illustrated by D. J. Watkins-Pitchford ("B. B.") New York, C. Scribner's sons, 1939. Description: xvi, 258 p. incl. front., illus., plates. 24 cm. Notes: "Printed in Great Britain." Subjects: Geese. Water-birds. All appear to be illustrated by D. J. Watkins-Pitchford, but only this entry implies that Watkins-Pitchford is also "B.B." Having made that link, I then checked the Watkins-Pitchford author entries and found the following: Your search for the Personal Name: WATKINS PITCHFORD D retrieved 4 name entries. Personal Name List ------------------ 1. Watkins-Pitchford, D. (Denys), 1905- RETRIEVES: "BB," 1905- 2. Watkins-Pitchford, D. J. (Denys James), 1905- RETRIEVES: "BB," 1905- 3. Watkins-Pitchford, Denys, 1905- RETRIEVES: "BB," 1905- 4. Watkins-Pitchford, Denys James, 1905- RETRIEVES: "BB," 1905- I think that provides the identity. Peter Hanff ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 16:49:57 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 P.S. Fedco is a Los Angeles area membership discount business that in its early years was open primarily to civil service employees. Last time I checked it was still doing a booming business, despite competition with the newer warehouse discounters such as Costco. Peter Hanff ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 21:51:35 -0800 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Ozzy Digest J. L. Bell: In _Silver Princess_, it is stated that Jinnicky's black miners receive wages, and that they wanted to return to work in the mines after the defeat of Gludwig. (Of course, they didn't really have anywhere else to go, I suppose.) Also, Gludwig (also black) lived in a mansion. There was no book in which Betsy and Trot were actually elevated to the status of Princesses (of Oz, that is). She did refer to them as Princesses in her later books (_Handy Mandy_ comes to mind), but I'm not sure when or why she started doing this. Rich: Ojo might actually have been younger than ten at the time of _Patchwork Girl_. If we accept Realbad's story in _Ojo_, Ojo was born after Ozma came to the throne of Oz, which most likely occurred less than ten years before _Patchwork Girl_. I believe that, in _Scarecrow_, Baum clearly states that Trot is older than Button-Bright. As for the misspelling of "Gillikin," Neill spelled it "Gillikan" in _Scalawagons_. The movies aren't really canonical, so I don't think that Jinjur's love of Danx (Was that his name?) in the _Patchwork Girl_ movie necessarily means that she doesn't still have a husband in the books. Scott: To what does your conversation between Tip and Mombi refer? -- Nathan Mulac DeHoff vovat@geocities.com or lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark." ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 21:44:32 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 Bob Spark: >> Vacationing in Costa Rica, Jerry matters saw an American car >> with a bumper sticker that read, "Auntie Em: Hate you, hate >> Kansas, Taking the dog. Dorothy." I can remember seeing this on a T-shirt at least 10 years ago. Fun stuff, but not new. J.L.: I suppose there's justification for making Ojo's trial public, but the elaborate magical displays associated with the trial as recorded in PG don't seem justified. Ozma could just say, "We know you dunnit, boy! I saw you in the Magic Picture!" And there's no reason why, if she and/or the Wizard knew Ojo had put the clover in his basket, that the Guardian or the Soldier shouldn't have confiscated the basket long before it ever reached Dorothy's suite. >Tyler Jones wrote: ><the Munchkin country. In every other reference, it is to the east, across >from the Winkie Country. > >The simplest explanation of this discrepancy is that the Royal Historian >slipped when he said the Ozians stopped with the ruler of the Munchkins. >Rather, they traveled east from Ev to the *Winkie* Country, paused at Nick >Chopper's castle to wet their whistle [groan!], and proceeded to the >Emerald City. It wouldn't be the last time Oz's chroniclers obviously >confused east and west. That explanation requires no speculation about who >officially ruled the Munchkins between the Wicked Witch of the East and >Cheeriobed. But there's at least one other reference in _Ozma_ that indicates that Oz is to the west of Ev; when Dorothy looks out of the tower and sees the desert it's to her west. Baum is consistent within this book; it's just that it's inconsistent with his other books. I agree with your assessment of Thompson's depiction of non-Europeans, by the way. >Encouraging news about Emerald City Press. I consider IEs to be potentially >valuable to an Oz book's main plot in two ways: >* Even when they don't advance the main plot, they can serve it by >affecting the book's pacing. >* They can reflect the book's themes. >For instance, the many tourist stops in EMERALD CITY (I like Bunnybury >best) draw out the book as Guph goes about his business, thus increasing >the suspense; and they show us what's at stake in the potential conquest of >Oz. I agree, again - I think the original version of _Glass Cat_ was better than the published one primarily because the pacing was slowed down to an "Ozzier" tempo by the IEs that were in it, and I think much the same can be said of _Magic Carpet_. But there's also the question of the cost of publication; this isn't an issue with an author, but it clearly is for a publisher, and I'm willing to have a less-than-what-I'd-prefer version of one of my books appear in print in order to have it published where it might be read by someone other than fanatical Oz fans. (I've mentioned before, though possibly not since you've been part of the Digest, that one of the things about _Glass Cat_ that has given me the greatest satisfaction is that a couple of 5th-grade teachers, who received copies as gifts from friends of mine, have read _Glass Cat_ to their classes and that in consequence those classes have produced a run on the Baum Oz books in their school libraries.) >Finally, a question for the assembled wisepeople: In which book did Ruth >Plumly Thompson have Trot and Betsy elevated to princesses of Oz? Thompson didn't ever have a formal ceremony in which Trot and Betsy were elevated to princess; however, the first mention of their being princesses was in _Wishing Horse_. Bompi: Glad to see you back! Rich: And you, too! I don't think _Now We Are Six_, at least, is as far removed from the Pooh books as _Father Goose_ is from _Wizard_. Pooh turns up in that book of poetry several times. He also appears at least once in _When We Were Very Young_. _Now We Are Six_ is the book I own that I've owned the longest - since I was four, for sure, and probably three. Love it. I can still quote some fairly long poems from it from memory, and I don't refresh on them very often. (Especially "Wheezles and Sneezles"...) I spotted Charlie McCarthy in _Magical Mimics_ when first I read it, but then I read it as soon as it came out in 1946, and Charlie McCarthy was still a very popular radio show at that time. And Sir Wylie Gyle is one of two villains in the rather abysmal _The Speckled Rose of Oz_; in my opinion the worst book ECP has published. The bird in the middle of the transformation from goat to prince is justified in the text by the transformation from a quadruped to a biped. (Rather like the ancient - I think maybe Aristotle - definition of a human as "a featherless biped". To which some wag proposed a plucked chicken as an alternative...) More curious, to me, was the change from a goat to a sheep; I can't think of a single way in which sheep are closer to humans than goats - especially in intelligence! City boys might not have that disjunct. And it was Ozma, not Glinda, who transformed Woot back from a green monkey to his own form - but that was a "switcheroo spell," not like Glinda's change of Bilbil. ><a limited number of times, but then can be used by another person that same >limited number of times, etc.?>> > > A library book? A rented videotape? But library books and videotapes can be borrowed or rented again by the original user as often as desired - and in fact can be reread and reviewed many times by the original borrower/renter before returning, if that's how they want to spend their time. Interesting comment about the relative ages of Baum's male and female protagonists. Zeb seems to be older than Dorothy in _DotWiz_, but otherwise we have Dorothy/Button-Bright in _Road_, Dorothy/Ojo in PG, Trot/Button-Bright in _Sky Island_ and _Scarecrow_, Dorothy/Woot in _Tin Woodman_, and Dorothy/Kiki Aru in _Magic_. Most of these aren't specified as such, but watching the characters in action indicates the superior maturity of the female in all cases. But I don't remember any statement that Ojo was 10 in Thompson. Evidence? (Philador says he's 10 in _Giant Horse_; that's one of the very few examples I can think of where an Oz character gives his age.) Steve: Actually, I too read pretty much wherever I am. My easy chair is my #1 choice of where to read if I have the choice, but I'll read anywhere when my visual attention isn't demanded by either safety (I don't read while driving - at least, if my car is moving) or courtesy. I'll admit that, possibly because of my age (I reached teen-age before TV was available to me), I can't really read while the TV is going, which is why our house has always had a separate "living room" (where my easy chair resides) and "TV room" (where the TV resides). I can sometimes manage to read a few lines during commercials when a ball game is on, but mostly I avoid the TV room. My wife, who reads even more than I do, is younger and grew up reading around TV programs, so she can watch TV and get some reading done as well. J.L. again: I dunno, I think Joyce's equation of Ojo's night in the lockup to Dorothy's first stay in the EC in _Wizard_ is pretty accurate. It's not as if Ojo - whatever his apprehension - is in the kind of danger Dorothy was when she was in the WWW's clutches. (Well, she wasn't really because of the GWN's kiss, but she wasn't all that sure of that.) Ojo's problem wasn't personal danger but being impeded in his quest, which was Dorothy's problem in _Wizard_. Enjoyed your comment to Bear. I agree. Bear: "BB" wrote at least four children's books; besides "The Little Grey Men" there was a sequel, "The Little Grey Men Go Down the Bright Stream," and then the unrelated "The Forest of ___ ___ Railway" and a sequel whose name I can't recall even to that extent. I owned all of them in British PB editions, but they were among the ones we culled before we moved from CA to IL last year. I believe one or more of these books gave "BB"'s real name, but I don't recall it. _The Fedco Reporter_ is a bimonthly (as I recall) flyer published by Fedco, a membership department store in Southern California (and possibly elsewhere, but I've never seen them elsewhere). It was originally for employees of the federal government, but membership privileges were extended to anyone whose company did business with the Feds - meaning practically anybody by now. David Levitan: I'll try to check out your quizzes soon, but I'm off to Tennessee before noon tomorrow and won't be back until Monday night. Maybe Tuesday I can get to your site. Scott H.: >Ruth: Down Town isn't belowm Oz, iirc, it's below Ev. Actually, it's below Rash, unless there's a lot of lateral movement as part of that slide. But since Rash is pretty small, it may be under Ev at that. I remember the "Poopeye" parody in _MAD_ (back when it was still a comic book), but I don't remember a WOZ parody, so that must have been after it switched to magazine form and I quit reading every issue. Dave: >And I would add that IEs can reveal things about the protagonist(s)'s >character, or even help to *develop* character. So I'd say that >"Irrelevant Episodes" are frequently *very* relevant. No question that IEs can help develop character - and in fact one IE that was deleted from _Glass Cat_ would certainly have enhanced the development of Button-Bright's character in that book (and overall). But if the incident is irrelevant to the main plot line then it can be said that the author either (a) could have integrated the action of the episode better into the story (i.e. made it "relevant") or (b) could have written an episode that would have accomplished the same development in a relevant way. The impact of IEs on pacing, on the other hand, is a more telling critique; as they're pruned from a story the pacing gets more and more frenetic, which some people (like my wife) think is great, but which most Oz fans find overly energetic. >This, BTW, is why Carl Sagan's referring to the Big Bang as the >cosmologists' "creation myth" rings true for me...There is evidence that >contradicts it (e.g. the discovery of stars older than the Big Bang's >reckoning of the age of the universe!), but this evidence is dismissed >out of hand as "invalid" because the Big Bang has obtained "mythology" >status and cannot be refuted. But acknowledge that we're talking about science here and not religion. The "Big Bang" has been a productive hypothesis - "myth", if you like - that has let us understand a great deal about the current state of the universe. There are holes in the theory that pretty much all scientists who are interested in the subject acknowledge, but before some new hypothesis - or "myth" - is adopted as the "conventional wisdom" it needs to cover all the areas where the "Big Bang" works, _and_ fill in all the holes in the "Big Bang" hypothesis as well. When such a hypothesis appears, and is backed up by experimental data, most scientists will accept it. It's not as if the "Big Bang" is anything like Eternal Dogma. It was hotly debated (and by no means the "conventional wisdom") when I was in college in the late '50s; its general acceptance is certainly no more than 40 years old, and probably less. If whatever hypothesis you espouse (I don't know where you're coming from myself) works better, I'm sure it'll win out in another decade or two. That's how science works, and is why science is different from religion and other more conventional understandings of "myth". David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 19:43:30 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 Just 19 shopping days 'till Christmas. > Let's avoid gratuitous injections of contemporary political > statements into our discussions. I agree (though I've been guilty of it in the past). We were doing so well for a while... > Of course, technically, love does come from the brain, the > heart is merely a pump. I suspect that the glands have some responsibility. > (Though in _That Ozzy Feeling_ Melody and I provide an > explaination for her weird behavior then.) This has to be the longest series of teases for an unpublished work that I've run into. Gawd, I wish I could read it. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 23:24:14 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski Subject: OZ CD ROM well i went and got 32 m egs of ram for my computer and guess what i found] THE LEGENDS OF OZ 100 YEARS OF OZ basded on the works by l frank baum and roger s baum INTRODUCING THE SILLYOZBUAL OF OZ its for mack and ms windows 31 may work on 95 though the cd rom is from 93 the back says enjoy the complete story of l frank baums classic the wonderfull wizard of oz wiht faithfull recreations of w w denslows original illistrations linked to interactive stories of all the characters you have come to know and love this full featurred pc/mac version also includes 3 entirely new adventurds wiht the sillyozbul of oz by roger s baum the great grandson of l framk baum with interactive animation , narration a challanging game and video from the classic movie the wizard of oz the legends of oz will deltight the child in everyone and now the good news THEY HAD ONE MORE COPY OF IT ITS 16 BUCK IT WAS ORIGNALY LIKE 40 SO NOW IF ANYONE WANTS IT WRITE ME OFF LIST YOU WILL HAVE TO SEND ME MONEY AND POSTAGE TO SEND IT TO U hugs anthony van pyre ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 23:07:41 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz restorations and rationalizations Sender: "J. L. Bell" Rich Morrissey had many interesting things to say (hope he posts again!): <> I should have, but didn't until you mentioned it. I was disappointed Imogene wasn't MOOOOre cowlike. <> Because the bird represented a step [!] onto two feet! This parodic evolution wasn't based on real phyla, of course, but a sort of Aristotelian resemblance among species. <> Jenny Jump certainly seems much like her original self in Neill's later books--not as hot-tempered or ambitious, but no gentle shrinking violet. Indeed, Jenny's such a strong personality that Neill lets her carry away her scenes and sometimes entire books. (I sense that Percy has the same appeal for Ms. Payes.) Question: Is there any record of when Neill wrote RUNAWAY? With no evidence whatsoever, I propose that he started it after SCALAWAGONS, but finished LUCKY BUCKY when his editors prodded him to write about someone other than Jenny. Jenny's not the only character said to be changed at the end of one book, only to return intact (and thus more interesting) later. The Cowardly Lion's courage wears off. Roquat/Ruggedo keeps regaining his memory from oblivion (so what about Kiki Aru?). And we just read the end of PATCHWORK GIRL, when the Wizard replaces the Glass Cat's pink brains. I think the historians discovered some of their happy endings were just a little *too* happy! Any other examples? <> The monkey king says, "we cannot cross the desert" (Ch. XVIII). Of course, maybe they could, but are too afraid to try. Nevertheless, in combination with his other remarks about belonging in "this country," this makes clear the Winged Monkeys (and by extension Gayelette) are Ozian. <> In Thompson's OJO as well, Ojo has a noble reason for disobeying; surely Unc Nunkie wouldn't want him to deprive the gypsies of water, he thinks. So I don't fault his kindness, either. But as they stack up these reasons for breaking rules begin to look like they contain a little rationalizing. After all, the Shaggy Man repeatedly told Ojo that he merely had to ask Ozma for a six-leafed clover; the boy chose not to wait. To me this trait makes Ojo *more* interesting than his "boo-hoo, I'm unlucky" presentation hints at; he has a hidden depth. Robin said of Baum's PATCHWORK GIRL: <> I bet you're right. Look at all the songs he inserted--including that interminable patter song of Shaggy's! J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 00:10:52 -0800 From: Douglas or Lori Silfen Subject: For Ozzy Digest Steve T: Masters Thesis on Cultural History of the United States. Specific: Science Fiction Literature and American Society in the Cold War 1950s. Original Thesis abandoned: Gaius Marius's reforms of the Roman Army and its impact on the downfall of the Republic. Doug ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 10:33:31 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 Hi folks, It's been a real long time since I've posted to the Ozzy Digest. I've been so busy lately that I've fallen 3 books behind in my book of the month reading. Last I read was _Emerald City_. What have I been doing? Busy at work, but mostly raising our baby Megan who turned 3 months old December 4! I *have* been reading the Digest, albeit not as closely as usual. I'm writing now to put in a plug for Michael Riley's book. Just finished _Oz and Beyond_ last night (in bed, as usual) and loved it. I highly recommend this book especially to those of you who are like myself and prefer Oz-as-literature discussions to Oz-as-history. I'm especially fascinated by the autobiographical elements that make it into an author's fiction. Speaking of reading in bed, it's my favorite place, but I've never found a truly comfortable position. Sometimes I read on my stomach propped up on my elbows, and sometimes I read on my back with pillows propped up against the headboard. Neither is very satisfactory, and I wind up getting sore. I've seen special reading pillows in stores, but I haven't tried them out. Anyone else with this problem? Suggestions? Solutions? BTW just sent in my 1998 IWOC renewal. Ozzily, Craig Noble P.S. - Bill in Ozlo, did you get my message? ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 15:44:32 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-02-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Tyler: >I forgot that another law in Oz is do not practice magic unless you are on Ozma's A-list. This law seems a little vague, since such characters as the three Adepts and Reera are allowed to continue their magic after being discovered. Perhaps the rule is do not practice wicked magic.< In SBM2, Magic is treated like any other specialty which can have grave consequences when performed by amateurs, and everybody wishing to practice magic in Oz must A.) Be a good magic worker who only uses magic for good, and B.) pass certain tests to obtain a license. Hmm. In fact, the Scarecrow mentions in PG that Ozma is going to be angry with Dr. Pipt for practicing magic without a license, so Ozma could have had a licensing system even back then. But the Oz books show Ozma being very picky about who is allowed to use magic--remember the saying that power corrupts. :-) Wicked Witches of N, E, W & S: In our cases, absolutely! Nya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 15:43:49 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Bompi: > Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where people governed themselves by treating one another respectfully without having to be told to do so? < Yes! :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 17:21:57 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 IE's in RINKITINK: I always thought it was one long IE, myself. Nik & Pip: So Dr Pipt's magic was "benign"--what about Nick's? And how "benign" was his magic, if he was called "Crooked"? Being Nine Lee Yours, Jeremy Steadman, jsteadman@loki.berry.edu (kiex@aol.com during the summer and school vacations) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9619 ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 8 - 9, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 06:55:44 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Weekends Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman David >Sure, if you'll let me be differentiated from the bizarre-educational-theory, criminal-coddling, nanny-state "Liberals" you've been exposed to. My liberalism is focused on defending the environment and the powerless from the full rigors of a market economy, without disturbing the working of the market any further than necessary. Sounds good to me. My experience is the more we deal with issues, the closer we find ourselves to be. >Sometimes. Of course, if you were white and killed a black in the South, nothing happened to you - but maybe you consider that justice? (I don't think so, but at least you'd be consistent if you did.) I guess I have to respond to this, however, I think you know me better than this. I am wondering why you created this example? So no, I would never consider this justice. I'm from the West, and grew up in a time and place where the relationships between the races were quite different than what I heard about the South. I think the example you give would be unjust to anyone but a psychotic. Having never lived there, I have never been able to relate to the Southerners who found such actions acceptable. And J. L. Bell, you read what I said but you didn't get my meaning in several areas. But, I'll let that go..... Sleepily, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 18:31:38 -0800 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Ozzy Digest [144.80.104.94] didn't use HELO protocol David Hulan: It is stated in _Ojo_ that Ojo is ten years old. I don't have the book, but I believe that the statement is somewhere near the beginning. As for characters whose ages are given, Peer Haps is sixty in _Grampa_, and, according to _Wonder City_, the boys in Number Nine's family stop aging at twelve, while the girls stop aging at ten. J. L. Bell: I don't really know when _Runaway_ was written, but I believe that Jenny didn't play all that prominent a role in the original manuscript. I believe that Shanower expanded her role for the BoW edition. Jeremy: Despite the Woozy's statement that you could not trust Dr. Pipt because he was crooked, Pipt does seem to be honest. I guess a crooked body does not always indicate a crooked mind. -- Nathan Mulac DeHoff vovat@geocities.com or lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark." ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 19:47:08 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 More about Michael Riley's book: Michael Patrick Hearn's review was published in today's _Washington Post_. He had good things to say about it, but didn't think the research was very original. I'll post the full text from the Post's website to the Digest tomorrow when I get to my computer at work. Unlike my home computer, it has enough RAM to surf the Web. Herm Bieber's book repair tips: Did anyone save them? If so, I sure would appreciate it if they would e-mail them to me. I finally have some (non-Oz, non-Baum) books to practice on. Thanks in advance. Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 20:05:29 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Peter, thank you so much for running down "BB" for me. I have been wondering about this for years. D. Watkins-Pitchford. Hmmmm. David - Sigh. I wish you had sold me the sequel while you were culling. Sigh! If you know the issue of "Mad" that had the WOZ parody I can look it up if it falls between issue 6 and 25. Sigh. I loanded the first five and a few others to a friend many years ago and they never came back. Speaking of unusual books, I also collect "Sherlock Holmes" books. I have a hardback by Val Andrews, "Sherlock Holmes and the Eminent Thespian." It is an Ian Henry Publication published in England. However, there is no date in the book. I have one other book by the same author, "Sherlock Holmes and the Egyptian Hall Adventure." It is a Breese Book, in paperback, dated 1994. However, it makes no mention of the first book. Anyone know the date of the book? Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 20:38:46 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones John Bell: I prefer your explanation re the Munchkin king in _Ozma_ actually being the Winkie ruler (i.e. TIn Woodman). It is the simplest. Rich M: Glad you're There seems to be a trend with Ozzy Digesters coming under the weather. I suspect Ruggedo is up to something again... IIRC, Glinda used the ostrich in the chain of transformation from Bilbil to Bobo as necessary to move from a four-legged creature to two. IMHO, an ape would have bene more appropriate. David: Good point about Dr. Pipt. He did not practice wicked magic, yet was banned from the art, while the adepts and Reera were apparantly left free. Maybe the law is do not do magic unless you are a woman who does good magic. All others forfeit. Craig Noble: The best bed-reading position for me is to put my pillows at the other end of the bed, where my feet usually go (so I'm not head-butting the pillow). I pull the bed out a little ways to let me stretch out. The light is behind me, so it works fairly well, despite the small amount of labor involved in moving the bed back and forth. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 22:26:33 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber Subject: For Ozzy Digest In order to settle a bibliographic question, would anyone with a Navy Alphabet please describe the pages that occur after the letter "Z" page? There seems to be some confusion here, and I would be grateful for any information. It will also be useful in future Bugle articles that might deal with the Baum Alphabets. Many Thanks, Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 23:06:20 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Stuff Joyce O'Dell wrote: (I also agree that the Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey are highly irrelevant and, frankly, irritating. So is Victor Columbia Edison, but that's the point.)>> The Wise Donkey, of course, was one of the few instances (aside from Ozma's birthday party in ROAD, and of course Trot and Cap'n Bill) in which a character from one of Baum's non-Oz fantasies (in this case, THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO) made an onstage appearance in an Oz book. (I don't think it ever happened in any of the other FF, either; a few times a character like Queen Zixi would be mentioned, but I don't think they ever appeared onstage again.) I'm not sure why Baum brought back the character, especially since he didn't seem all that Wise this time around. (Bringing in the Foolish Owl seemed like overkill, too; Baum never had the Cowardly Lion backed up by a Brave Mouse or Courageous Rabbit.) Nathan Mulac DeHoff wrote: <> I think this was actually mentioned in an issue of THE OZMAPOLITAN that I saw reprinted in THE BAUM BUGLE, around the time of (and meant to advertise) THE GIANT HORSE OF OZ. Dorothy had apparently suggested that Trot and Betsy be given the status of Princesses as well, and Ozma very generously (given that Trot hadn't rendered nearly the services to Oz that Dorothy had, and Betsy had hardly rendered any) granted her request. <> Actually, it doesn't even mean she doesn't have a husband in the movie...but *that's* not the kind of thing one expects to see in Oz... David Hulan wrote: <> I love Milne (and Baum) as a writer of comic poetry, too, though I still think each was at his best as a fantasy writer. (Each had his share of humorous poetry within the story books, too, attributed to characters like Pooh and Rinkitink.) I seem to recall that Dorothy (or at least a little girl who looked just like her, and possibly had the same name) was in FATHER GOOSE, too, but I can't swear to it. It does strike me as a bit unfair that Milne's two books remain in print, since (with one or two specifically racist exceptions) most of Baum's poems are as good as ever. <> How come? I'm not disagreeing with you, but I wonder why you consider that ECP's all-time worst. <> I certainly didn't...but Baum should have. Wasn't he a farm boy? (I'm pretty sure he was; he raised chickens as a boy.) <> True, but she claimed even Glinda wouldn't have been capable of breaking the spell any other way, whether accurately or not I can't say, but I doubt she'd have deliberately lied. The only other instance of a "switcheroo spell" in the books I can think of was when Mombi reversed her appearance with Jellia Jamb's in LAND...perhaps suggesting one of the non-FF stories in which her transformation of Ozma into Tip was also revealed as a "switcheroo spell?" <> Thompson seemed to give ages a lot more than Baum did, though mostly of American visitors...though I think she said Pompadore was 18 in KABUMPO, and Randy was 12 in PURPLE PRINCE. I'd thought she'd said Ojo was 10 in his book (rather interestingly, Baum indicated in PATCHWORK GIRL that he'd soon grow up, contradicting his usual statements about Oz people), so he was possibly around that age...or, as you suggest, younger...in PATCHWORK GIRL. <> I grew up in the TV era, too, but I can't read with the TV on, either. Then again, I'm notoriously focussed to the point of obsession. (Is there something opposite to "attention deficit disorder" where one can't do more than one thing at a time?) Mark Anthony Donajkowski wrote: <> I never heard of "adventurds," but, given the general opinion here of THE SILLY OZBULS OF OZ, it might be accurate... J. L. Bell wrote: <> But Jenny (along with Number Nine, another apparent favorite who was hardly mentioned in RUNAWAY) was quite prominent in LUCKY BUCKY, too. I thought it was said that Neill pretty much wrote his books in order, as did Thompson and (RINKITINK aside) Baum. << Jenny's not the only character said to be changed at the end of one book, only to return intact (and thus more interesting) later. The Cowardly Lion's courage wears off.>> Not really. Even if he's still ashamed of the fact that he feels any fear at all, it's repeatedly made clear that he still has a good deal of courage, and always did. <> My theory was that he developed an immunity to the Water of Oblivion from repeated exposures (recovering his memory increasingly fast every time), though someone else cited a story where he wished to be immune to it while on a Wish Way or some such thing. I figured Kiki Aru finally got his memory back, too (mostly, probably without technicalities like how to pronounce "pyrzqxgl"), since Baum knew who he was when he wrote the book... <> As someone else theorized in Jenny Jump's case, maybe he decided an effective lobotomy wasn't a fair thing to do to a sentient creature, so he put the pink brains back...possibly after Ojo (who'd already expressed his preference for intelligence over docility when he gave Scraps some extra brains) protested? Rich Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 22:53:08 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber Subject: For Ozzy Digest Re: Wizard of Oz Playbill. In a recent Digest, Joel Harris described a Wizard of Oz Playbill from the 50th Anniversary of the Boston Theater. The seller wanted an astounding $450. It is of interest that just six months ago, a different dealer, specializing in Theater memorabilia, offered me two copies of said Program (and signed by Montgomery and Stone to boot). They were $24 for the pair! I sent in my money immediately, but the dealer sent me a very unprofessional reply saying that they were no longer available. (I suspect that he found out that he had grossly underpriced them.) The one Joel found may very well be one of these two that I missed. But $450? Ye gods! Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 23:52:22 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: OZzy Digest 12/???6 or 7 BB: I have the British edition of _The Little Grey Men_. Always wondered who BB was. Thanks, Pete. Reading: Like David and Steve, I read wherever I am. Almost always before I go to bed at night, and in bed. Lots of fantasy, historical novels, Tudor history, and anything that gives me info about movies of the '30s, including bios. Like Steve, if all I have available is a cereal box, I'll read it. I'm hardly ever without something to read. And I do get uncomfortable, sometimes, no matter how I arrange myself and the book. Usually have to stop and do something more active for a while, then come back for my read. Gordon: I agree that the IE's in P.Girl are more integral than those in other books. I look forward to your elaboration of this in future Digests. These IE' s are used both thematically and for character development. They don't feel extraneous. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 00:44:49 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber Subject: For Ozzy Digest Re: Wizard of Oz Playbill. In a recent Digest, Joel Harris described a Wizard of Oz Playbill from the 50th Anniversary of the Boston Theater. The seller wanted an astounding $450. It is of interest that just six months ago, a different dealer, specializing in Theater memorabilia, offered me two copies of said Program (and signed by Montgomery and Stone to boot). They were $24 for the pair! I sent in my money immediately, but the dealer sent me a very unprofessional reply saying that they were no longer available. (I suspect that he found out that he had grossly underpriced them.) The one Joel found may very well be one of these two that I missed. But $450? Ye gods! Herm Bieber AOL PROBLEMS! This e-mail may be a duplicate! ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 11:36:57 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 Re "B.B.": This author/illustrator is renowned for his illustrations of firearms. (There! Had to say it.) David Hulan: Enjoyed your discussion of the Big Bang. It makes sense to me--tho the question of what was around _before_ the BB (no relation) does loom in my mind. (I do generally accept it, and did so unconditionally until the religious fanatics at Berry College posed it to me--but not to go off on a tangent again, I'll stop.) <<<> <> Yes, but birds are closer to mammals than reptiles. Douglas Silfen: Your new thesis sounds more interesting (to me, at least). Interestingly Yours, Jeremy Steadman, jsteadman@loki.berry.edu (kiex@aol.com during the summer and school vacations) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9619 ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 12:04:34 -0600 From: Gordon Birrell Subject: Ozzy Digest For those of you who are wondering how to get hold of the video set with the four Oz films: The latest Barnes & Noble catalog ("Last-Minute Gifts") lists the set at $34.95; order number D148766. The B & N number is 1-800-THE BOOK. Joyce: I liked your comments on the structural and motific parallels between WWoO and _Patchwork Girl_. Interestingly enough, there are some strong parallels to _Land_ as well: a dummy who is brought to life and designated (temporarily) as a servant; an expedition that is initiated either by the threat of being turned into a statue or by the transformation of a loved one into a statue; a second figure, this time a quadraped, is brought to life by the same process and joins the expedition; the plot consists of two trips to the Emerald City, both ending in frustration that is ultimately resolved by powerful magic. It is a sign of Baum's superior story-telling, I think, that he was able to reuse his materials in such a way that one is scarcely aware of the similarities. You really have to dig down to the scaffolding to spot the parallels. On that strange episode of the cottage and the wolf at the door: It always bothers me when irregularities in a text are explained by extra-textual factors such as an author's state of mind ("Baum was troubled by ongoing financial crises") or the effects of clumsy editing or last-minute re-writes ("Something must have been omitted or deleted"), though these explanations are sometimes entirely plausible. But why not start with the assumption that Baum might have *intended* the text to be the way it is? The first thing that strikes me about this episode is that it involves references to at least two fairy tales from the Grimm collection, "Das blaue Licht" ("The Blue Light") and "Tischlein deck dich" ("Table set yourself"? I don't know what the English translation is). In the first, the blue light is a magical illumination that allows to the hero, a young soldier, to become all-powerful, avenge himself against a wicked king, and marry the king's daughter. In the second, a table magically sets itself to provide a bountiful meal. In _Patchwork Girl_ these familiar fairy-tale motifs become enigmatic: the blue light appears before the travelers but continually recedes before them and may or may not lead them to the cottage, and the magically set table provides no real sustenance (Ojo is as hungry after the meal as he was before). There are other unsettling factors in the episode as well: the dictatorial voice which responds to Ojo's requests for rest and food with unyielding commands ("Go directly to bed!" "Be quiet!" "Eat!"), and the wolf's repeated visits to the door during the night, which puzzles Ojo since he--initially--thinks he hasn't experienced any deprivation: "I don't see why [the wolf should have been at the door]; there was plenty to eat in that house, for I had a fine beakfast, and I slept in a fine bed." But of course he *has* experienced deprivation: the rest was no rest, and the sustenance was no sustenance. Coming as it does at the very onset of Ojo's journey, this episode has a certain nightmarish quality that may well have been intended to set up a feeling of uneasiness in the reader and to convey some sense of Ojo's anxieties as he begins his quest. He has entered a world where things are not necessarily what they seem (I absolutely agree with Robin that a reality vs. illusion theme runs through the entire book), where one is at the mercy of unseen and apparently irrational controlling forces (an anticipation of Ozma's surveillance techniques with the magic picture and Ojo's indignation at the senselessness of the injunctions against picking six-leaf clovers or separating the wing of a butterfly from its body), where hope may recede from one's grasp like the blue light; where there is always a possibility that help will be extended and apparently delivered but in fact withheld. And all of this ties in with what J.L. Bell said about the pervasive themes of frustration and entrapment in the book. Speaking of nightmares: I was intrigued at Dorothy's initial reaction to the Patchwork Girl: "The Patchwork Girl was the most curious of all [the visitors] and Dorothy was uncertain at first whether Scraps was really alive or only a dream or a nightmare." (Another reality/illusion moment!) At this point in the book the reader has grown so fond of Scraps that it's ludicrous to think of her as nightmarish, but Dorothy's reaction suddenly makes you aware of the Patchwork Girl's horrible literary cousins, animated humanoid creatures beginning with Frankenstein's monster and E.T.A. Hoffmann's demonic doll in "The Sandman." Ruth Berman: I enjoyed your remarks on the connections between the Woozy and cubism, but I think that Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2" may not be the best example to cite. It's true that "Nude" was exhibited at the infamous Armory Show in March, 1913, while _Patchwork Girl_ was in production, but this particular painting is more typical of the later phases of analytical cubism with its splintered, elongated facets and no cubes to speak of. A better example would be an earlier work such as Braque's "Houses at L'Etaque" or Picasso's "Girl with a Mandolin." I never saw _The Absent-Minded Professor_ or its current remake, _Flubber_, but reading the descriptions of the plot makes me wonder if these movies are based on (or, as the saying goes, "inspired by") William Pene de Bois's 1950 children's book, _Peter Graves_. --Gordon Birrell ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 10:43:46 -0800 From: Ken Cope Subject: Cocaine Flowers in Oz (My apologies to all, but I would like to drive a stake through the heart of this seriously mutated urban legend. Note that I am sending this to the Ozzy Digest listserve, and to Steve Worth at Spumco.) On the Ozzy Digest for 12-05-97, Rich Morrissey wrote: > Scott wrote: > > < Mouse_, but he was eventually forced to stop doing that to keep the show on > the air.>> > > Actually, it was one of his assistant directors who did that, and was > also responsible for the notorious sequence showing Mighty Mouse sniffing a > flower as if it were cocaine. (Reportedly an accurate parody, much like an > old Warner Bros. cartoon I saw with Old Faithful discharging its gases into a > spitoon...and equally confusing to me as a child, since I'd never seen anyone > use a spitoon.) I've heard the assistant identified as John Krikfalusi (sp?), > which, if true, would explain a good deal about his subsequent work as a > producer/director (REN & STIMPY et al). This is the type of wildly inventive confabulation that is contracted, compounded, and dispersed to the clucking credulous and swallowed whole as "gospel." Did either of you wonder to yourselves before passing this on to a Listserve, "Could this story be true? Who started it? Why would such a story get started? How much of it do I remember accurately and, how much of it am I making up?" NO, I suppose you both figured everybody KNOWS it's true, you heard it on TV/read it on the internet/heard it from the foam-flecked lips of your local apopleptic preacher. I have no idea, of all the things I'd rather contribute to this digest, why I'm forced to waste my time attempting to dispel the dispersal of toxic mythologies. If this was usenet you'd have 25 angry e-mails in your inboxes, with 100 more embellishing the lie! Any actions taken as a result of reading the following paragraph, forwards or backwards, are your own responsibility. First of all, the whole crock about subliminals [Hilary eats babies] got started when some idiot sold a bunch of books about death heads in ice cubes and clam orgies on the Howard Johnson menu. I videotaped a lecture this clown gave at Golden West College in the 70's, it's probably still available [didn't you know, Mrs. Clinton eats them on toast with butter] at the Instructional Media Center. Ay llik ll'ti. Mubla wen s'nosnaM nyliraM yub. Anybody remember "the reverend" Donald Wildmon? (I may be misspelling his name.) I am not entirely certain, but reasonably sure this rancid slander was his handiwork, with help from craven CBS suits. He is responsible for much like it. At the same time, Heman cartoons were said to be satanic, inciting children to violence, and a positive Christian allegory (Castle Grey Skull=Golgotha). The most violence the series budget allowed was Skeletor being talked to death about pro-social values. I worked on all of those, and, in partial payment for my sins, I also worked with John K and Ralph Bakshi on a couple of projects near the time of the Mighty Mouse cartoons. One was the Harlem Shuffle MTV video for the Rolling Stones, and another was a computer graphics screen test I did for the two of them. As far as I know, if there was anything subliminal in a John K cartoon, it was a cry for help along the lines of the (apocryphal?) story about the time he was stuck in Korea supervising the animation of 65 episodes of The Jetsons. I heard that he shipped a shot in which a Spacely Sprockets cocktail party was attended by dozens of Ranger Smiths holding little space age cocktail glasses. Subliminal? No, you just didn't get it. Subliminal is something I don't associate with Ralph Bakshi (who recently announced his retirement), or with John Kricfalusi. Rather than make up a counter-fable, I've decided to try asking an authority about what really happened. That's why I've CC'd this posting to Spumco big shot, Steve Worth, to ask him if he can tell us what happened. (I'm sorry to dump this fetid mess in your lap, Mr. Worth, but it upsets me greatly to still see the story circulating, and in this particularly virulent mutation, no less. Could you please give us the straight dope on this, sir? I'd love to put your answer in a FAQ somewhere, if it doesn't already exist.) After all, there might have been more subliminals that got past the Rev, that have turned us all into walking time bombs likely to spout inanities in e-mail like helpless Manchurian Candidates, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE... And while we're waiting for a reply, you might check out what John Kricfalusi has been up to lately, at: http://www.spumco.com As George Liquor, American, would say, this is America, and you're entitled to slander and libel anybody! But this is also the internet, and they might hear you. I'm sorry, but this story just stinks too much to let it lie. I can't pretend to be Ken Cope Someone who pretends to be Ozcot Studios Someone else pinhead@ozcot.com Or so my pretend friend tells me --The Rutles ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 16:15:10 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Message for the "Ozzie Digest" about "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" More thoughts about "The Patchwork Girl", I find the incident about the phonograph amusing. I guess people never change. Baum apparently couldn't stand ragtime, my folks had the same problems with rock and roll, their folks disliked "crooners", later on older people disliked acid rock, and now I feel that the term "rap music" is a contradiction in terms. The "mah Lulu" song is just so offensive by today's standards that I can't draw any comparisons. I'm sure that there is no connection, but the Shaggy Man's ability of taming the plants by whistling reminded me of Tom Bombadil taming Old Man Willow by singing when he was holding Merry and Pippin in "The Fellowship of the Ring." On page 185: > "In this country," remarked the Shagy Man, "people live > wherever our Ruler tells them to...." strikes a false note with me. I'm sure that Ozma is not that dictatorial. I can't imagine that the "lots of city people" who "would like to get back to the land" would be prevented from doing so by Ozma. On page 238 Jack's method of carving his new head is driving me nuts. > "...I do myself. I lift off my old head, place it on a > table before me, and use the face for a pattern to go by." How does he see to do that??? A "gill of water from a dark well." I had to look it up for myself. A pint contains 4 gills. You all probably knew that. I also had to look up the word "volplane" that Scraps used on page 285. My dictionary says (1909) "to glide in or as if in an airplane." You all probably knew that too. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 21:36:42 -0500 From: Mark K DeJohn Subject: Ozzy Digest Sender: Mark K DeJohn From:Barbara DeJohn My nephews are going to be in their school production of Wizard of Oz this spring. Tim is the Wizard and David is a skeleton/guard which takes the place of the winged monkeys. This prompted my sister to sing her part as the coroner from her elementary days. No one believed me that the line was "I must aver". I chastised them for doubting the "Oz expert" but they are now believers after looking up aver in the dictionary. My daughter has liked Patchwork Girl better than most of the Oz books so far. She particularly liked the Glass Cat cause you can see 'em work (pink brains). Ozzily, Barbara DeJohn ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 08:55:22 +0000 From: Craig Noble Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 Here's the text of Michael Patrick Hearn's review of _Oz and Beyond_ which I had promised. Hearn also reviews THE WORLD OF WILLIAM JOYCE SCRAPBOOK Written and Illustrated by William Joyce;THE BUSY, BUSY WORLD OF RICHARD SCARRY By Walter Retan and Ole Risom Abrams; and A CHILD'S DELIGHT By Noel Perrin. I have only excerpted the _Oz and Beyond_ part. "Masters Of Their Universes By Michael Patrick Hearn Sunday, December 7, 1997; Page X19 OZ AND BEYOND The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum By Michael O. Riley University Press of Kansas. 286 pp. $29.95 ... L. FRANK BAUM'S The Wizard of Oz is arguably the most popular American children's book of the 20th century. Its author was a highly prolific writer who did not enter the juvenile trade until well into middle age. During the last 20 years of his life, he published nearly 80 books, not all of them fairy tales and not all of them for boys and girls. Michael O. Riley, a teacher of children's literature at Castleton State College in Vermont, concentrates on the evolution of Oz in his book Oz and Beyond with some cursory consideration of the other countries Baum invented. Here is a straightforward account of the long series in consecutive order, and Riley is a generous critic. Baum was at times a careless writer who seems never to have reread any of his books, and Riley tries to make sense of the inconsistencies without doing damage to the Oz canon. He also has some nice things to say about Baum's many successors. Rarely profound, Oz and Beyond is nonetheless written with honest respect and great affection for Baum and his achievement. It is refreshingly free of the humbuggery of much current literary criticism, for Riley has no hidden agenda to promote. He lets the stories speak for themselves. Although Riley makes no attempt to put the books within their contemporary social context or among the children's books of the period, Baum was aware that he was making a significant contribution to his country's imaginative literature. He did not write within a bubble, but instead built on what others had done and were doing at the time. And he had an inestimable influence on other fantasy writers both at home and abroad. Fortunately, Riley avoids all that nonsense about The Wizard of Oz being, say, a parable on Populism. But Riley has relied too much on Frank J. Baum and Russell P. MacFall's highly unreliable biography, To Please A Child (1961), and has done no original research of his own. He also borrows frequently from my own work on Baum. Still, Oz and Beyond is a pleasant and at times rewarding guide to Baum and Oz. ... Michael Patrick Hearn is co-author of "Myth, Magic and Mystery: 100 Years of American Children's Book Illustration." He is at work on a biography of L. Frank Baum. © Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company" Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 08:27:04 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest J.L. Bell & David Hulan: On how Ojo got the idea he was unlucky without being told -- he knew how to read, so presumably he'd been taught how to read. Perhaps he learned out of some readers that had some comments on ideas of what is unlucky. He might also have picked up ideas from conversations with the forest animals. Rich Morrissey: A cataclysm turning Hiland/Loland into an island when it had once been part of the mainland sounds like a possible basis-for-a- story. It would have to be a double cataclysm, though, once post-"John Dough" to turn the island into mainland and once to re-island it for the Haff/Martin map -- unless it explained a reason for the "Tik-Tok" map to have been based on the state of things prior to "John Dough." An unusual Oz reference is in the 5th anniversary issue of "Science Fiction Age" (Nov. 1997), a story called "Wonder Worlds," by Pat Murphy and Richard Kadrey. It's based on the already-hackneyed premise of a computer gaming program that becomes sentient and rejects its programmer's control. In this case, it's three gaming programs working together, one based on "Peter Pan," one on Tolkien's Middle Earth, and one on Oz (allegedly the Oz of the books, but the Mayor of Munchkinland is a character). Fairly amusing. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 10:44:22 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 Nathan: >I believe that, in _Scarecrow_, Baum clearly states that Trot is older >than Button-Bright. Also that she's taller by half a head. Though girls are usually taller than boys of the same age at around ten, I believe. J.L.: Steve Teller is probably your best bet for an accurate answer on when _Runaway_ was written (at least, of people who contribute to the Digest). Anyhow, Jenny had a moderately strong role even in _Lucky Bucky_, though less than in Neill's other three books. And from the way he draws her in LB it appears that the de-aging spell had worn off, at least partially. In _Scalawagons_ she still looks like a child, as she did at the end of _Wonder City_, but in LB she looks like a teen-ager again. (The Neill books are unique among the Oz books in that I think the illustrations should be considered canonical evidence as much as the text, since they were drawn by the writer. In the other books the text takes absolute precedence over the illustrations, though the latter can be considered evidence in matters where the text is silent - e.g., I'll always think of Dorothy as a blonde, even though there's no textual basis for that in the FF as far as I can recall. Douglas: Your actual thesis doesn't interest me too much (although since I was an SF fan during the '50s, it could be interesting to compare my memories with your research), but the abandoned one sounds fascinating. Craig: Good to see you post again; I assume that Megan is doing well? The Levenger catalog ("Tools for Serious Readers") carries a very good pillow for reading in bed. If you don't get the Levenger catalog and would like to get on their mailing list (they have some neat stuff; a lot of it's pricey, but some things are quite reasonable, including the reading pillow), E-mail me privately and I'll send you their address. (Same for anyone else who'd like to see one of their catalogs.) Jeremy: >IE's in RINKITINK: >I always thought it was one long IE, myself. If your standard is effect on the history of Oz, then you're probably right. In that respect it's as irrelevant to Oz as, say, _John Dough and the Cherub_ or _Queen Zixi of Ix_. But considered as a story in its own right it doesn't really have any IEs, at least of the sort that Baum puts into all his other Oz books. >Nik & Pip: >So Dr Pipt's magic was "benign"--what about Nick's? > >And how "benign" was his magic, if he was called "Crooked"? The only magical things we know that Dr. Nikidik did are the Powder of Life and the Wishing Pills. Both have the potential of working harm, but neither is harmful _per se_. And since "crooked" was a physical description of him, it implies nothing about his morals (as you know perfectly well; I know you're joking). David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 97 11:04:02 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things OZZY ORIGIN OF SPECIES: Jeremy wrote: >Yes, but birds are closer to mammals than reptiles. Audah: Er, not according to the cladogram on display in the Zoology Hall in Wogglebug College...It shows birds closer to dinosaurs, which in turn are closer to diapsid reptiles...Well, something like this: Amniotes()-----------------------() Synapsids ------ () Mammals \ \ () Chelonians (Turtles, \ \ Tortoises) \() Therapsids \ () Diapsids ----() Squamates (Lizards, Snakes, etc.) \ \ () Archosaurs --------() Dinosaurs \ \ () Thecodonts \() Birds \ () Suchians (Crocodiles, Alligators) Aurah: So birds do seem to be closer to what we call "reptiles" (although this word is considered obsolete by many taxonomists). Aujah: Actually, we have inside information that the inventor of the spell that was used on Inga was a collegue of Bishop Samuel "Soapy Sam" Wilberforce, who of course hated Darwin like Coo-ee-oh hates us... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 10 - 11, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 16:23:55 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-05-97 J.L.: PG says Dorothy can't swim? Well, that just proves that _Ozma and the Wayward Wand_ is heretical. Maybe I'll get a chance to read PG in the next few days, as I'm almost done with finals. Dorothy sobs several times in Wizard, and she faints in D&W. Steve: Dr. Karnick showed us King Vidor's _Hallelujah_ (I actually borrowed the tape from the public library so it could be used, because the 16mm rental place sent it somewhere else) and she said that it was extremely controversial when it came out. It had many black stereotypes, but when you see the bulk of the portrayal of blacks by Hollywood Studios in the 20s, of which _Wizard of Oz_ is not an egregious example, but a common one, you really can appreciate the fact that although still stereotyped, it was a much more positive portrayal. The villain in _Haallelujah_ is light-skinned and almost white, BTW. Re: The Garden of Meats Imagine what the vegetable people give as flowers! Robin: The irony is that the Follish Owl and the Wise Donkey are, in fact, closer to reality than the archetypal wise owl and foolish donkey. I would not be surprised if Baum knew this and was playing up the foolish associations. Bear: You can bet BB is neither Brigitte Bardot nor Bertholt Brecht! (Godard reference) _The Real, The True The GEN-U-INE Wizard of Oz: L. Frank Baum_ (1987) was directed by Margaret Albrecht. The credits were very sparse, and di not include the two narrators, though Bill Eubank his shown in his Scarecrow costume from an old convention photo. It also shows all the Del Rey Oz books. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 17:09:47 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 Nathan: This refers to Mombi's execution at the end of _Lost King_ and the rest has to do with _Tip of Oz_, meaning I broke my promise to Ruth not to talk about it. David: There was this girl in my church youth group named Amber Gross who once wore that shirt. The irony of all this is that her older sister, Amanda, pointed out that she looks just like Fairuza Balk, which is certainly true. Should have had her wear that shirt in _The Craft_ for a little intertextuality. "A religious myth is neither fantasy nor so-called "scientific history," but is, rather, an explanatory narrative, told in a language of drama and symbol, about a crucial spiritual episode in the religious history of the community in question, involving intersections of nature and culture with super-nature (i.e.: the Holy). As such, a myth helps Homo religiousus identify elements of the sacred world and preserves memory of them. So-called "core myths" establish important features of the community's worldview. A cosmogonic myth is a myth relating to the crucial spiritual episode concerning the creation or beginning of the world." --Dr. Roland Sherrill, professor of religious studies, IUPUI There's your definition of myth. In this way it can be said to be common to all religions. A myth is not necessarily false, obviously. John Fricke sent me _Disneyland: The Fourth Anniversary Show_, and it arrived on the same day as _The Plan Is Divine; The Gifts Are Awesome_, Judy Atwell's Oz workshop video. I haven't watched these yet. In 1995 Tunc Basaran directed a French/Turkish/Greek co-production called _Ne pars pas Triandfilis_. I just found this out the other day, and it's not on the imdb yet. Too bad no club members speak Turkish, so he can't be interviewed for the Bugle. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 17:12:13 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-07-97 Is _Father Goose, His Book_ available over e-text? I'd really like to read it, but I don't think anyone has had the audacity to publish something that racist recently enough that I'd be able to afford a copy. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 18:59:22 -0500 From: David Levitan Subject: Ozzy Digest Hi, I was on Amazon Books today and I found out that you can order the BOW version of Rinkitink in Oz. It is due to be released in April of 1998 and costs $22. Is it available directly through BOW? any pre production savings from BOW? -- David Levitan wizardofoz@iname.com ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 21:16:13 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 <> Of course, the Wiz doesn't count, I guess ... ----------------- Rap music: contradiction in terms? I thought that was fairly obvious (tho many of my contemporaries would disagree). ------------------- >>And since "crooked" was a physical description of him, it implies nothing about his morals (as you know perfectly well; I know you're joking).>> Me? Joking? When did I start doing that? ------------------ Speaking of which (or witch), you are soon to hear a whole lot LESS of my joking, as tomorrow I leave for home for the holidays. Rather than ask Dave to do the complex forwarding business he does at the beginning and end of each school year for me, I will just let them accumulate here and then read them when I get back. Enjoy your vacation (from my feeble attempts at humor) while I enjoy my vacation (from school)! Until then, Yours Ozzily, Jeremy Steadman, jsteadman@loki.berry.edu (kiex@aol.com during the summer and school vacations) http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9619 ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 07:27:25 +0200 (IST) From: Tzvi Harris Subject: Ozzy Digest I'd like to thank everyone who gave me advice on where to find Oz books in NYC, and info re Oz books on the web. I was in NY for a short visit but managed to get to Books of Wonder, and bought a few books. I enjoyed _Glass Cat_, and am currently reading two books by Abbot. I have a stack of digests on my computer to catch up on. Patchwork Girl: I reread the segment of the wolf at the door 3-4 times, and was convinced that I was missing something. I'm glad to hear that it's not my reading comprehension that is at fault. Tzvi Harris Talmon,Israel ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 00:12:00 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Craig: I've mailed you Herm Bieber's five part series on Book Repair, which occured between Februaru and May of 1997. I've echoed Dave on that, so that he can post it to his archive if he so desires. John Bell and the Lion of Courage: It is to be remembered true courage is doing what you must do even though you are afraid. This is the essence of the Cowardly Lion, and this never wears off. Rich: The acquired immunity of Ruggedo to the water of oblivion has been discussed before, and is quite probable. It has also been theorized that Nomes, being magical creatures, have some sort of natural immunity. Of course, this would mean that the Whimsies, Growleywogs and Phanfasms would also recover their memories. books, computers, music and TV: I cannot do more than two of these at once, and I cannot do every combination of two. Books and computer: No Books and music: Yes Books and TV: No computer and music: Yes computer and TV: Yes music and TV: No Bob Spark: While not really a contradiction in terms, most rap music is in fact recycled disco from the 70's. Shaggy may have meant that remark only in regards to living in the palace. I can't imagine someone even with Ozma's talents assigning living quarters to over 50,000 people on a case-by-case basis, although she did exile the gypsies and turned some other people into Winkie farmers. I knew what a gill was, but not a volplane. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 02:23:01 -0500 From: Lisa Bompiani Subject: Ozzy Digest Hello, it's finals time and, well, it's ARGH time, too! I'm taking a break now and enjoying some of my Dead Man's Brew coffee (coffee brewed from espresso beans as opposed to simply roasted coffee beans). Ouch!, but very tasty. Dave Hulan: I don't watch TV very much at all, and I grew up in the 70's. I'd much rather read. In fact, even if I do watch TV, I never just sit. I'm either cross-stitching, typing, or doing something else crafty. I do enjoy football, The Muppets, and some other shows I tape and watch at my leisure (what is that?). I've never been able to understand people who simply sit and watch TV for hours on end. Tyler: Why do you put your pillows at the other end of the bed? Barbara DeJohn: Sounds good to me! I live in Indiana, so it wouldn't be a far drive! Sorry, I don't have much to say today . . ., Peace & Love, Bompi ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 08:40:21 +0000 From: Craig Noble Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Bear: Interesting that you collect both Sherlock Holmes and Oz books. Michael Riley draws parallels between both series, their original authors, and fans: 1) There are many inconsistencies between the books; 2) both Baum and Doyle tried unsuccessfully to end their series (Baum by making Oz unreachable in EC, Doyle by killing Holmes); 3) both series' fans spend much time trying to iron out the inconsistencies between the books, and 4) their is an extenstive body of apocrypha written by fans. I suppose Riley is not the first person to write about this, but it is new to me. I read many of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was a child, but they never captured my imagination the way Oz did. David: It *is* unfair that Baum's poetry is out-of-print and Milne's is not. _Father Goose_ is such a beautiful, elaborately illustrated book that it would be very expensive to reprint it. Any publisher who did would be hard pressed not to change or even delete the racial elements. There are negative portrayals of both blacks and Asians, and I consider them quite offensive -- more so than anything else Baum wrote. Having said that, I am still a purist and would be very disappointed if a reprint were altered. For the same reason, I am not entirely happy with BoW's non-Oz reprints. Peter Glassman has said that the illos in _Yew_, _Master Key_, and _Dot and Tot_, among others are not contemporary enough to please a modern child. I disagree (with the exception, perhaps, of _Master Key_). I'm especially disappointed that there's not a facsimile edition of _Dot and Tot_. Wouldn't it be nice to have true-to-the-original editions in print of all the Baum-Denslow collaborations? Ozzily, Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 10:09:31 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 > > So no, I would never [the killing of blacks by whites] > consider this justice. I'm from the West, and grew up in a time and place > where the relationships between the races were quite different than what I > heard about the South. I think the example you give would be unjust to > anyone but a psychotic. Having never lived there, I have never been able > to relate to the Southerners who found such actions acceptable. > > Sleepily, Bear (:<) > But, Bear, you must remember that laws are *often* what the powerful use to keep the less powerful in place. As Martin Luther King explained there are just laws and unjust laws. Everything that the Nazis did in Germany in the 1930s was legal, because they wrote the laws. Judges that enforce unjust laws are not part of the justice system but part of an injustice system. In parts of the U.S. as recently as the 1950s there were Jim Crow Laws that restricted blacks from doing some things that were legal for whites. I know YOU do not believe these laws were just, but THEY WERE THE LAW! > > J. L. Bell: > I don't really know when _Runaway_ was written, but I believe that Jenny > didn't play all that prominent a role in the original manuscript. I > believe that Shanower expanded her role for the BoW edition. > > -- > Nathan Mulac DeHoff > > J.L.: > Steve Teller is probably your best bet for an accurate answer on when > _Runaway_ was written (at least, of people who contribute to the Digest). > David Hulan Thank you, David, for your faith in me. RUNAWAY was written in 1942-43. Actually the Shanower version is quite close to the original (I am basing this on a talk Shanower gave at the Munchkin Convention in which he talked about how he adapted RUNAWAY--I did not hear the talk but a have read a transcript of it) I have not seen the original MS. Many years ago (in the 50s or early 60s) Fred Meyer and Robert Pattrick made an adaptation of the Neill MS in hopes of publication, but the Neill family did not want it published because it changed the original more than they wanted. Shanower worked with Neill's daughters' authorization, and they wanted as much of their father's work preserved as possible. > In order to settle a bibliographic question, would anyone with a Navy Alphabet > please describe the pages that occur after the letter "Z" page? There seems > to be some confusion here, and I would be grateful for any information. It > will also be useful in future Bugle articles that might deal with the Baum > Alphabets. > Many Thanks, > > Herm Bieber > I can answer your question, but, for the benefit of the majority of Digest readers who have not seen a copy of THE NAY ALPHABET, I will preface it with some information about Baum's Alphabets. In 1900, the same year as WWOZ, the George M. Hill compary published two over sized [the pages were approximately 10 by 12 inches] books with Baum's verses, THE ARMY ALPHABET and THE NAVY ALPHABET, with pictures by Harry Kennedy. Each volume consisted of full color pages, printed on only one side of the page (possibly to allow the pages to be detached and hung on the wall) one for each letter of the alphabet and one for "&" (ampersand). After the "Z" page in THE NAVY ALPHABET ( at least in my copy) is a the ampersand page with the following verse: & AND now, although our book is nearly done, And all the verse and all the sober fun Is written down for you to plainly read, We hope this final sentiment you'll heed; Americans may feel a loyal pride In Army, Statesmen, Trade and much beside; But when on high our Union Jack's unfurled It marks the Finest Navy in the World! All the capital letters are in red. The others are in black. This is followed by a blank page (the free endpaper). This differs from THE ARMY ALPHABET which has a page with the words: "THIS BOOK WAS / ILLUMINED AND / HAND LETTERED / by CHARLES J / COSTELLO" with a picture of (presumeably) Costello. However, on the title page of ARMY there is no mention of Costello, while in NAVY the title page has the words "LETTERED by CHARLES COSTELLO matching PICTURES by HARRY KENNEDY. This seems to me strong evidence that ARMY was prionted first and when NAVY was produced they corrected the omission of Costello's name. > > I certainly didn't...but Baum should have. Wasn't he a farm boy? (I'm > pretty sure he was; he raised chickens as a boy.) > > Rich Morrissey > He did write a book on raising fancy fowl, but he was NOT a farm boy. Raising Hamburgs was a hobby for Baum, not a vocation. Michael Patrick Hearn complains that Michael O. Reilly depends too much TO PLEASE A CHILD. But Hearn has been working on his biography of Baum for more years than I can recall--I remember his stating that he had not finished it back when the Ozmapolitan Conventions were at Castle Park, and that was in the 70s. There are many of us who have stopped holding our breaths until this definitive biography appears in print. Concerning the Wise Donkey and the Foolish Owl in PG: I consider this the most irrelevant of the IEs in the book, but it was included in the Junior League Play version of the book in 1930. The mysterious house appears in the Oz Film Company's film of PG, but it was Dr Pipt, not Ojo, who spends a night at the house. This provides an opportunity for cinematic magic using stop frame animation. BTW, this episode provided my favorite Oz Quiz question of those I have written: "Who ate and was still hungry, slept and was still sleepy and thanked a host he never saw?" Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 09:47:31 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Jeremy Steadman writes: >It makes sense to me--tho >the question of what was around _before_ the BB (no relation) does >loom in my mind. Meaningless question. Time itself starts at the Big Bang. >(I do generally accept it, and did so >unconditionally until the religious fanatics at Berry College posed >it to me--but not to go off on a tangent again, I'll stop.) Which only goes to show that their theology was as bad as their science. They should have known that God exists outside of time, so that their question is just as meaningless from the viewpoint of (small-o) orthodox Xtianity as from the viewpoint of contemporary cosmology. >Yes, but birds are closer to mammals than reptiles. Errr.... Not from a traditional taxonomic viewpoint; whether Aves be regarded as a class as it was in Baum's time, putting them an an equal distance from Mammalia and Reptilia, or as a subclass of the new class Dinosauria as has been proposed in our time, putting them at the same distance, plus one remove. Not from a cladistic viewpoint, either, though I don't believe cladistics were even dreamed of back then. No, I think the "bipedal" question is what matters here. (And a monkey or ape wouldn't help; none are fully bipedal as birds and humans are.) Gordon Birrell wrote: >I never saw _The Absent-Minded Professor_ or its current remake, _Flubber_, >but reading the descriptions of the plot makes me wonder if these movies are >based on (or, as the saying goes, "inspired by") William Pene de Bois's 1950 >children's book, _Peter Graves_. I believe "The Absent-Minded Professor" and "Son of Flubber" were expressly acknowledged to be somewhat distant descendants of the "Danny Dunn" books, and "Flubber", as a remake of the former, would be the same. Bob Spark wrote: > The "mah Lulu" song is just so offensive by today's standards that >I can't draw any comparisons. If I'm right (that Baum is describing a white singer performing a "coon song"), then there wouldn't really be any comparison, although certain of Pat Boone's oeuvre spring to mind. // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 11:10:04 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Bear: >>Sometimes. Of course, if you were white and killed a black in the South, >nothing happened to you - but maybe you consider that justice? (I don't >think so, but at least you'd be consistent if you did.) > >I guess I have to respond to this, however, I think you know me better than >this. I am wondering why you created this example? As a refutation of your assertion that there was once a Golden Age when everything was wonderful and that the country has gone to the dogs in the last 40 years. Some things were better in the '50s; some things are better now. Personally, I prefer now (though I'd like to have the body back that I had in 1959...). If you'd ever mentioned "BB" to me I'd have been happy to have sold (or even given) the sequel to _Little Grey Men_ to you when I culled it, but I had no idea you'd even heard of the author. Next time I'm in Britain I'll see if it's still in print and pick you up a copy if so. I don't think the WOZ parody was during the comic-book period of MAD; I know I read all of those and am pretty sure I'd have remembered if there'd been an Oz parody. Nathan: I found the reference to Ojo being ten. It doesn't exactly say that he's ten, but it strongly implies it with the statement that he could fight as well as any other boy of ten. There are certainly a few cases of characters' ages being given - there just aren't many. Peter's age is given twice, as 9 in _Gnome King_ and 11 in _Pirates, though the second one is suspect for several reasons. One is that in _Pirates_ it says that Ruggedo had been wandering for five years after the events of _Gnome King_ (which agrees with the time between publication of the books). Another is that Peter refers to being a scout, and in 1930 you had to be at least 12 to get into the Boy Scouts. And finally, he behaves like a teen-ager throughout the book, and not like an 11-year-old. Tyler: >John Bell: >I prefer your explanation re the Munchkin king in _Ozma_ actually being the >Winkie ruler (i.e. TIn Woodman). It is the simplest. The only problem is that it doesn't fit the text, which says that Ozma's party (which included the Tin Woodman) was "met at the border" by the King of the Munchkins. There's also the reference to the desert lying to the west of the capital of Ev. And that they passed by Jinjur's home (which is in the Munchkin country, acto _Tin Woodman_ and _Patchwork Girl_) on the way to the EC. Unless we want to say that the countries outside Oz flipped east to west between _Ozma_ and _Emerald City_ (at which point the Nome King tunnels under the Winkie Country to get to the EC), I think it's necessary to assume that Baum got his directions mixed up in the first place, and that the whole segment about Dorothy's journey through the Munchkin country was something he made up to fill up that chapter rather than something that actually happened. Rich: I'm not all that familiar with Baum's poems (don't have _Father Goose_ or either alphabet book), but based on the ones in the Oz books I don't think he was really in Milne's class as a writer of comic verse. As for my opinion of _Speckled Rose_, it's just that I found the whole book rather repellent and barely managed to finish reading it. (If it had been a little longer I wouldn't have.) Many of the other ECP books are slight, but they've at least been fun. Baum wasn't actually a farm boy, He was raised on a large estate similar to the one in _Dot and Tot_, but his father was an oil man and worked in the city of Syracuse; he wasn't a farmer. I imagine Baum was somewhat familiar with sheep and goats, though, which is why I find it curious that he'd insert a sheep into the transformation process. The "switcheroo spell" is something that we mention frequently here on the Digest; I don't know if Melody or Dave invented the term, but it shows up in Dave's FAQ. The Cowardly Lion's courage didn't really "wear off"; the "courage" he was given by the Wizard wasn't anything but a flavored drink with no magical power at all. He'd repeatedly shown that he really had courage all along before the drink, and he had just as much - but no more - afterward. If my book _The Magic Carpet of Oz_ is ever published, it includes an explanation of how (and why) the Glass Cat's brains were returned to pinkness. (The Wizard didn't take her brains away, though; he just made them transparent. It was purely cosmetic, and didn't affect the cat's intelligence.) Gordon: Good explanation of the cottage-wolf episode. I'm unfamiliar with either of those two Grimm tales you mention (I may have read them as a child, but don't remember them), but Baum probably knew them. There are earlier animated humanoid creatures than Frankenstein's monster - the earliest one I can think of is the bronze man that Daedalus made to walk around the coast of Crete and guard it (Talos, I think its name was, but I'm not sure of that), rather like the giant with the hammer in _Ozma_. And there's the Golem of Prague, and I'm sure quite a few others that don't come to mind immediately. Bob Spark: Well, I knew what "volplane" meant (though I don't know if I knew it at the time I first read PG, which would probably have been in 1943 or 1944). I don't think the term is used much any more, but that's probably because most modern aircraft can't do it. If a modern airplane loses power it crashes; it doesn't glide gracefully. (Probably some light aircraft can still glide if they lose power, but jets in particular rarely can do anything but fall without power.) I remember looking up "gill" when I first read PG, whenever it was. (It is, incidentally, pronounced differently from "gill" when you're referring to a fish's breathing apparatus. The liquid measure is "jill".) And as a bit of trivia, the bars at British pubs used to (and may still; I don't recall noticing it on my last couple of trips there, but it may just be that it had become so familiar that it didn't register) have a sign up notifying patrons that "All spirits are dispensed in units of a sixth of a gill." In other words, if you order a whisky they'll serve you 2/3 of an ounce; if you want more you order a double. Craig: Thanks for running the review of Riley's book. I think Hearn's criticism is fair, although it means he'd have liked the book to do some things I'm just as glad it didn't try to do. Ruth: >Rich Morrissey: A cataclysm turning Hiland/Loland into an island when it >had once been part of the mainland sounds like a possible basis-for-a- >story. It would have to be a double cataclysm, though, once post-"John >Dough" to turn the island into mainland and once to re-island it for the >Haff/Martin map -- unless it explained a reason for the "Tik-Tok" map to >have been based on the state of things prior to "John Dough." Maybe there was one of those seaquakes, like the one in _Gnome King_, between Hiland/Loland and the mainland just as Prof. Woggle-bug was doing the survey of that part of Baumgea? Dave: Your cladogram makes it look like the chelonians are ancestral to the diapsids; I thought they were a separate branch? (Also, the question of whether dinosaurs are ancestral to birds or a separate branch is still very much in dispute, though they're clearly more closely related to each other than either is to mammals.) And just to pick a nit, the spell Glinda broke was on Bobo/Bilbil, not Inga. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 11:39:57 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest David Hulan and Rich Morrissey: In describing sheep as closer than goats to humans ("Rinkitink"), possibly Baum had in mind the parable of "separating the sheep from the goats." I don't think Baum would have had much direct experience of either. As a child he lived in a country- house and kept chickens as a hobby, but "Roselawn" wasn't a farm. Gordon Birrell: Connecting the invisible voice's house with a theme of illusion vs. reality throughout the book sounds like a reasonable possibility. Bob Spark: I suspect most of had to look up "gill" and "volplane" in the dictionary (or else not know for sure). The context makes it possible to guess the meanings reasonably well, but not exactly. Craig Noble: It was interesting to see Michael Patrick Hearn's review of "Oz and Beyond." I don't think it praises the book as much as it deserves -- calling it "rarely profound" and complaining that it doesn't do original research. Riley's main point -- that Baum's idea of what sort of a place Oz was and what sort of a world it was in -- changed over time is common-sensically obvious, but I don't recall that it had been made systematically before. The complaint that it's overly-generous to describe Baum as changing his idea of Oz, rather than describing him as a careless writer who could have kept the details consistent if he'd bothered to try, doesn't, I think, respond fairly to Riley's demonstration that Baum was actually changing his mind about what was there, not just forgetting what he'd said. (He could do just forget things, too, as with getting Eureka to Oz without explanation, but the main changes, such as making Oz a place without death, were a more basic matter, and more interesting.) Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:52:13 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Craig: I have all my Ozzy Digests save. Could you tell me the dates for Herm's book repair? Then I can forward them to you. Rich: According to A.S. Carptenter's Baum biography, Magic and Glinda were put in a safe-depoit box to possibly be published postnumously, though after TW he went back to these and began revising. Baum lived on a a large estate with several farms as a boy, and he was home-schooled, as wealthy people were. Scott I must not have finished with this. I'll send it now. Oh, while I remember, for Bill's page, and for anyone else who is interested: A Film by Harry Smith The Tin Woodsman's Dream: Film Number 13 Copyright 1962 Harry Everett Smith Adapted from the Oz stories of L. Frank Baum Animated by Harry Smith and Joann Ziprin Production Design by Harry Everett Smith Based on artwork by W.W. Denslow Music, from _Faust_ by Charles Gounod Cinematography by Stuart Reed Exective Producers: Elizabeth Taylor and Arthur Young Produced by Lionel Ziprin Written and Directed by Harry Smith also known as Oz, The Magic Mushroom People of Oz, Fragments of a Fate Forgotten. "Woodsman" is said in context. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:54:57 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Matilda Joslyn Gage video (fwd) for Ozzy Digest I thought this might be of interest. Michael Patrick Hearn is also in the video, which is moderated by Joseph E. Dimeglio. Scott ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 09:13:54 -0600 From: Joan Roca Subject: Re: Matilda Joslyn Gage video Scott, Thanks for your inquiry. Yes, we do have the video you mention and I am including the display of the entry on our online catalog. Unfortunately our library does not circulate video tapes to other libraries via interlibrary loan since last Summer. I hope you will find other sources relevant to your research. Another option might be to contact Cindy Veldhuisen (Cindy_Veldhuisen@ms1.mankato.msus.edu), at the MSU Women Studies Department, and see if they might have a copy of the tape. Sally Wagner used to teach here but she is no longer at MSU. Good luck! Joan ______________________________________________________________________ Screen 001 of 001 Record 0001 of 0003 MSU Catalog MSU Library: Mankato State University Location: ERC COUNTER--VIDEO HQ1413.G3 W3 VR 849 Author: Wagner, Sally Roesch. Title: Matilda Joslyn Gage [videorecording] : a presentation / by Sally Roesch Wagner. Publisher: 1983. Description: 1 videocassette (VHS-SP) (30 min.) : sd., b&w ; 1/2 in. Summary: Sally Wagner dresses, acts, and answers questions as the feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage in this presentation to a Women's Studies class at Mankato State University. General-Note: VR0849 Subject: Gage, Matilda Joslyn, 1826-1898. Subject: Feminists. Subject: Women's rights. At 5:51 PM -0600 12/9/97, sahutchi@iupui.edu wrote: >------------------------------- COMMENT WEBFORM ------------------------- > From: Scott Hutchins, > Subject: Matilda Joslyn Gage video > >---------------------------------- COMMENT ------------------------------ >I discovered this video in the WorldCat that said it was made at Mankato >State University, but listed no copies owned by any library. This could >really help in my research. Could I have some more information about it, >and is it possibly to get a copy? >-------------------------------- END OF COMMENT ------------------------- /----------------------------------\_/-------------------------------\ | Joan Roca, PhD, Systems Librarian | mailto:roca@mankato.msus.edu | | Mankato State University, Box 19 | Office: (507) 389-2476 | | Mankato, MN 56002-8419 (usa) | FAX: (507) 389-5155 | | http://www.lib.mankato.msus.edu/staff/roca | \__________________________________/ \_______________________________/ ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:09:33 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz: I like to think... Sender: "J. L. Bell" Thanks to Nathan and David Hulan for confirming that I didn't miss Ozma's elevation of Betsy and Trot to princesses. Special thanks to Rich Morrissey for recalling <> GIANT HORSE is the book in which Cheeriobed makes Trot a princess of Munchkinland. Maybe that's why Betsy felt left out. As the Dodo says in ALICE IN WONDERLAND, "*all* must have prizes." Nathan DeHoff wrote: <> True, but those miners-turned-soldiers are called "slaves" (pp. 180, 183). I'd like to infer that they were enslaved by Gludwig, but Thompson has already stated that Jinnicky is attended by "huge black slaves" (PURPLE PRINCE, pp. 141, 158, elsewhere). He's delighted to obtain "two extra slaves" (JACK PUMPKINHEAD, p. 173, Del Rey edition). Thompson is quick to call her black characters slaves: though he says not a word to indicate his status, Ginger is described as a "little black slave" from the moment he appears (JP, p. 34, DR). Gludwig lives in a mansion, it seems, because he was overseer of Jinnicky's mines. So in SILVER PRINCESS we have a story of a black man granted a little authority wresting power from his lighter-skinned boss, only to be overthrown; the blacks who had supported his rebellion then repudiate him (though a few are publicly and ruthlessly punished) because they realize the original regime was kind and generous. That parallels the unreconstructed myth of Reconstruction, as promulgated by books like THE CLANSMAN (filmed as BIRTH OF A NATION), GONE WITH THE WIND (published two years before SILVER PRINCESS), and the 1932 textbook history of South Carolina I saw in a New Orleans used-book store on Monday. I like your notion that northern Ev is populated by black people who voluntarily work for Jinnicky (perhaps Thompson merely displayed the prejudices of her time by calling them slaves). But that seems appropriate for a new story, rather than a reading much of her texts support. David Hulan said: <> I can imagine a couple of possible explanations: * Ozma didn't see Ojo pick the clover in the Picture, but was alerted through some other means ("Oh, Jellia, the clover-alarm has gone off!"); the Wizard spent the night magically searching for the clover, locating it in the vase. * Ozma chose to also teach Scraps (and the public) a lesson by publicly showing that cover-ups are impossible. But the simplest explanation is that Oz's law-enforcement authorities (Ozma, Omby Amby, etc.) were too loving and out of practice to collect evidence properly. Kind of like Boulder. David Hulan wrote: <> As Rich pointed out, Thompson establishes that Pompadore is celebrating his tenth 18th birthday in KABUMPO (p. 24) and that Randy is "twenty or so" in SILVER PRINCESS (p. 33) though he doesn't look it. Her reason becomes clear at the ends of those books: both boys are of marrying age. (I don't see the same statement about Tatters, however.) To "The Cowardly Lion's courage wears off," David Hulan replied: <> This is an accurate description of the Lion's behavior through most of WIZARD, and in OZMA on. But during the final journey to Glinda's castle in WIZARD, we see a different animal. He's no longer referred to as "the Cowardly Lion." He repeatedly calls attention to the courage he feels. So there was a change, and a change back. Baum must have realized that, while a smart Scarecrow and a kind-hearted Tin Woodman are still interesting, a lion who says he's brave is a green dime a dozen. David Hulan also said: <> I actually go farther than that, and consider Neill's illustrations to be *more* accurate h-OZ-torically than his texts. Because he was the country's longtime illustrator, I presume he was granted a way of seeing Oz folks or scenes, even if he couldn't witness every moment in the books and therefore depict each with complete accuracy. But did Neill have the same access to Ozian news as Baum and Thompson? The wild, careening, episodic nature of his texts hints that he didn't, but was trying to connect the disparate scenes he saw and recorded. Thus, I'm convinced that Jenny Jump, Number Nine, Bucky and Davy Jones, and others live in and around the Emerald City; I'm convinced there's a Turn-Style Shop, a few scalawagons, a barrel bird somewhere in the sky. But did chocolate soldiers invade around an oz-lection? Did fighting houses destroy the capital? Did four doorknobs turn into Flummoxes, who turned into children? I'm not convinced. My reading, I admit, fits a pattern that I've come to call an ILTT ("I like to think"). The reading makes me feel better even though I can't quote solid evidence from the books, and indeed must ignore statements in those books. Other examples in this list over the last months: * ILTT that Trot's mother died before she went to Oz. * ILTT that Dr. Pipt's antidote didn't really need the wing of a butterfly. * ILTT that Jinnicky's black slaves weren't all enslaved (see above). * ILTT that Gayelette was being careless rather than dictatorial in not limiting the spell she cast over the Magic Cap. (Yes, that's one of mine.) A lot of ILTTs mitigate or erase the little heartlessness that exists in the Oz books. Such optimistic reading/wishful thinking is natural, even laudable. If we can quote text that *implies* an ILTT may be true, all the better. Beyond that, I guess we should write our own histories. Speaking of which, David Hulan told me: <> Terrific! I applaud Gordon Birrell's link of the mysterious cottage in PATCHWORK GIRL to the Grimm tales <<"Das blaue Licht" ("The Blue Light") and "Tischlein deck dich" ("Table set yourself">>. Combined with the wolf, traditionally a familiar or even form of evil magicians, these details would create, as Gordon says, a <> feeling for readers even if (or perhaps *because*) we don't know exactly what's going on. In addition to heightening the sense of danger, this episode is important in the development of Scraps's personality. Newly born, she doesn't have the sense to be scared or deferential as Ojo is. Her eviction from the cottage is the first dose of discipline in her life--and she changes hardly at all. In contrast, the Glass Cat "lay asleep on one bed" (p. 83); I take this to mean Bungle was slyly pretending to sleep, having been so commanded by the Voice. After all, even though it's a cat, it shouldn't have to sleep any more than the Scarecrow does, right? With transparent eyelids, the Glass Cat can't even block its own emerald eyes, right? (Then how did it pass through the illusory gate on p. 161? Hmmm.) Gordon Birrell also said: <> Yes! I'm glad you noticed the similarity, too. In last summer's top movie MEN IN BLACK there's a ball that bounces and bounces, like the ball that destroys the inventor's home in PETER GRAVES. Why hasn't that fine novel been filmed? Perhaps Hollywood fears the American public would confuse it with Benjamin Britten's opera. Nah. J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 18:24:41 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Japanese Wizard of Oz play Shinjuku Koma theatre in Tokyo is giving a live performance of _The Wizard of Oz_, based on the MGM movie. Its run is from August 2-30, 1998. It stars Yumi Adachi. _The Wizard of Odd_ by Cynthia Sparky Read can be read online at www-scf.usc.edu/~cread/fear5/fandic/wizard.html Kaleidoscope Information Retrieval Category: Genius in Arts & Sciences Catalog Number: G-131 Program Title: The Wizard Tho Created Oz: L. Frank Baum www.threeweb.ad.jp/~bat6000/ has a bunch of manga-style Oa artwork. The entrance has a picture of Dorothy clad in silver shoes with a butterfly net. Erik Larsen has reportedly begun working on a full-length illustrated novel (similar to the recent Hellboy: The Lost Army book) to be released as soon as the year 2000. The novel, tentatively entitled "The Savage begun working on a full-length illustrated novel (similar to the recent Hellboy: The Lost Army book) to be released as soon as the year 2000. The novel, tentatively entitled "The Savage Dragon in Oz," which may or may not be set in current TSD-continuity, will feature both the Dragon and the characters of L. Frank Baum's world-famous "Oz" children's books. The release of Larsen's novel will hopefully coincide with the centennial anniversary of the publication of the first Oz book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." "Wizard of Oz, The" Greg recommends L. Frank Baum's 1900 fantasy as a more age-appropriate book when Cindy reads Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" to appear mature. [ 67 ] Hal Cooper's The Brady Bunch--Cindy Brady, Lady (2-18-72) MD-476 EARLY OZ MUSIC 10-1/2x14" sheet music for 1913 copyright song "Ask The Flowers To Tell You" from stage production "The Tic-Toc Man Of Oz" based on L. Frank Baum book. Cover has full color art by Roland. Cover has inked name at top margin and this name is repeated twice again at top corner of inside five pages of words and music. Lt. wear around edges, very colorful and clean cover art. VF. $75 Limited Availability - Order Now! Return To Hake's Americana Homepage www.hakes.com MD-478 "DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD OF OZ" RECORD ALBUM 12-1/2x14" rigid cardboard album holding three large 12" dia. 78 rpm records featuring Rosemary Rice and cast telling L. Frank Baum stories from Oz. Stories include those in the lands of Mangaboos, Gargoyles, Dragonettes, Princess Ozma's Court, etc. Album covers are worn around edges and front litho paper art has scattered small wear and aging although still bright and colorful. Album is by Capitol Records copyright 1949. $85 Limited Availability - Order Now! Return To Hake's Americana Homepage MD-479 OZ FRAMED PAINTING 15x19" wood frame around 11-1/2x15-1/2" beautifully executed paint-by-number scene c. 1950s-1960s. Choice color, neatly done, attractively framed, ready for hanging. Backing paper on reverse is partially loose at edges w/several large chips and moisture stain along one edge. Front condition is Exc. $75 Limited Availability - Order Now! Return To Hake's Americana Homepage Oz Revisited - and Ruined Films: Transfer to Video: The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914) His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1915) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1915) The Wizard of Oz (1925) American Home Entertainment, (800) 422-6484 Like every right thinking person, I love the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz. It's one of Hollywood's great musical fantasies, rewarding and entertaining after countless viewings. As a fan of L. Frank Baum's original books, however, I never thought that the MGM version quite caught his particular sense of whimsical absurdity. If only Baum himself had been able to make movies of his books.... Well, he did. In 1914, Baum formed a motion picture company called Oz Film Manufacturing with the express purpose of bringing his characters (including that holy trinity of heartlessness, brainlessness and nervelessness - the Tin Woodsman, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow) to the screen. Although film historians differ on Baum's precise contribution to the films, he probably directed one or more of them and certainly oversaw the details of all of them. The films Baum made at his curious little company are delightful, although they're as different from the Judy Garland version as Olestra is from chicken fat. The Magic Cloak of Oz, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, and His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz weren't filmed on huge imaginative sets. By and large, they take place outside, in grassy fields and sloping forests - which strangely is part of their loveliness. There's enormous goofy charm in people running around in cheesy animal suits under the bright sunshine; it's fanciful and natural, sweet and satirical, funny and touching all at once. Another Oz movie was made a decade later and it isn't nearly so engaging. Starring Larry Semon, whose comedy is an acquired taste I never acquired, The Wizard of Oz (1925) jettisons Baum's wit in favor of bad puns, awful sight gags and way too much Larry Semon. About the only thing positive in this version is that the Tin Woodsman is played by one Oliver N. Hardy, just prior to his teaming with Stan Laurel (if Stan had starred in this one instead of Semon, what a classic if might have been!). As much as I enjoy the other three Oz films, particularly the endearing The Magic Cloak of Oz, they haven't been easy to see, so you can imagine how excited I was when I learned that American Home Entertainment was releasing all four films as a boxed set. I haven't had this much eager anticipation plunge into crushing disappointment since prom night. The packaging is quite attractive, with scenes from the films mixed with original artwork from the Oz books; this set looks great on the shelf. But once you slip a cassette into the VCR, the trouble begins. I won't complain much about the dupy print quality. I don't know if these films have survived in any better shape than this, so I'll give the company the benefit of the doubt and assume that they tracked down the best possible prints. However, glitches within those prints - a jumping frame, large distracting scratches - are elements easily enough remedied during a video transfer. That all of these films suffer from these kinds of flaws makes me think that the transfers were done carelessly. But I could even take the substandard visual quality of the Oz films if they weren't saddled with terrible music and narration. That's right - apparently hoping to cash in on all the blind folks who love silent movies, they have actually recorded someone reading the title cards aloud. But I'll never hear that narration again, because the music is so ghastly, so inappropriate and so ill-considered, that the only way to watch these cassettes is with the sound off. Someone must have thought that alternating droning, new-age electronic music with bluesy piano (randomly alternating, I might add, without any thought given to the context of any scene) would really put the viewer in the Oz mood. But someone was very, very wrong. (They even credit the "composer" on the video boxes. I won't print his name here in hopes that there is still time for rehabilitation; you'd hate to see someone saddled with something like this for the rest of his life.) When all is said and done, do I recommend these films? Watched silently, yes, I think you'll have a great deal of fun with the three Baum films. You might even enjoy the Larry Semon version, if you're in a very undemanding frame of mind. But here's hoping that someone has another go at these films sometime, and does the job right. The area in and around Miller Park seems to be a hotspot lately. The police have hopped up patrols in the area since the graveyard near there recently was robbed of one of its most famous inhabitants - Dorothy Gale. L. Frank Baum's real-life niece about whom he wrote the massively popular fable "The Wizard of Oz", Dorothy Gale's body was illegally exhumed. There's no place like home, huh Dotty? On the same illegal note: snickers, guffaws, and groans of disbelief could be heard from round the city when word of the squelched police raid got out. Let's see if any of the Nos can name this tune, "My wild Irish Rose...suck the wall, scumbag." While we're on the subject of that fuzzy cop, let it be known that Socko Strikes Again!!!! That was found spray-painted on the wall of the alley where the unfortunate fur-ball disappeared. Gives me shivers to think what they might do to him. C'est la vie! This part was written under the pseudonym Persephone von Demeter. The Book:The Wizard of OZ Revealed-- Are you one of those fortunate ones who loves The Wizard of OZ story by L. Frank Baum, and who is blessed with the imagination to know instinctively there is really more to the story than apparent? The author, Samuel Bousky, firmly believes that Baum was spiritually inspired during his writing of The Wizard of OZ as evidenced by the deep symbolism so ingeniously included in his characters and episodes. The Book The Wizard of OZ Revealed Are you one of those fortunate ones who loves The Wizard of OZ story by L. Frank Baum, and who is blessed with the imagination to know instinctively there is really more to the story than apparent? Samuel Bousky firmly believes that Baum was spiritually inspired during his writing of The Wizard of OZ as evidenced by the deep symbolism so ingeniously included in his characters and episodes. Such spiritual ingenuity is also present, at times only momentarily, during assiduous effort in invention, musical composition, architecture, art, and sculpure when original ideas just seem to spill forth from seemingly nowhere at all. We at Writers Consortium, have just published a book entitled The Wizard of OZ Revealed by Samuel Bousky that explains Bousky's contention. It differs from most OZ books which are intended just for children. You will find this book a treasure for adults in that it speaks to the spiritual symbolism in the The Wizard of OZ story and reveals our purpose for being on this earth. Few of us can deny that mankind is Spirit in addition to the physical. Yet our understanding of Spirit is actually quite limited as it is seemingly a "hidden" activity in our daily lives. It is "hidden" too in The Wizard of OZ by Baum. The revelations in The Wizard of OZ Revealed may have great significance for many, and might enhance their own spiritual leanings, however this work is NOT about religion or religions. On the other hand, it can as well be a stimulating "fairy tale" for adults, just as the original story by Baum was for children. Is it not whatThe Wizard of OZ story was all about for children, to stimulate the imagination? We spent over 15 years getting Bousky to write this story. He has spent over 35 years of diligent, exhaustive research into the spiritual aspects of man. As Bousky has pointed out, it is very difficult to get concepts of the Spiritual across and be understood. Mr. Bousky, now 86, lives in Australia. Published in 1995, 64 pages, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" ISBN 0-9641660-1-1 Hard Cover $20. ISBN 0-9641660-3-8 Softcover $10. Shipping/handling $2.50 per book. California residents add 7-1/4% sales tax. Books can be purchased by check or money order by writing: Writers Consortium, 5443 Stag Mt. Rd., Weed, CA 96094. For credit card orders call 1-800-887-5526 or 1-916-938-3163. | Library | Books/Video/Audio | Magazine | Newsletters | | Seniors-Site Homepage | Site Master | E-mail | Sponsor/Advertising Information | If you would like to become a sponsor or wish to advertise on Seniors-Site please contact us. Last change 4/21/96 This came from an ALtaVista adavanced search for L. Frank Baum. I had to stop after page twelve. I also discovered there is a www.wogglebug.com! Scott ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 18:47:00 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: more oz net stuff http://www.sover.net/~jsd/5Twists.html has "Five Twists" a commentary on L. Frank Baum, but I could not access it from this server. David Schramm plays the brash Roy Biggins on Wings. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky and attended Western Kentucky University and studied acting at the Juilliard School in New York. He starred in many Broadway productions before his big break in 1988, starring in "Born Yesterday" with Rebecca DeMornay at the Pasadena Playhouse. Schramm's TV work includes Wiseguy, Working Girl, Jake and the Fatman, and the movies "Johnny Handsome," "A Shock to the System" and "Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story." BIRTHDAY: August 14 He played W.W. Denslow. "The Wiz." Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE theater arts education program will present "The Wiz," a flashy soul musical based on L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz." Everyone involved in the production, from the director to the designers and performers, is under the age of 20. July 31, Aug. 1-2, Aug. 7-10. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. $7/adults, $5/students. Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah. 425-392-2202. Out of date but certainly of interest... THE MASQUERS PLAYHOUSE 105 Park Pl. Richmond (510) 232-3888 Rashomon: The Play (Kanin & Kanin) through October 5 The Wizard of Oz: The Musical (Arlen, Gabrielson & Harburg, adapted from L. Frank Baum) November 1-December 21 The Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare) January 24-March 1 A Moon for the Misbegotten (Eugene O'Neill) March 28-May 10 Shenandoah: The Musical (Geld, Udell, Barrett & Rose) June 6-July 26 Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Neil Simon) August 22-October 4, 1997 The Wiz book by William F. Brown Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls Adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Commencement 1995 Production. Performed in the Yale University Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut May 19 - May 21, 1995. Click Here for Sound Clips from the Dramat's Production of The Wiz. Sounds are in .au format and don't sound very good. Directed by Daniel Shiffman '95 Musical Directed by Mark A. Kressel '96 Choreographed by Shanti Crawford '96 Dorsey Heine '96 Daniel Shiffman '95 Scenic Design by Matt Shakman '97 Lighting Design by Miriam Nilofa Crowe '96 Costume Design by Kimberly Walker '98 Sound Design by Kai Harada '98 Production Stage Manager Eric Braverman '97 Produced by Sunny Chu '97 Cast of Characters In Order of Appearance Oz Singers Rena Desai '97 Lynea Diaz-Hagan '97 Andy Owens '98 Aunt Em Nicole Lewis '96 Dorothy Rea Woods '98 Uncle Henry Patrick Sims '97 Tornado Trina Beck '97 Ethel Bullitt '97 Cicily Daniels '98 Dorsey Heine '96 Stephanie Meyer '95 Eryn Rosenthal '98 Muchkins Leslie Blatteau '97 Trip Cullman '97 Catherine Dailey '97 Bryan Leppi '97 Heather Nesbitt '97 Petra Seawell '97 Addaperle Leigh Bardugo '97 Yellow Brick Road Cicily Daniels '98 Zach Dodes '98 Jill Kopelman '95 Asher Richelli '97 Scarecrow Nicole Evans-Lambert '97 Crows Daniel Levin '98 Vayu O'Donnell '98 Aaron Shipp '96 Tinman Joe Farrell '97 Lion Daniel J. Gibson '95 Queen of the Kalidahs Jessica Hanley '98 Kalidahs Leslie Blatteau '97 Dan Mellish '95 Vayu O'Donnell '98 Ngozi Okorafor '95 Eryn Rosenthal '98 Petra Seawell '97 Patrick Sims '97 Poppies Ethel Bullitt '97 Trip Cullman '97 Stephanie Meyer '95 Heather Nesbitt '97 Russ Uman Mice Squad Leslie Blatteau '97 Bryan Leppi '97 Daniel Levin '98 Ngozi Okorafor '95 Gatekeeper Aaron Shipp '96 The Wiz Ramon Esquivel '97 Evillene Regina Bain '98 Lord High Underling Dan Mellish '95 Messenger Trip Cullman '97 Chief Monkey Russ Uman '95 Funky Monkeys Catherine Dailey '97 Bryan Leppi '97 Dan Levin '98 Asher Richelli '97 Glinda Rena Desai '97 Band Conductor, Keyboard Mark Kressel '96 Keyboard Adam Blau '97 Guitar Kevin Rothman '97 Bass Dan Koloski '96 Drums Ranjit Bindra '98 Production Staff Technical Director Jeffrey Licht '96 Master Electrician Cindy Bofetaido '97 Julian Hardman '98 Properties Master David Muse '96 Graphics Designer Noah Landow '95 Master Rigger Stephen Licht '98 Image Consultant Victoria Sancho '98 Head Scenic Painter Jennifer Bodde '95 Costume Advisor Elizabeth Himelfarb '97 Slide Consultant Ari Edelson '98 Assistant Director/Dramaturg Aaron Shipp '96 Tanya Staggs-Isler '95 Assistant Music Director Adam Blau '97 Assistant Music Director for Oz Singers Andy Owens '98 Assistant Choreographer for Oz Singers Lynea Diaz-Hagan '97 Assistant Producer Dan Green '97 Assistant Stage Manager Elizabeth Himelfarb '97 Michelle Tattenbaum '98 Assistant Technical Director Jared Kelly '98 Assistant Lighting Designer Ben Mazzotta '97 Assistant Master Electrician Mario Trimble '97 Assistant Properties Master Neal Johnson '97 Assistant Costume Designer Jenny Kuo '97 Scenic Painter Brian Hodge '96 Fly Captain Ashish Mahajan '96 House Manager Patrick Egan '98 Box Office Manager Shira Hamman '96 Emily Wan '96 Sound Board Operator Kai Harada '98 Lift Operator Jared Kelly '98 Follow-Spot Operator Jeffrey Licht '96 Fog Machine Operator Neal Johnson '97 Production Officer Jeffrey Licht '96 Technical Advisor Mark McDonald Carpenters Ashish Mahajan '96 Farn-Yang Foo '98 Electricians Katie Garton '96 Jim Levesque- Clark '98 Adam Needles- Georgetown '98 Costumers Michelle Bush Click here if you would like an audiocassette copy of The Wiz. Back to the Yale Dramat Home Page. Back to the Yale Dramat Past Shows Home Page. Left off on page 14. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 22:02:40 -0800 From: Ken Cope Subject: The Subliminal Conspirators of Oz This is a friendly response from Steven Worth, Spumco Bigshot. When my screed against bowdlerization is finished (since we are still discussing Patchwork Girl), I'll send that next (no fear, there is no mistaking the intentions of a Peter Glassman for those of a Donald Wildmon, watch out for URLs...). As an added bonus, this contains some definitive answers to questions posed on previous digests. Take it away, Steve! *** Hello, >> Actually, it was one of his assistant directors who did that, and was >> also responsible for the notorious sequence showing Mighty Mouse sniffing a >> flower as if it were cocaine. John was the Director of "The Littlest Tramp", the episode with the flower sniffing gag... (Ralph was the producer of MM:TNA.) As for whether it was deliberate... that I can't say. I've asked both John and Ralph about the incident and have gotten two opposite stories on what happened. You'll have to watch the show on someone's old taped off the air tapes and decide for yourself... In any case, the episode ran for a full season (with reruns) with no complaints until Donald Wildmon grabbed onto it and forced CBS to edit the scene out of the show during the second season. It looked pretty innocent to me. >As far as I know, if there was anything subliminal in a >John K cartoon, it was a cry for help along the lines of >the (apocryphal?) story about the time he was stuck in >Korea supervising the animation of 65 episodes of The >Jetsons. I heard that he shipped a shot in which a Spacely >Sprockets cocktail party was attended by dozens of Ranger >Smiths holding little space age cocktail glasses. It was actually a party with a banner that read "12th annual Ranger Smith Lookalike Contest" or something like that... Quite true... as is the story about Astro being sick and Jane taking his temperature the way any good vet does... (Off screen of course!) By the way... John is currently directing two Ranger Smith cartoons for Cartoon Network. They're slated to air around the first of the year as a half hour special. As for subliminals... John does put things in "for the still framers". Our recent rock video for Bjork is packed with gags that you can only see in slow motion. They aren't intended to make you vote republican and buy vast quantities of popcorn though... Hope this helps! See ya Steve Oh... For those other animation conspiracy theorists out there... I know the guy who painted the Little Mermaid video box cover, and he deliberately put the phallus in the tower. He even pointed it out to the execs who approved the art for the cover. Disney knew exactly what it was doing. And in Lion King, the dust spells "SFX" not "SEX"... It's animation shorthand for "Special effects". The effects animator put it in as a joke to label it as effects animation... Jessica Rabbit was what is called in the business a "paint pop". The painter who colored the cel didn't have a color specified for underwear, so she painted it the same color as the legs... Nothing sinister there... Any questions? SW Stephen Worth bigshot@spumco.com World Wide Web: Spumco's Wonderful World of Cartoons http://www.spumco.com Usenet: alt.animation.spumco Postal: Spumco International 415 E. Harvard St. Ste. 204 Glendale, CA 91205 *** Ken Cope Ozcot Studios pinhead@ozcot.com Our first business will be to supervise the making of fables and legends, rejecting all which are unsatisfactory; and we shall induce nurses and mothers to tell their children only those which we have approved. --Plato "The Republic" ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 01:13:17 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Blue light: Interesting, Gordon. I've always thought of the blue light leading them as some kind of fey intervention. It reads so much like incidents in other fantasies about travelers being led through the woods by a mysterious light; usually they're being either lured or genuinely guided by elves or faeries. I've never come up with anything that makes the blue light/mysterious house/wolf incident fit the book for me. It sticks out...feels quite different from the rest of the text. Well, the wolf business doesn't bother me much, I guess. As before, I figure it's Baum thinking in terms of stage dialogue and wordplay. The house, again, feels like a benign, magical intervention: very European in flavor. Both the house and light just don't feel like Baum to me. Same with the house in _Scarecrow_ , although not as much as the _P.Girl_ house. I'll try to figure that one out when we get to _Scarecrow_, but for now I'll just say that it's a more European book than _P.Girl_. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 97 10:11:34 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things MAGIC LICENSES: Jeremy wrote: >>Good point about Dr. Pipt. He did not practice wicked magic, yet was >>banned from the art, while the adepts and Reera were apparantly left >>free. Maybe the law is do not do magic unless you are a woman who does >>good magic. All others forfeit. >Of course, the Wiz doesn't count, I guess ... Thanks for beating me to making this point...Although not strictly canonical, I would include Zim in this... Ozma: Oz is an "equal opportunity" fairyland...The magic licences I have granted have just happened to have been predominately female...I assure you that I'm *not* a sexist! :) "SWITCHAROO": David Hulan wrote: >The "switcheroo spell" is something that we mention frequently here on the >Digest; I don't know if Melody or Dave invented the term, but it shows up >in Dave's FAQ. I picked it up from Melody, so as far as I know she coined the term. MORE OZZY EVOLUTION: David Hulan wrote: >Your cladogram makes it look like the chelonians are ancestral to the >diapsids; I thought they were a separate branch? Aujah: As this is the Ozzy Digest and not the paleontology Digest, my sisters and I did not attempt to draw a comprehensive diagram -- Of course at the node where we stuck the Chelonians we should have said "Sauropsids"... >(Also, the question of whether dinosaurs are ancestral to birds or a >separate branch is still very much in dispute...) Audah: Not by us it's not. :) Aurah: Of course on the question of whether dinosaurs are ancestral to birds, Dinosaur researcher George Olshevsky thinks it was the other way round... >And just to pick a nit, the spell Glinda broke was on Bobo/Bilbil, not Inga. Well, I'm confused now...Who was Inga?? AAAK! Today's Digest is 71K!!! I just have to try to get it out every day... -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 12, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] (I think this is a first on the Digest -- An Ozzy Digest that's all *one* person's post! :) -- Dave) ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 21:53:49 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-11-97 Bompi: I live in Indiana, too. For me, Pennsylvania is too far to drive for something that isn't really big. I haven't even been to Chesterton's festival. I'd really only be going to meet the Munchkin actors though, as the MGM film is only a small facet of my interest in Oz. David: Talos is the correct name for Daedalus's robot. He is probably best known from Don Chaffey's _Jason and the Argonauts_, where he is animated by Ray Harryhausen. Was the Grimm fairy tale what Das Blaue Licht (1932) by Leni Riefenstahl about (a woman escaping to the mountains called by a blue light to escape accusations of witchcraft, and betrayed by a man who makes it up there?) Looks like some title-thievery went on... Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Julie Lane, Hokie (Illustrator) List: $18.95 Our Price: $13.27 You Save: $5.68 (30%) Availability: On Order; usually ships within 1-2 weeks. Reading Level: All Ages keepsak Edition Hardcover Published by Tapestry Pr Ltd Publication date: November 1995 Dimensions (in inches): 11.40 x 8.80 x .82 ISBN: 1568881495 (You can always remove it later...) Learn more about 1-ClickSM express ordering Browse other Children's & Young Adult titles. Reviews and Commentary for Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Have you read this book? Write an online review and share your thoughts with other readers. Card catalog description : Traces the life of Nicholas the woodcarver describing how he became Santa Claus and his role in creating various Christmas customs and symbols. Customer Comments ntown@televar.com from Coulee Dam, WA , 11/30/97, rating=10: This is a wonderful book to share with your family. This book is a treasured classic in my family. My mother received this book as a gift from her parents when she was 6 years old, in 1936. The original copyright says 1932, by Santa Claus Publishing Company. My mother read this to us every Christmas. It is a warm, loving story that tells how Nicholas, an orphan, became the beloved Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus. My mother always wanted to find another copy, as hers was becoming worn with age. We never had any luck. I have her original copy. My mother passed away in 1995. My sister discovered that the book had been re-published and immediately bought a copy. Now I am doing the same for my family. I hope it remains a family treasure for many years. Sincerely, Jane E. Town --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title. GinnyNE@aol.com from Bethlehem,CT , 11/28/97, rating=9: For the child who has just learned there is no Santa Share this book with your child when the time has come to understand that there is no "current" live Santa, and that he lives in our hearts. Children are concrete learners and this gives them a plausible explanation for all the traditions linked to the jolly old elf. I read it to both my chidren when the time came. This edition is a perfect family heirloom. Enjoy and cherish it. hansenb@usa.net , 07/07/97, rating=10: The real story of Santa Claus and how he came to be. This is the story of a small boy, suddenly orphaned and alone in a small fishing village. He is cared for by a different family each year and wanting to somehow show his appreciation, he uses his skills as a woodcarver to create and leave small Christmas gifts for the children in each home he has visited. From this small beginning the person of Santa Claus slowly becomes a reality. The Christmas Eve tradition of leaving gifts, how the sleigh and reindeer became part of the task,and even how the name of Santa Claus and his traditional red and white clothing were developed are all explained in this delightful tale. This is a long hardcover children's book, perfectly written to be read aloud to young children in the weeks prior to Christmas. I first read it to my children in the late 60s and then lost the book. I recently rediscovered this newly published version which includes information on who the author might really be (probably Hokie,the illustrator) and a section for recording who read the story to whom and when. I highly recommend this book if you are a true believer in the spirit if not the person of Santa Claus, and last Christmas presented the book to my 18 month old grandaughter. It is a story her mother remembers fondly. The original was a large paperback, published in the late 60s by a childrens' book club. If you find a copy, please let me know at hansenb@usa.net. Merry Christmas in July ! Look for similar books by subject: Santa Claus Fiction Christmas CHILD BOOKS/ALL AGES Holidays & Festivals - General i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ... I read this book, and I want to review it. I am the Author and I want to comment on my book. I am the Publisher and I want to comment on this book. Search Our 2.5-Million-Title Catalog Enter Keywords: Other ways to search our catalog or Browse by Subject Copyright and disclaimer 4 1996, 1997 Amazon.com, Inc. OUR LANDLADY. by L. Frank Baum. University of Nebraska Press. 1996. Available from Nebraska Press for $35.00 (clothbound). 285p. OCLC #329246616. U5001T572-1996. My time working at KROQ's front desk allowed me to read a ton more than I normally get to..I'm a heavy reader and I was reading a few books a week at the time... I'll make a seperate page listing books I've read, which I'm always willing to discuss.. I'd list some here but there are far too many. Some favorite authors though are William S. Burroughs, Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy A. Collins, Brian Lumley, Dan Simmons, Jack Kerouac, L Frank Baum, Christopher Golden, Hunter S. Thompson, and Mark Frost. I also really enjoy Alisa Kwitney, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Robert A. Heinlein, Stephen King, Dan Milman, Piers Anthony, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, David Eddings, Yvonne Navarro, Herman Hesse, Tom Clancey, Lewis Carroll, Chris Heath, Anka Radakovich, Tom Wolfe, Timothy Zahn, Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Crichton, Thomas Harris, Peter David, Charles DeLint, Tom Robbins, Dennis Cooper, Bradley Denton, Nick Bantock, and so many more... (See, I told you there were many..) Lately I've been reading Roland Barthes' A LOVER'S DISCOURSE. This is on top of the regular stream of comics I read each week... I keep up on more comics than anyone else I know... I'll do that list later too, as it is lengthy as well. I'm a story person, art comes secondary.. I like the art to go with the story though, but will overlook art that isn't perfect if the story makes up for it. I'm also a huge music fan, and love new music. My favorite band list will have to wait till another day as well, but basically I primarily like female bands (Juliana Hatfield, Everything But the Girl, Mary Lou Lord, Madder Rose, Betty Boo, Lindy Layton, Sundays, Velocity Girl, Tuscadero, Sleeper, Elastica, Lis Phair, Cardigans, that dog, and so many more), followed by a large dose of dance / electronic bands (Underworld, Massive Attack, Tricky, Leftfield, Bomb the Bass, Alex Reece, Baby Fox, New Order, Orb, etc, etc..) and european britpop (The Stone Roses probably had the largest affect on me as a person than any other band.. Also Pulp, Oasis, Blur, Supergrass, etc...), and a bunch of odds and ends (David Bowie, Bauhaus, RENT soundtrack, Debbie Gibson...). Regarding the pictures of me; The top one is from me somewhere during my band days, I'd guess I was 20 or 21 at the time... I'm now 23, and my hair much much longer, bangs reaching well past my chin... I'll get a before and after picture up here one of these days. The other (damaged) picture is me in a photobooth around the age of 6 or 7 or so. I live in Valencia, California... Renting a house from my parents and rooming with 4 others; Tim Bruns, Jason Elliott, Anthony Mparmperis, and Liz Bantos. Odd fact: I moved into this house when I was almost 8, and have since lived in all 4 bedrooms. (I have moved out and lived elsewhere...) I now reside in the master bedroom, and I'll get a photo of it up here one day. I've got a great surround stereo setup, and I have sent a pair of speakers through the wall into my bathroom. My room is huge as the vaulted ceiling is nearly 30 ft. high. A main part of my daily routine is going to check my ZENtertainment PO Box. You can contact me by mail at: Sean Jordan PO Box 220756 Newhall, CA 91322-0756 Madelyn Buzzard Madelyn Buzzard is proud to have been the 1994 recipient of the Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Award in the Fiction Category. She has been narrating for Talking Books at APH for 11 years. In that time she has recorded over 400 titles including such authors as L. Frank Baum and the original Wizard of Oz Series, Sandra Brown. Jackie Collins, Patricia Cromwell, Joan Hess and the Maggody Books, Johanna Lindsey. and Ann M. Martin and the Baby-Sitters Club Series. The New Jersey native graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC and the University of Louisville and she has appeared on stage ("You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" Off Broadway), screen ('Three On A Meathook" a horror of a horror film), TV (Another World and commercials) and in Dinner Theaters around the country. She lives on the Ohio River in Louisville, teaches aerobics, creative dramatics, and speech. She enjoys working on training films, cooking, fishing, skiing, providing commentary on fashion shows and would love to hear from Talking Book patrons. To send Madelyn Buzzard a note or letter of appreciation, write to: Madelyn Buzzard c/o American Printing House for the Blind 1 839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville KY 40206 _Three on a Meathook_ was a Troma film based on Ed Gein. I refuse to watch Troma films. Twentieth Century American fantasy Oz MGM created their own world when they adapted L. Frank Baum's first book and we all love it. But if you have never traveled to Oz without Judy Garland you are in for a treat. He was a devoted family man, apparently a sensitive and kind individual, and he wrote books that were forerunners of today's concerns with diversity. But in his newspaper he twice advocated genocide of Native Americans. He was L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, acclaimed world-wide as the Great American Fairy Tale. Below are some of the comments received in support of the call to hold Baum accountable...no corrections to comments have been made by me: signature_date: 4/10/96 I am quite surprised to learn these things of Baum. The only way I know him is through _The Wizard of Oz_, the movie and the book, which I have shown and read to my son. I can't help but wonder if the person who wrote the editorials later changed in many ways to become the person who wrote the books, but I am glad that you are not going to let the facts die about Baum. Perhaps if Baum *did* become a different person in his life, his example can make different people of many in this country. signature_date: April 10, 1996 I am truly shocked by the editorials written by L. Frank Baum in the late 1890's. I think his advocation of Indian extermination should be made known, so people can consider this insidious side of an otherwise wonderful man. signature_date: 11 April 1996 Honor the man if you chose, but acknowledge ALL of his works - Honor the TRUTH. signature_date: 4-11-96 You are in a position to foster the healing of an entire nation. Please acknowledge the mistakes of the past so that we may begin the healing for ourselves and for the generations to come. Sincerely, Joseph Thompson signature_date: 4/12/96 Baum knew the value of other cultures but could not live with the task at hand---the work it would take to make real the 'Land of OZ'. He preferred to 'clear the decks' and start with his idea of an 'ideal' world. He did not realize that an 'ideal' world had already existed for centuries, and that the 'Waschitu' had overbalanced the 'ideal' with super-powerful evil witches! I have to re-evaluate my childhood favorite! signature_date: April 13, 1996 Though L. Frank Baum gave us the beloved Land of Oz tales, it must be remembered that he edited a newspaper during the terrible time of anti-Indian feeling leading up to the killing of Sitting Bull and the massacre at Wounded Knee. He twice wrote editorials calling for the extermination of the entire Sioux Nation. Baum was not alone in his horrifying calls for genocide. Many historians believe that it was newspaper-induced hysteria that led to the massacre. signature_date: 4/14/96 L. Frank Baum's misuse of his great talent in the promotion of genocide holds a lesson we need. Gifted individuals develop a following. Perhaps your efforts will cause at least a few to be more thoughtful regarding where they lead. signature_date: 4/16/96 I firmly believe that our present ills are largely a result of the burden we must bear for our treatment of the Indians. We did not learn the lessons from them that we should have, and until we do, things will only get worse. Let's begin the healing now. signature_date: 4/18/96 It's interesting who this country chooses to be it's heroes. It's too bad that oftentimes these "heroes" turn out to be the worst people..... signature_date: 4/14/96 The truth will make us free. signature_date: 4-20-96 I was shocked to read these editorial excerpts, coming as they did, from the pen of a man whose work I'd admired so. They are disgusting. signature_date: 19 April 1996 To arrive at some sort of justice with the people of the present, we must remember the injustices of the past. Until we remember we will not act. Thanks for posting this petition -- informative, eloquent, and active. signature_date: 4/21/96 I have wondered myself what constructive things I could do now, more than 100 years later, a white, to further the growth of the Native American culture in this society. I gladly sign this petition, and I am heartened that through the technology of the Internet Native American messages such as yours will now reach out into this society and perhaps effect change more rapidly than was possible before. Good luck to you! signature_date: 4/22/96 I had no choice about the color of my skin at birth. I had no choice regarding the actions of my ancestors - real or imagined. I had no choice or participation in the harm perpetrated by one human being to another human being. I do have a choice, now. The violence must end. The hatred must stop. We must not continue to use race or gender as an excuse -- either as to commit an act or as the victim. I am sure that not all injustice can be made right. What can, should be. The most important thing, is to press forward and teach our children -- not only with words but by our actions -- that it is wrong to harm another. That all life has value. That people should be free to pursue their own destiny. That no human system of government has the right to suppress and control any population at any time for any reason. This I believe. signature_date: 4/22/96 Obviously he was a complex man. All aspects of his personality should be included in this commemerative festival---even the dark side. Only in this way can the full be told and understood. For shame on those who fail to support this search for truth. signature_date: 5/7/96 I was born in Aberdeen, and just came across this site on the Internet. I believe my Aunt Hertha (sp?) who was married to my Uncle, Gus Melcher, of Aberdeen was related to Mr. Baum. I agree with this petition, and look forward to becoming more aware of information about the Baum festival signature_date: 5/09/96 We as Americans must look at our own history honestly, to recognize both the possible horrors and possible beauty that is a potential in all humankind. Only then can we protect each other from repeating the horrors of the past. signature_date: 11 May 1996 Acknowledgement and Apologies are desperately needed. signature_date: 5/15/96 I have already voiced my oposition to the nedals of honor for the soldiers that committed the murders of unarmed men, women and children at Wounded Knee. These medals need to be taken away because they surely are not deserved. I also voice opostition to this man Baum for writing about the genocide of the Lakota people and if his articles are the cause of the massacre at Wounded Knee, then he definetely needs to be held accountable and charged with murder for inciting this cruel action. This message is to support Dr. Wagner in her efforts to ensure L. Frank Baum is held accountable for his actions and to cancel the celebration for L. Frank Baum. signature_date: May 18, 1996 When we who are non-tribal realize certain truths about the cultural biases and prejudices of our literary and political heroes, it can only serve to make us aware of our own cultural biases and prejudices. This is a good thing. We owe it to our children and to our children's children to learn to listen to the voices that can tell us the stories of all peoples. Thank you. signature_date: 05-24-96 If only it hadn't taken this long. Maybe someday "Wasichu" will come to mean something positive. Thank you for this info. signature_date: may 24, 1996 I read about Mr. Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz in The American Holocaust by Stannard, a book which put a different lights forever on American history. The story now seems sinister as a murderer inclown's clothing. Perhaps I'm unfair to Mr. Baum but his words were appalling as is so much of Native American history even as of today. signature_date: 05/26/96 This is a right thing to do, to tell the truth and own the pain of it. Healing comes from the inside out. Native peoples have much to teach about peace. Let us learn peace. Mcwitch. signature_date: 5/27/96 Understanding that this man is no longer alive to face these charges, any people gathering to honor him should be very informed about his racist views. This attitute will not be tolerated in this American country. No other race would tolerate it, for heaven's sake, non-Americans can expect to be treated civally or sue. Expect that Natives will no longer be silent and shamed. signature_date: 12/30/96 The death I fear is not a physical one, but the death of the will, the soul, the mind, and thus not a death at all, but a perpetual dying..... signature_date: 1/9/97 I am an American History teacher and I teach in a school with a 15% Native American population. I have been studying late 19th century populism with my students and use Baum's work to point out the allegorical nature of his writing. This information interested me a great deal and I support your efforts. signature_date: 1-12-97 Its time to stop the injustice and bring the real truth out...Alan signature_date: 1-13-97 Dr. Wagner -- I have been trying to contact you regarding your early work on Matilda Joslyn Gage. Dr. Serenity Young (sy108@columbia.edu) is editing a two volume Encyclopedia on Women and World Religions that is coming out a.s.a.p. from MacMillan (I believe), and they need someone to write an article on Gage. Could you kindly respond to Dr. Young and myself regarding this? Sorry to extend the invitation in such a format, but this seems to be the most direct way to reach you! signature_date: 1/14/97 Mr. Baum's legacy should not be tarnished by our lack of courage in addressing both the positive and negative aspects of our past. I support the effort to reach out to those that have been the victims of past injusice. If we do not have the fortitude to honestly address the past then we should expect that we and our children will oneday repeat the mistakes of the past. signature_date: Feb 5 1997 My limited knowledge of Native American issues doesn't qualify me to speak with authority. My opinion is that ignorance of these issues is the reason for inactivity/apathy on the part of whites. I see parallels between what is happening in Tibet and what occured here in this country. signature_date: 2/7/97 In a history class, we studied the elections of 1896 and 1900. We were given an article on the Wizard of Oz in relation to these elections and I was fascinated by the possible connection. When I looked for more info, I never expected to find all this. I found myself glued to the reading. signature_date: 02-09-97 The history of the united states of america is a strange kind of history. The written history seems to be only what white america wants other white americans to know. ----- It has nothing to do with the truth. Thank you in advance for supporting this important cause...Sally Roesch Wagner. Rescind the medals of dis-Honor Dr. Wagner's Testimony Regarding the Massacre at Wounded Knee Wounded Knee Home Page First Nations Cumulative Index This site is maintained by JS Dill. Please provide an opinion as to this site and it's material. TWISTED FOOTNOTE TO WOUNDED KNEE Looking Back at Wounded Knee 1890 by Professor Robert Venables, Senior Lecturer Rural Sociology Department., Cornell University published in "Northeast Indian Quarterly" Spring 1990 of Cornell University's American Indian Studies Program One hundred years ago, on December 29, 1890, in a ravine near Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota, the U.S. Army, supported by American Indian mercenaries, slaughtered approximately 300 Lakota men, women and children -- 75 percent of Big Foot's Lakota community. Two-thirds of the massacred Lakotas were women and children. Only 31 of the 470 soldiers were killed, many by "friendly fire" of fellow soldiers. Big Foot's Lakota followers had already surrendered when they were brought to Wounded Knee by the army. While the Lakota warriors were being disarmed, fighting broke out. Any real resistance on the part of the warriors was quickly over. But atrocities escalated as the U.S. troops turned their weapons -- including four rapid-fire Hotchkiss guns -- against clearly defeated warriors and innocent women, children and old men. Women and children trying to escape were pursued and slaughtered. An official U.S. report noted that "the bodies of the women and children were scattered along a distance of two miles from the scene of the encounter." The following quotes were printed in "The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer," a weekly newspaper published in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The first was published immediately after Sitting Bull's assasination by Indian Police Dec. 15, 1890. "Sitting Bull, most renowned Sioux of modern history, is dead. "He was an Indian with a white man's spirit of hatred and revenge for those who had wronged him and his. In his day he saw his son and his tribe gradually driven from their possessions: forced to give up their old hunting grounds and espouse the hard working and uncongenial avocations of the whites. And these, his conquerors, were marked in their dealings with his people by selfishness, falsehood and treachery. What wonder that his wild nature, untamed by years of subjection, should still revolt? What wonder that a fiery rage still burned within his breast and that he should seek every opportunity of obtaining vengeance upon his natural enemies. "The proud spirit of the original owners of these vast prairies inherited through centuries of fierce and bloody wars for their possession, lingered last in the bosom of Sitting Bull. With his fall the nobility of the Redskin is extinguished, and what few are left are a pack of whining curs who lick the hand that smites them. The Whites, by law of conquest, by justice of civilization, are masters of the American continent, and the best safety of the frontier settlements will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians. Why not annihilation? Their glory has fled, their spirit broken, their manhood effaced; better that they die than live the miserable wretches that they are. History would forget these latter despicable beings, and speak, in later ages of the glory of these grand Kings of forest and plain that Cooper loved to heroism. "We cannot honestly regret their extermination, but we at least do justice to the manly characteristics possessed, according to their lights and education, by the early Redskins of America." The editorial begins ambivalently, but concludes by calling for the extermination of American Indians. The editor and publisher of "The Aberdeen Pioneer" who advocated genocide is well known: his name is L. Frank Baum. A decade later, his book "The Wizard of Oz" (1900) would become a classic. As you [re]read Baum's editorial, you may also recall that last year, 1989, was the 50th anniversary of the MGM version of this children's book. On December 20, the next editorial, notable for the irony it offers, is separated from the first only by a graphic line: "On Christmas day the Nativity of Christ is observed. "The Kris Kringle or, Santa Claus, is a relic of the ancient Yule Feast, so that the festival of Christmas is a curious mingling of ancient heathen and Christian customs, albeit a very pleasing and satisfactory celebration to the people of today. "With this issue it is a pleasant duty for us to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas." On January 3, 1891 (after the Wounded Knee massacre) "The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer" published another editorial: "The peculiar policy of the government in employing so weak and vacillating a person as General Miles to look after the uneasy Indians, has resulted in a terrible loss of blood to our soldiers, and a battle which, at best, is a disgrace to the war department. There has been plenty of time for prompt and decisive measures, the employment of which would have prevented this disaster. "The PIONEER has before declared that our only safety depends upon the total extirmination [sic] of the Indians. Having wronged them for centuries we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth. In this lies safety for our settlers and the soldiers who are under incompetent commands. Otherwise, we may expect future years to be as full of trouble with the redskins as those have been in the past. "An eastern contemporary, with a grain of wisdom in its wit, says that `when the whites win a fight, it is a victory, and when the Indians win it, it is a massacre." I first obtained a microfilm copy of Baum's Saturday Pioneer in 1976, believing that I would probably find editorials which protested the massacre of Wounded Knee. After all, what else would one expect from the original Wizard. After mulling over the editorials for fourteen years, I must admit to the reader that I still love both the books and the movie. But what of L. Frank Baum? I've tried to read his editorials as satire or parody -- even as proto-Monty Python. They aren't. The editorials at points are curiously ambivalent -- the description of Sitting Bull, for example. But their core message is genocide. Like so many humans who are capable of uttering and doing the unthinkable, L. Frank Baum was in many respects a sensitive and loving man. But I don't believe it is enough to say that his editorials are an indication of how, in Baum's era, calls for genocide were not abberations, that they were widely held, and that they were public. I have instead been haunted by a hypothetical parallel: imagine what the reaction would be if a former Nazi newspaper editor who had advocated the "Final Solution" had, ten years after World War II, published a children's book in Germany. Imagine that this author and this children's book became world famous. Imagine a movie, with wonderful music. All this is possible -- if Germany had won the war. First Nations ORIGINS OF THE FANTASY FEATURE 129 M. 1995 B/W Library of Congress Smithsonian These two rare features from 1914 (the first year that feature-length filmmaking became the norm) bring to the screen an imaginative freedom and comic verve rarely duplicated since Novelist L. Frank Baum himself produced THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ twenty-five years before MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ. When a magician accidentally turns bystanders into stone, the heroes must go in search of the antidote, a picaresque journey that eventually leads them to Oz and its wizard. A FLORIDA ENCHANTMENT is a prescient gender-bending comedy of manners, filmed in Florida and set in motion when a very contemporary young woman, angry with her philandering fianc5, tests magic seeds that changed women into men (and men into women), without altering their outward appearance. Sounds like Paul Schneider's _Willy/Milly_ (aka _Something Special_, 1995). I've seen this. It's pretty funny. Don't miss Laura Shapiro's "The Best Kids' Stuff," a shopping list of newly published children's books. These include 17 volumes, ranging from Zoo-Looking (the title tells it all), to a newly illustrated Wizard of Oz, "a useful reminder that there is much more to L. Frank Baum's weirdly fascinating story than 'Over the Rainbow' ", to One World, Many Religions: "There isn't a stuffy sentence in it. And hey, it's the holidays. Deities are cool." From Manslife Newseekly Times. DOWNTOWN CABARET CHILDREN'S THEATRE OPENING "Life & Adventures of Santa Claus"! Bring the kids and your own picnic for this wonderful holiday fantasy based on L. Frank Baum's (The Wizard of Oz) fresh look at Santa Claus. Admission/Reservations. 263 Golden Hill, Bridgeport. 203/576-1636 November 30th. Too bad. The Wizard of Oz (THIS IS A NON-SUBSCRIPTION SHOW) November 20 - December 14, 1997 Written by: L. Frank Baum Directed by: Greg Morales and Valerie Martinez "Grab a child and follow the Yellow Brick Road to SCT...." (Dianne Runion, the Record) 1997's production of the MGM stage version promises to be an even bigger and better holiday treat than 1996. Come with us again to the magical world of Oz where cows spin, crows, taunt, trees sing and witches fly. PRICES REALIZED -- SALE 94 SALE 94 Thursday, January 18, 1996 1:00 p.m. L. Frank Baum & The Wizard of Oz The Collection of The Reverend George M. Breslin (with additions) Lots 1. BAUM BUGLE through 60. RINKITINK IN OZ Lots 61. THE ROAD TO OZ through 120. AUNT JANE'S NIECES Lots 121. AUNT JANE'S NIECES AT MILLVILLE through 198. THE YELLOW KNIGHT OF OZ Preview Tuesday-Wednesday, January 16-17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, January 18, 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sale at 1:00 p.m. 139 Townsend Street, Suite 305 Pacific Book Auction Galleries 139 Townsend Street, Suite 305, San Francisco, CA 94107 Phone: (415) 896-2665 Fax: (415) 896-1664 Email: pba@slip.net Again too late... L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) Oz The Wizard of Oz The Land of Oz Ozma of Oz Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and so on The Wizard of Oz first saw print in 1900, and Baum wrote 13 more Oz stories before his death. There are currently more than 40 books about Oz, and the land is getting a bit overpopulated. I've only read Baum's novels, and they are fun. Dorothy is quite competent and tough-minded (far more so then Judy Garland was in the film version), and some of the ancillary characters are hilarious (I love Mr. H.M. Woggle-Bug T.E., and Scraps, and General Jinjur) Coronado Walking Tours Leaves Glorietta Bay Inn Tues., Thurs., Sat., at 11 a.m. The 90-minute easy-walking tour takes you through the Hotel del Coronado, past the Duchess of Windsor cottage, to the restored Crown Manor mansion, and to the Wizard of Oz house, once the home of author L. Frank Baum. $5 per person. (435-5892) Mad Dog and the Pilgrim Booksellers has a 1st edition _Scarecrow_ Weird Oz book: www.charlesriver.com/books/bchap1.html It's called _Beyond Humanity_. Name: Hawkes Street Cafe Location: 25 Hawkes St., Marblehead Phone: 631-4440 Hours: Lunch, Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner, Tuesday-Thursday 5-9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday 5-9 p.m. Dinner Prices: $9.95-17.95 Type of Food: Eclectic fare Decor: Candle lit Rent-A-Center tables, too small and too close together. Drapery swags and artifacts of the fifties Critics Favorite: Prime Rib Special ($19.95)3smoked 14 hours and comes with a spoonful of horseradish-chive whipped cream, an herbed popover, and a red-wine demiglace All major credit cards accepted. Full Review When I was a kid, I loved the Oz books, a series of novels based on characters introduced in L. Frank Baum's classic Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I remember one in particular, titled The Patchwork Girls of Oz. It centered around a war between two peoples: the Hoppers and the Horners. The Hoppers were known for houses of great exterior beauty and plain furnishings. The Horners built nondescript houses with magnificent interiors; they weren't concerned about how their houses looked, as long as their families lived in comfort. This is one of my earliest memories of the triumph of substance over style. I believe what I'm eating is more important than where I eat it, and so the Hoppers/Horners rivalry came to mind as I was dining at Hawkes Street Caf5, in Marblehead, a restaurant for Horners. Nestled behind one auto-parts store and across the street from another, a few blocks down from Old Town and the harbor, the restaurant occupies a space that used to be a fish market. It's no great shakes to look at, outside or in: two industrial-carpeted small dining areas filled with candle-lit, glass-topped Rent-A-Center tables, too small and too close together. Drapery swags, sashes, and cloth-covered valances, artifacts of the fifties, hang everywhere3as if you'd walked into the pages of a Sunset magazine window-treatments primer or June and Ward Cleaver's living room. Hawkes Street Caf5 may be atmospherically challenged, but the food is superb. Chef/owner Peter Capalbo is a Culinary Institute of America graduate whom North Shore residents may remember as the chef/co-owner of the old Union Grill, in Beverly. He opened Hawkes Street in August 1993. Capalbo creates big-flavored, in-your-face dishes3plates of spice and smoke, tang and texture. Cowardly palate? Summon up your nerve. When it comes to creative cookery, this chef is a wizard. Most everything we order on two visits is imaginative and exceptionally good. Grilled Parma Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp ($8.95) is simultaneously sweet, salty, tender, and crisp. The accompanying balsamic-vinegar relish of plum tomato and scallion is the perfect partner. The Grilled Grape Leaves ($7.95) is stuffed with a goat cheese, minced olive, and sun-dried tomato mixture that melts to tender softness over the coals. Break the leaves open and spread the cheese on bread points accompanied by a lively pickled onion. A Panko Crusted Opah ($7.95) is a sweet fillet of fish, lightly breaded, then saut5ed in annatto oil and served with a lovely salad of greens tossed with a Southeast Asian dressing. Capalbo even revitalizes Shrimp Cocktail ($6.95), offering a spicy black-bean pur5e alongside the traditional ketchup-based cocktail sauce. Our server warns us that the Saut5ed Boneless Chicken Breast with Chorizo ($14.95) has some heat to it. Fine by me. The breast is stuffed with the sausage and rests on a beurre blanc seasoned with smoky chipotle pepper, toasted coriander seeds, and cilantro. It's French, it's Mexican, it's American; it's three, three, three cuisines in one! And it works. The Prime Rib Special ($19.95) was smoked 14 hours and comes with a spoonful of horseradish-chive whipped cream, an herbed popover, and a red-wine demiglace. The slice of medium-rare beef is more than a foot long and at least an inch thick. If you are into red meat, this is a contender for God on a plate. A bottle of 1987 Conn Creek Cabernet reserve ($29) is silky smooth with lots of blackberry and is the color of ruby slippers. A grilled Chilean Sea Bass ($17.95) tastes as if it had been pulled from the sea only minutes before. Enjoy the simplicity of its freshness, or season each forkful with flavors from a pupu plate of lemon-caper and tomato-ginger butters, Italian-parsley pesto, and a South Vietnamese Nuoc Cham dipping vinaigrette. The Black and White Ravioli ($15.95) is stuffed with lobster and crabmeat, its brininess softened by a delicious champagne-basil cream sauce. Call me a purist, but I'm bummed that the ravioli are from Via Lago Pasta, in Arlington. It's not that they are bad, it's just that everything made from scratch in this kitchen is so much better. I drown my sorrow in a bottle of apricot-accented 1993 Laboure Roi Vigonier ($22). Terrific desserts. The Panacotta ($3.95) is a creamy eggless custard in a rich espresso cr{me anglaise. A Chilean Papaya Steamed Pudding ($3.95) is warm, moist, and crumbly, with plenty of raisins and rum in every spoonful. The Grilled Banana Split ($3.95) is a sundae lover's dream of hot smoky fruit, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. Serious about chocolate? Order the Chocolate Cognac Truffle Tartlet ($4.50). Imagine chocolate fudge in a chocolate crust on a plate drizzled with chocolate sauce and finished with a chocolate truffle. If I only had a brain, I would limit my caloric intake . . . nah, I devour every single bite. Marblehead is a community proud of its history and heritage. But in conversations with several residents, each lamented the city's lack of 3great7 restaurants and, to a person, said he or she travels to Boston for a fine meal. If you are a Marbleheader who enjoys good food, you may find that it is not necessary to venture over the Tobin Bridge. Sometimes, when it comes to dining out, there's no place like home. B [ BACK TO DINING GUIDE ] from _Boston Magazine_ 4.(*) Lecture Outline, Sally Roesch Wagner, "From the Iroquois to Oz: The Other American Dream," prepared for presentation at Fullerton (Nebraska) High School, April 17, 1989, sponsored by the Nebraska Committee for the Humanities. Wagner discussed the utopian society envisioned by L. Frank Baum in his Oz books and asserts that Matilda Joslyn Gage, his mother-in-law, who told him of Iroquois society and rituals. Some of the imagery in the Oz fantasy is said to resemble Iroquois myth and ceremonial symbols, such as False Faces. I knew Sally Roesch Wagner was a familiar name. Any of you know her? Just look how many mentions of her name there are in this post! www.just-for-kids.com/912NFBI.HTM has a biography of Baum, apparently, but IU couldn't find it. It was neither of the two I've read. Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons, of _20th Century Oz_ fame also wrote a song called "The Cthulhu," which is on their _Shape I'm In_ 2 CD set. Thier other albums are _Cha_, _Screaming Targets_, and _The Sound of Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons_ DATE: September 17, 1996 AUTHOR: L. Frank Baum NUMBER OF PAGES: 156 THEME: The main idea of this book is that Dorothy has to go to Emerald City to get home to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. CHARACTERS: Dorothy is the main character. She has brown hair and eyes. She's probably about 12 years old. The Scarecrow is tall, clumsy, has blue pants, brown shirt and a black and brown hat. The Lion is orange, brown and is a very cowardly lion. The Tin Woodman is a person who doesn't like to hurt any creatre from large to small unless it's a life death situation. SETTING: The setting starts off in Kansas while everybody is working on the farm. Then the cyclone picks up the house and takes it to the Land of OZ. From there on she is following the yellow brick road. PLOT: 1.Dorothy feel out of Kansas and lands on The Wicked Witch of the East. 2.When she meets the Scarecrow and helped him. 3.When she meets the Tin Woodman and oiled him. 4.When she meets the Cowardly Lion and smacked him on the nose. 5.When they saw the China City. 6.When the Lion becomes King of all the creatures. 7.When they meet the Quadlings. 8.When Dorothy goes home. WHY DID I LIKE OR DISLIKE THE BOOK? I liked the book because it is funny at some parts and sad at some parts. I also like it because it is a cliffhanger. WHAT DID I LEARN? That you don't know what you have until you don't have it anymore. The Wizard of Oz DATE:November 4, 1996 AUTHOR: L. Frank Baum NUMBER OF PAGES: 156 THEME: The main idea of the book is for Dorothy to goto the Land of Oz to ask the great and most powerful wizard to help herget back to her house in Kansas without getting hurt. CHARACTERS: Dorothy is a girl from Kansas, she is a lonelygirl because she got blown away by a tornado. The Tin Man is one of thecharacters because he got chopped up by the wicked witch and turned intotin. The Lion is one of the characters because he wants courage so he won'tbe afraid of everything. SETTING: The setting took place in Kansas and in the landof the munchkins. It also took place in the Emerald city. PLOT: 1.Dorothy arrived at the Land of Munchkins. 2.She met the Scarecrow 3.She met the Tin man. 4.She met the Lion. 5.When the Tin man told the story of how he was turnedinto tin. 6.They went to the Emerald City. 7.When they found out that the Wizard was only a guy talkinginto a microphone. 8.The Lion got his plaque of courage and Dorothy woke up. WHY DID I LIKE OR DISLIKE THE BOOK? I liked the book becauseit was funny and it kept me interested. WHAT DID I LEARN? I learned that I would not want to beDorothy because I would not want a spell put on me by the wicked witch. We'd love to hear any feedback you may have. Click hereto send a message. Webmaster: Mr. Marjan Glavac marjglav@enoreo.on.ca Looks like someone cheated and watched the MGM movie instead! You...Your Degree...and The Wizard of Oz Do you remember when you were a child watching that marvelous movie, The Wizard Of Oz? Let us go back in time for just a moment to consider something that took place in that story. As the story goes, Dorothy and party finally met up with the Wizard toward the end of the film and Dorothy insisted that he live up to his end of a bargain they had made. She demanded that the wizard grant all of their wishes as agreed. Do you reca ll that the scarecrow wanted "a brain?" The following is the advice that the Wizard of Oz imparted to the scarecrow : "Back where I come from we have Universities...seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers...and when they come out they think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have. BUT, they have one thing you haven' t got...A DIPLOMA." Wizard of Oz original copyright: MGM 1939, story by L.Frank Baum From Berkeley. Did you do this Peter? Famous MOOers from History and Literature The MOOer The Avatar And The Context Moscarda Everyone else's various perceptions of Moscarda One, No One and One Hundred Thousand by Luigi Pirandello Cyrano de Bergerac Christian Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand Oz, the humbug The Great and Terrible Oz: A giant, floating head (to Dorothy) A lovely lady (to the Scarecrow) A terrible beast (to the Tin Woodman) A fierce and glowing Ball of Fire (to the Cowardly Lion) The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum THE UNIVERSITY RECORD December 5, 1995 L. Frank Baum offers new perspective on Santa Claus By Joanne Nesbit News and Information Services Just when you were convinced that Santa Claus lived at the North Pole, there's a whole new perspective to the life and times of that familiar, jolly, gift-giving, toy-toting fellow with the long white beard and a "little round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly." The new, or in this case old, perspective of Santa Claus comes from author L. Frank Baum, creator of Dorothy, the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and all the folk found in the Land of Oz. Baum's 1902 rendition of "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," one of the holdings in the Clements Library, has the answers to the questions children of all ages have had about the sprightly spirit's origin and life---answered Baum-style. Baum, who took his new bride to Kalamazoo while he was touring with a theatrical company, and who summered and wrote his first and most famous "Wizard of Oz" book in Macatawa Park on Black Lake near Holland, constructed a mythological world for Santa Claus where a god called the Supreme Master has a trio of lesser deities that include Ak, the Master Woodsman; Kern, the Master Husbandman; and Bo, the Master Mariner. And further down the hierarchy are Ryls, Knooks and Wood-Nymphs, each charged with the responsibility of watching over the flowers, animals or trees. But it was the Fairies in this world of Baum's who watched over humans. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" reveals how the queen of the Wood-Nymphs adopted a baby that had been abandoned at the edge of the Forest of Burzee. She called him Claus---"little one," in her language. The book's gentle language explains how Claus grew to manhood, convinced that he was charged with leaving the world better than he had found it. To accomplish this mission, he left Burzee and settled in Laughing Valley where he built a house using only logs from fallen trees. Gentle and compassionate, he would not even destroy a living tree. Claus carved toys before his fireplace. The Ryls taught him to paint these toys, and Claus found he could bring smiles and laughter to poor children when he gave them his painted toys. So he traveled on foot farther and farther to distribute them. Seeing him struggle under the weight of a huge bag of toys slung over his back, two deer stepped forward and instructed him to make a sleigh which they promised to pull. The reputation of the generous Claus spread. Some called him a saint, which when combined with Claus, becomes Santa Claus. The Gnome King gave him a larger sleigh and bells that jingled as he traveled the countryside. Claus grew fat and old. His hair and beard turned white as snow. The end of his life was near when the council of the immortals voted unanimously to give him the Mantle of Immortality. His youthful spirit was restored, but his appearance did not change. With more and more children around the world needing and wanting toys, Santa Claus took on four immortal assistants. And when the job became too big for Santa Claus and these helpers, he enlisted parents and toy stores to meet the demand. Questioning whether he should give toys to both poor and rich children, Santa Claus conferred with the Queen of the Fairies, who told him, "for, whether it be rich or poor, a child's longing for pretty playthings are but natural...I think, friend Claus, it is your duty to make all little ones glad, whether they chance to live in palaces or in cottages." While one of the original copies of this 1902 edition can be seen at Clements Library, "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" is also available in paperback from Dover Publications. Baum aficionados can become members of the Escanaba-based International Wizard of Oz Club, attend conventions, and receive copies of "The Baum Eagle." Top of Page | This Issue's Articles | Front Page of CURRENT University Record "The Baum Eagle," and this from the university that made _Oz University (1936)! left of on page 22. Alta Vista search. No, I did not write the review of the silent films. Apparently his name was in the graphics. Nick De Noia, auteur of the Oz-inspired short film _The Magnificent Major_ appeared as "Phil" in the film, _Some of My Best Friend Are_, aka _The Bar_ (1971) directed by Mervyn Nelson. It was an independent film about a gay bar. It was a melodrama with Fannie Flagg (author of _Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe_), Rue McClanahan, and Gil Gerard.Wizard of Oz, The (1988) 1988 Links with other titles edited from Dorothy and the Wicked Witch (1980) Dorothy and the Wizard (1980) Off to See the Wizard (1980) Over the Rainbow (1980) for Wizard of Oz, The (1988) (1=awful, 10=excellent) These were released by Troll Video. They were written by Corrine J. Naden and illustrated by Bill Morrison. Does anyone know anything about these? Scott ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 13 - 14, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 13:57:02 -0700 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz "Zardoz" was on the Sci-Fi channel last night. I taped it, but have not seen it yet. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 20:27:56 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: RE: Matilda Joslyn Gage video (fwd) for Ozzy Digest Didn't work too well... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: 11 Dec 1997 08:22:56 -0600 From: "Veldhuisen, Cindy" Subject: RE: Matilda Joslyn Gage video Women's Studies here at Mankato State University does not have a copy of this video. I do not know where you could obtain it. A former faculty member, Sally Roesch Wagner, from quite a few years ago was doing research on Gage, but I have no forwarding address for her. Maybe you could locate her and see what she has. Sorry I cannot be of more help to you. Cindy Veldhuisen ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ From: sahutchi@iupui.edu on Wed, Dec 10, 1997 4:01 PM Subject: Matilda Joslyn Gage video Dear Cindy, Joan Roca suggested me to you in order to obtain a copy of this video. I am researching films based on the life and work of L. Frank Baum (Gage's son-in-law), including several dozen adaptations of _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ and multiple curiosities I discover from time to time, whether or not I can obtain them. I am quite interested in seeing this video, and the description sent from the libraries catalog makes it sound much more interesting than the panel discussion suggested by WorldCat. Would it be a problem to obtain? Scott ------------------ RFC822 Header Follows ------------------ Received: from garnet.iupui.edu (sahutchi@garnet.iupui.edu [134.68.220.39]) by hermes.iupui.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id RAA06325 for ; Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:00:29 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:00:28 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Reply-To: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Matilda Joslyn Gage video Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 21:13:21 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-11-97 Scott: Thanks for offering to find Herm's book repair tips for me, however I no longer need them. Several Ozzy Digesters have already sent them. Thanks to all of your Ozzy generosity. Ruth: I, too, thought that MPH's criticism of Riley's book was a little harsh. I don't consider _Oz and Beyond_ to be the last statement on Baum's fantasy world by any means, but I still enjoyed it immensely. Ozzily, Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 21:54:50 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Bompi: I put my pillows at the other end of the bed for two reasons: The light is behind me, "all the better to read you with, my dear" and my head does not bump up against the wall. I have no headboard, you see. Borders: It does now seem most likely that Baum simply added the parts about visiting the Munchkin country at the end of _Ozma_ and that he reversed the east/west direction for the border of Ev and the desert. While a bit of a stretch, this is the only time in the series that places Ev and the Nome Kingdom on the east side of Oz, when every other reference places it on the west side, nearest the Winkie country. John Bell: Myabe if the Glass cat looked at the ground steadily, she would not see the gate and would thus be able to pass through it. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 23:59:42 -0800 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Ozzy Digest [144.80.104.94] didn't use HELO protocol Scott: Yes, in _Patchwork Girl_, Dorothy does state that she cannot swim. I believe that she swims out of the Munchkin River in _Ojo_, however, so she must have learned in between those two books, which is not at all unlikely. J. L. Bell: >I like your notion that northern Ev is populated by black people who >voluntarily work for Jinnicky (perhaps Thompson merely displayed the >prejudices of her time by calling them slaves). But that seems >appropriate >for a new story, rather than a reading much of her texts support. I agree with this. Thompson might well have been somewhat racist, but that doesn't mean that a non-racist story about Jinnicky and his staff couldn't be written. Incidentally, I don't think that the word "slave" appeared in _Yankee_, even though Jinnicky's helpers did, probably because of the changes in attitudes between when _Silver Princess_ and _Yankee_ were published. I also have trouble accepting some of the episodes in the Neill books, the fighting houses being a good example. I suppose the houses could have been animated due to an accident in the Wizard's laboratory, however. >My reading, I admit, fits a pattern that I've come to call an ILTT ("I >like to think"). The reading makes me feel better even though I can't >quote >solid evidence from the books, and indeed must ignore statements in >those >books. Yes, I often read in that manner, too. Regarding the Lion's courage at the end of _Wizard_: It's possible that the potion given by the Wizard to the Lion contained some sort of drug (possibly alcohol) that made the Lion feel brave for a period of time. It's also possible that the potion had no effect at all, but the Lion thought that it did, and he later thought that it had worn off. On Bungle sleeping: In one scene in _Magic_, the Glass Cat was asleep, but it was stated later in that book that she never tired. I assume that Bungle liked to lie down occasionally, even though she really needed no rest. Real cats sometimes seem to lie down when they are not really tired, too. Dave Hardenbrook: Inga was the Prince of Pingaree, and the main hero of _Rinkitink_. Bobo/Bilbil was the Prince of Boboland, who was turned into a goat. -- Nathan Mulac DeHoff vovat@geocities.com or lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark." ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 00:41:20 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-11-97 Dorothy does swim in RPT, when the road dumps her. She almost drowns, but I'm pretty sure she swims a bit. Irony: ScottH writes:<> Um, that was the point, Scott! I'm quite sure Baum was playing with the role reversal. Multiple activities: I can't have music on while I'm trying to concentrate. Only for easy stuff like reading e-mail, and sometimes not even then. I guess my brain's too puny! --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 10:24:19 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-11-97 Scott H.: >There's your definition of myth. In this way it can be said to be common >to all religions. A myth is not necessarily false, obviously. And not necessarily true, either. There was a copy of _Father Goose_ being auctioned at the Winkie Conference this year that appeared to be a reprint from around the '60s or '70s, and didn't go for too high a price - though more than I was willing to pay for it. (I think around $25.) I don't know whether it contained the racist poems. David L.: I haven't seen the BoW _Rinkitink_ advertised in an Oz Collector yet (though I don't always seem to get them), but I'm sure there'll be a pre-publication offer at a discount; there has been for all their other reprints. If it's due out in April then the discount offer will probably turn up later this month or in January. Jeremy: Hope you have a pleasant holiday (or have had, if you've already left by the time this reply gets to your account). Tzvi: Glad you enjoyed _Glass Cat_. Tyler: I can do essentially the same combinations of two that you can. I _don't_ very often mix computer and TV, but sometimes I'll work at the computer while my wife watches a football game on TV and I'll turn around and watch a replay if something interesting happens. I guess what I'm saying is that having the TV sound going in the background doesn't interfere with my doing stuff on the computer, though it does with reading. (I can't do anything useful on the computer and actually _watch_ TV.) >While not really a contradiction in terms, most rap music is in fact >recycled disco from the 70's. Huh? I'll admit that I don't listen to much rap, but what little I've heard hasn't resembled any disco I can remember hearing (though I didn't listen to much of that either). Most rap I've heard hasn't had any tune at all; most disco I heard, while the tunes were banal, did have something in the nature of a melody. Bompi: My wife is much like you; she doesn't like to watch TV unless she can knit or quilt while she's doing it. Craig: I don't think BoW's re-illustration of _Yew_ and _Dot and Tot_ was really based on the originals' "not being contemporary enough"; those books would have been very expensive to reprint in the original format, since they were 2- and 3-color illustrations that overlapped text. Certainly Abbott's new illustrations for _Dot and Tot_, which mimicked Denslow's style to a high degree, could hardly be more "contemporary" than Denslow's. But a real facsimile of _Dot and Tot_ would probably have to sell for over $50 a copy to show a profit, and how much demand do you think there would be for what's really a pretty bad book? The re-illustration of _Master Key_, on the other hand, probably _was_ based on the rather archaic style of the originals, since it wouldn't have been hard to reproduce them (at least, the black and white ones). Dover did some years ago. Ruth: I'd have figured that living in farming country much of his life, Baum would have had some knowledge of sheep and goats. I mean, I've never lived on a farm, either, but I know a fair amount about them from having associated with farmers through much of my youth because of living in small towns. But it's true that I probably got most of my knowledge through farmers' kids I went to school with, and Baum didn't go to a public school where he'd have had that kind of association. J.L.: > GIANT HORSE is the book in which Cheeriobed makes Trot a princess of >Munchkinland. Maybe that's why Betsy felt left out. As the Dodo says in >ALICE IN WONDERLAND, "*all* must have prizes." Reddy had offered to make Betsy a princess of Rash in _Hungry Tiger_, but she preferred to go back to Oz. > In contrast, the Glass Cat "lay asleep on one bed" (p. 83); I take this >to mean Bungle was slyly pretending to sleep, having been so commanded by >the Voice. After all, even though it's a cat, it shouldn't have to sleep >any more than the Scarecrow does, right? With transparent eyelids, the >Glass Cat can't even block its own emerald eyes, right? (Then how did it >pass through the illusory gate on p. 161? Hmmm.) There are quite a few references to the Glass Cat sleeping, both in PG and in _Magic_. Since it makes no sense that a glass cat would _need_ sleep, any more than a patchwork girl or a scarecrow or a tin woodman or a sawhorse, I infer that this "sleep" is really just Bungle lying there with her eyes closed meditating. As for passing through the illusory gate, her eyelids needn't be transparent even if they're glass; perhaps they have a matte finish, like ground glass, so they're translucent but not transparent. Scott H. again: That "result of an AltaVista search" was so hard to read that I gave up on it. Dave: >Well, I'm confused now...Who was Inga?? From the previous Digest: >Aujah: Actually, we have inside information that the inventor of the spell > that was used on Inga was a collegue of Bishop Samuel "Soapy Sam" > Wilberforce, who of course hated Darwin like Coo-ee-oh hates us... :) No spell was used on Inga (unless you count the powers the pearls gave him). ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 14:17:36 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Craig Noble: the problem with the "Yew," "Master Key," and "Dot and Tot" illos from Books of Wonder's point of view isn't so much that they wouldn't appeal to modern children -- but rather that printed in black & white they wouldn't appeal to them. With the Oz books, they expect (and evidently are getting) a mass market that makes the color costs affordable, but Baum's non-Oz books don't sell as many copies as his Oz ones. It would certainly be nice to have facsimile editions available, but I doubt if it could be done at an affordable price. (Maybe at sometime -- it might be something the IWOC could do better than BoW or other commercial publisher -- someone could be persuaded to bring out facsimiles of the color artwork, or at least of the full-pagers. I don't know if there'd be enough demand for Fanny Cory's art to justify that for "Yew" and "Key," but the interest in Denslow is fairly high, so it might be possible for "Dot and Tot." I suggested to Bill Stillman that the "Bugle" could choose some "Bugle" covers from Baum's non-Oz books, but he commented that most of the IWOC members are much more interested in Oz than in other-Baum, so he didn't think such covers would be appreciated. Maybe if he gets more show of interest in the possibility from other people he might consider it.) J.L. Bell: Like your "I Like To Think" formulation. Along that line, I don't think Jinnicky's "slaves" were any more enslaved to his will than Ozma's "subjects" were subjected to hers. Ken Cope: Thanks for hunting down more reliable information on the "subliminals." Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 20:53:50 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Gordon >E.T.A. Hoffmann's demonic doll in "The Sandman." I missed this one. Say more about it. Stephen >In parts of the U.S. as recently as the 1950s there were Jim Crow Laws that restricted blacks from doing some things that were legal for whites. I know YOU do not believe these laws were just, but THEY WERE THE LAW! That is correct. Fortunately for me, I was not exposed to these "laws." At least I was never aware of them being in effect in the West. If I was I would have done everything in my power to get them changed/removed. David >As a refutation of your assertion that there was once a Golden Age when everything was wonderful and that the country has gone to the dogs in the last 40 years. Some things were better in the '50s; some things are better now. My experience was that things WERE great back then IN THE WEST! You obviously didn't live out here and immediately trotted out a racial example from the South. I am sticking to my guns. Yes, some things are better now, but most things are much worse than in "The Golden Age." Examples bury us. Given a ticket on the Time Machine I would much prefer to go back to then. Could I take my computer? :) Did anyone else see an A&E presentation of the history of magic. In same it is explained that LFB used the magician Keller as his model for the Wizard. They had a brief shot of the two together. Does this agree with other Ozzy sources? Scott - For those of us with less time, what was all that stuff in the last Digest. Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 21:05:07 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" David: >Anyhow, Jenny had a moderately strong role even in _Lucky Bucky_, though less than in Neill's other three books. And from the way he draws her in LB it appears that the de-aging spell had worn off, at least partially. In _Scalawagons_ she still looks like a child, as she did at the end of _Wonder City_, but in LB she looks like a teen-ager again. < Her youth could have worn off naturally---just like yours, mine, and everybody else's. Or, given that this is Oz, she probably chose to grow up. :-) A note about Scrap's character--she is very much like a hyperactive child. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 21:05:41 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Ken Cope: >First of all, the whole crock about subliminals [Hilary eats babies] got started when some idiot sold a bunch of books about death heads in ice cubes and clam orgies on the Howard Johnson menu. I videotaped a lecture this clown gave at Golden West College in the 70's, it's probably still available [didn't you know, Mrs. Clinton eats them on toast with butter] at the Instructional Media Center. Ay llik ll'ti. Mubla wen s'nosnaM nyliraM yub.< I saw such a book, too, back in the 70's, I believe. The thing seemed suspiciously akin to the harmless pastime of finding figures in clouds. ( "That one looks like an alligator. That one looks like an aardvark. That one looks like a horse. And so on.) Now, did anyone deliberately make the clouds look that way? Same thing with what this fellow was claiming to see in ice cubes and other images found in advertisements. I didn't quite believe him, either, 'cause I could not discern the word or image he claimed was there. And even if it *was* there, it was probably an accident, just like cloud formations are accidents. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 21:06:01 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Rich: > I grew up in the TV era, too, but I can't read with the TV on, either. Then again, I'm notoriously focussed to the point of obsession. (Is there something opposite to "attention deficit disorder" where one can't do more than one thing at a time?)< You answered your own question there--Obsessive compulsion, the scientific name for a one-track mind, would likely be the opposite of attention-deficit disorder. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 21:06:34 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-09-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" M. Morris > True, but she claimed even Glinda wouldn't have been capable of breaking the spell any other way, whether accurately or not I can't say, but I doubt she'd have deliberately lied. The only other instance of a "switcheroo spell" in the books I can think of was when Mombi reversed her appearance with Jellia Jamb's in LAND...perhaps suggesting one of the non-FF stories in which her transformation of Ozma into Tip was also revealed as a "switcheroo spell?"< Of course "The Disenchanted Princess of Oz" deliberately made use of Mombi's "Switcheroo Spell." That way, the solution to having Tip turn out to be a real boy comes from Baum. A solution completely contrived by me would have seemed too---well--contrived! :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 21:07:14 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-11-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Message text written by "Dave L. Hardenbrook" >>The "switcheroo spell" is something that we mention frequently here on the >Digest; I don't know if Melody or Dave invented the term, but it shows up >in Dave's FAQ. I picked it up from Melody, so as far as I know she coined the term.< I don't think I'm the one who called it the "switcheroo spell," though I may have said something about Mombi pulling a switcheroo.... Dave may have indeed coined the term--unless someone else did. We'll just have to search all those old Digests! :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 13:50:26 -0500 From: Lisa Bompiani Subject: Ozzy Digest Hello, I was at the used book store in town and came across a Tolkien Dictionary in which all 14 languages of his were explained. At least that's what the cover stated. If any of you Tolkien fans are interested, let me know. It's only $3.00. Craig: There was an article by Richard R. Rutter in the Winter 1991 Bugle @ Doyle and Baum. Scott: Sorry! I meant Indiana, PA which is only about an hour from Pittsburgh. :-) Off to study, Peace & Love, Bompi ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 14:20:49 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz theories lost and found Sender: "J. L. Bell" Steve Teller reported: <> So my hunch about Neill's chronology was wrong. Thanks for the info. Yes, Jenny Jump does appear in LUCKY BUCKY, dogfighting with the painting of Mombi. But she's much less prominent in this Oz book than in Neill's other three. This is the only one in which she doesn't travel around the country. Ozma, the Wizard, and Glinda eventually subdue "Mombi." Even when Number Nine goes to the Turn-Style Shop to disenchant the Flummoxes, Jenny's off stage (to his likely disappointment). David Hulan wrote about my idea of East and West in OZMA: <> That's exactly what I'm assuming (when I consider Oz-as-history). It seems easier to assume that the historian was confused and chose to add verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and uninteresting narrative (e.g., Dorothy reporting, "And then we walked back 'cross the Desert to the Em'rald City...") than that a King of the Munchkins was noticed only two times in the 28 years between WIZARD and GIANT HORSE *and* that Ev flipped across the continent. Scott wrote: <<[Baum] was home-schooled, as wealthy people were.>> Riley's OZ AND BEYOND reports, "His poor health caused him to receive most of his education from private tutors, except for a year at the Syracuse Classical Academy and two unhappy years at Peekskill Military School." For this sentence he cites a Michael Patrick Hearn article from the Autumn 1986 BUGLE. Might Hearn now be projecting his own long-awaited Baum biography as a 2000 publication? That would give him at least another eighteen months before he has to deliver the manuscript. And speaking of the WIZARD's centennial, are there plans for the IWoOC to send written notices to all its contest entrants or issue any report (number of entries, trends in Oz writing, etc.)? J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 15:30:50 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Oz (1976) (fwd) I guess it's not available anywhere... I have the soundtrack LP. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 06:35:04 GMT From: Greg Lawrence Subject: Re: Oz (1976) Hi Scott, On Thu, 11 Dec 1997 21:32:01 -0500 (EST), you wrote: > >I am looking for this 1976 rock musical made by Chris Lofven based on _The >Wizard of Oz_. Is this available on tape in Australia. I realize I would >have to have it transfered so I could wath it, but I have wanted to see >this for some time. It feature music by Ross Wilson, Jo Jo Zep and the >Falcons, Graham Matters, and Joy Dunstan. It was released in the US in >1977 as _20th Century Oz_ (shortened by the director's specifications to >90 minutes, then shortened again to 85. It originally ran 102, but the >director thought some of this material was extraneous and considered it a >rough cut, as did the producer), but it never opened in New York, and it >was never released to video. How about down under? > Thanks for getting in touch with us. Unfortunately we can't help at all with that now. Even the soundtrack is deleted. Cheers Greg =================================== Greg's Music World Point your browser to http://www.musicworld.com.au/ Your Australian music store =================================== ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 16:35:53 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Digest for the 12th - What was that? Tasted like SPAM to me. Oh well, better too much than too little. Last chance for Christmas gifts - The Franklin Mint is selling a musical sculpture of the "famous four" in a crystal dome. They are the movie four of course. It plays "We're off...." and is about 5 inches tall. Cost $55. Are you all aware of the "Judy Garland Children's Museum." I received a letter from them. Email address: jgarland@uslink.net Site: www.judygarland.com It is located at Grand Rapids, Minnesota. They are seeking members. All the Oz that's fit to print, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 18:54:51 -0500 (EST) From: JOdel Subject: Pre-Ozzy Editorials Okay, I read the excerpted statements from L. Frank Bam's editorials from the Aberdeen Reporter. I enjoyed their content no more than one might expect from any other Oz fan. Nor can I excuse them as irony or parody. They are neither. There is no comedic element to these statements. And he seems to be absolutely sincere in his call to an Indian genocide. No, there is a powerful, overriding feeling that I hear howling out of these statements and it is deffinitely not one of mockery. It is despair. This, my friends, is the cry of a man who, horrified by the spectacle of all the chickens finally comming home to roost, burns down the henhouse. I am amazed that none of the people making pronouncements on these excerpts (in the rest of the posting) appears to recognise that these are statements of a person whose whole sensibilitiy is in revolt. He opens with a heartfelt vindication of the dead chief's hatred of white society, and, then -- the rage of the vulture melting to sorrow, and dripping all over everything in range -- depicts the present miserable lot of the Indian, brought to this state by the acts of white society, appears to deem it a cruelty to force anyone to live like in this state and concludes that in order to protect itself, white society is now going to have to exterminate the Indian altogether, because the wrongs done to date are not merely unforgivable, but also impossible to put right, and the survivors have no choice other than to take up arms against us, their enemy, and fight us to the death. American society is too incompetently run to permit any happier solution. In short, the Indian must be destroyed, not because he is evil, but because we are. Welcome to the world of liberal guilt in its most exaggerated and irrational form. People undergoing this variety of brainstorm have a tradition of writing heated and incoherant letters to the editor. Unfortunately, Baum WAS the editor. I see that some yo-yos making comments on these excerpts seem unable to square them with their view of Baum as a sensitive and imaginative man. I counter that only a person who was overly sensitive and maybe even too imaginative for his own good would have come up with these statements in the first place. God knows we heard no shortage of statements of EXACTLY this level of overwrought irrationality during the Vietnam war. And by the end of a decade he was writing a children's book of a new kind of fairyland, for a new kind of child. I am not a Baum scholar. How much juvenile literature did he write before Wounded Knee? How much non-fiction, or, in fact, any works for an adult audience (other than dramatic scripts, more "family-oriented" than adult, imho) did he write after it. Was this a turning point? Is it possible that if there had been no massacre at Woulded Knee, there might have been no Wizard of Oz? ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 15 - 16, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] NOTE: I've been having trouble with my E-mail the last couple of days, and apparently my server was down much of yesterday, so if you don't see a post you made here, please re-send it. Also, Ozma cordially invites all Digest members to the birthday bash she is throwing for Beethoven and Jane Austen at the Emerald City at Noon today OST (Oz Standard Time). :) -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 22:39:10 -0500 (EST) From: JOdel Subject: Ozzy Discussion So long as we are kicking around racial relations, and while we are still on Patchwork Girl, which seems to be the book that the subject keeps cropping up in the most, there was something which occured to me after sending off my interpretation of the embarassing editorial. Namely, that the subject of racial stereotyping DOES seem to crop up most often, and most blatantly, in Patchwork Girl. I've suddenly begun to wonder whether this is deliberate. Whether Baum was running some sort of inside joke (possibly a joke in poor taste, or, conversely, as unsucessful a one as Dr Pipt's last batch of poetsy) over just how many different sorts of stereotypes there were out there about "colored people" (the polite term of the day, after all) in a book where the title character was, unquestionably, a "colored girl". ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 13:10:42 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Recent Ozzy Digests Hi! I'm actually beginning to post almost regularly again... Nathan DeHoff wrote: <> Did attitudes change that much? Even 1938 was over 70 years after slavery was abolished in this country...I suppose Thompson may have met people who had lived under slavery and (presumably white) had fond memories of it, but I doubt she'd have actually approved of it. I suspect her "slavery" had less to do with the American variety than with The Arabian Nights; she evidently liked classic fairy tales in all their forms and cultures, and (as a result) the cultures and societies of her Oz reflect the Arabian Nights, Grimm, and the rest a lot more than Baum's stories do. (Although antebellum slaveowners liked to compare the two, American slavery was far more vicious than slavery in such other cultures as Arab countries, ancient Greece and the like...slaves in those cultures weren't dehumanized and were accepted as equal citizens when freed, as American blacks at the time weren't.) <> I didn't know that had been reissued, with or without censorship. Although THE BAUM BUGLE mentioned that even the later editions from the original publisher...it remained in print for about 10 years, since it *had* been a bestseller in 1899...censored some "objectionable" rhymes...not for racism but apparently for violence. "Polly wants a cracker"--where the parrot ends up getting a FIREcracker--was the first to go. I saw the identical gag in a Bugs Bunny cartoon... On a related note, THE LAUGHING DRAGON OF OZ was recently mentioned again. As I've said before, my own copy is a Big Little Book (and I still don't know if there was ever any other, or if the complete story was ever published) inherited from the late DC Comics editor, E. Nelson Bridwell (along with a few other Oz-related items; most of his collection had to be auctioned to pay his debts). I'd say it's neither the best nor the worst Oz book by a Baum descendant; I liked DOROTHY IN OZ better, but I suspect THE SILLY OZBULS OF OZ is a lot worse. Melody Grandy wrote: <> More than one poster has noted that something of a love interest seemed to be building up between Jenny Jump and Number Nine...nothing serious at this point, given their ages, but at least as much of one as David H. has noted between, for instance, Inga and Zella in RINKITINK. I thought (and maybe Neill did too) that it was quite natural for Nine to have a crush on the older girl in WONDER CITY, but the infamous editor may have wanted to adjust the ages for a more conventional (i.e., the boy being older) relationship. Whether anything does happen if or when they ever grow up completely, I rather like the more unconventional ages of Neill's original. (Which in some ways anticipated the very similar relationship between Nita and Kit in Diane Duane's SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD series.) <> Having been in school with several of the kind...all right, I'll admit I had a certain amount of hyperactivity myself...this may well explain why my original view of Scraps *was* as a child around the same age as Dorothy or Trot. I'd blamed this earlier on the ambiguous meaning "girl" had at the time (it could mean a child but also a young woman, which seems to have been what Baum actually intended), and also on the fact that I first encountered her in the later books in which she appeared (missing for some time her debut in PATCHWORK GIRL, and her romance-of-sorts with the definitely adult Scarecrow). Yes, she could be a hyperactive child...or a screwball comedienne like Carol Burnett or Gilda Radner (neither, of course, born at the time PATCHWORK GIRL was written, but they must have had equivalents in vaudeville). Now that I think of it, maybe Topsy in UNCLE TOM'S CABIN (comic relief in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, reportedly with a greatly expanded role in most of the immensely popular stage adaptations) may have been an inspiration for Scraps? With her scraggly hair, her patched clothing, her penchant for hyperactivity, and her fondness for the pastimes of a traditional tomboy like climbing trees and turning cartwheels, Topsy reminds me a great deal of the Patchwork Girl. If memory serves, Topsy *was* about the age of the American girls in Oz in the novel (around 9-11 during the course of her involvement in Uncle Tom's life), but onstage I think she was often played by older actresses. (Or older actors? I've heard at least some presentations cast a male in that very active role, much as Scraps was played by a male...and Ojo by a female...in the Baum movie.) <> This was SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION by Wilson Bryan Key, I think. I remember being disconcerted by his pointing out that the word SEX was easy to find in photograps, until someone pointed out that it was easy to find even in one's own photos...it's made of simple curves, lines and crosses that can be found in almost any random pattern as easily as pictures can be found in clouds. He was definitely right about some things (commercials and ads DO use sexual images, most hardly hidden), but completely thrown off by prejudices of the time at others (he reasoned that ads involving male hunks HAD to be aimed at actual or suppressed gay men, since everyone KNEW women weren't interested in such things). Joyce O'Dell wrote: <> You expressed my thoughts a lot more coherently than I could. Those old editorials were indeed shocking, as the work of the same man who wrote the Oz books. Then again...perhaps Baum lost some close friends to an Indian attack; does anyone know? If so, his grief--or his empathy even if he didn't personally lose anyone close--could well lead to such irrational desires for vengeance, that he'd certainly realize in later times were misplaced. The books themselves display his intellectual refusal to rationalize genocide at the same time he emotionally had such reactions to outside hostility. People have noted and regretted the apparently permanent changing of Nomes into eggs in OZMA, the decimation and possible extermination of the Gargoyles in DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD, and the permanent handicapping of the Scoodlers in ROAD by taking away their heads...both extreme reactions to the attack of admittedly hostile races (who, unlike the real-life Indians, had never to our knowledge been mistreated by others before their attacks). Baum is in a sense progressing already in not killing the Scoodlers; and ILTT that Ozma later used the Magic Belt to restore the Nomes and Scoodlers once her friends were safely out of danger. But Baum, more and more, was more gentle even with his hostile races. Woot surely reflects those old editorials in TIN WOODMAN when he expresses a desire to puncture every one of the Loons and leave them helpless, but his is won over by wisdom and kindness of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, who successfully argue for their integrity and right to be left alone in their society. I just checked the map--Loonville is in the Gillikin Country, just across the border. Had it been in the Winkie Country the Woodman would have been essentially protecting his own subjects, but as it was it was simple humanity, not authority, that prevailed in favor of mercy. Surely all the evidence indicates that that was Baum's true philosophy. Rich Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 00:06:54 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Well, finally coughed up the money to get "Botanica." And it seems something similar to Zim's hybridization of six-leaf clovers has been done in real life. The specimen is called "Purpurascens Quadrifolium." Or, more accurately "Trifolium Repens 'Purpurascens Quadrifolium.'" It's a clover bred to have *all* four-parted leaves. According to "Botanica," under the present rules of botanical nomenclature, a cultivar, or plant created by artificial hybridization, is supposed to be called by the Latin name of the species from which it was bred, plus an English name enclosed in single quotes. Example: Rhodanthe 'Paper Star', or Rhododendron 'Cynthia.' Since Zim created his six-leaf clover plant before they changed the rules on him, his Latin term is supposed to be treated exactly as a more recent cultivar's English name. Zim: (sigh) They not only change the rules, some botanists disagree upon exact classifications of flora and have somewhat differing Latin nomeclature systems. It is too bad. At this rate, in a mere century or two this Latin nomenclature fad may be over. Glinda: Hello, Zim. Can you spare me a cupful of 'trifolium duplex'? Zim: According to modern rules, this is now a cupful of "Trifolium Pratense 'trifolium duplex'." Glinda: Thank you for the six-leaf clovers. I shall let you know how my experiment turns out. Melody Grandy :-) ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 09:18:16 +0000 From: Craig Noble Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 David Hulan and Ruth Berman: I don't disagree that it would be expensive, probably too expensive, to reprint _Dot and Tot_ and _Yew_ with the original illos, however IIRC Peter Glassman specifically stated on the Ozzy Digest about a year ago that the illos aren't contemporary enough for today's young readers. He may have clarified later that the problem was mostly with reprinting the color in b&w -- I don't remember. It's probably a combination of both cost and appeal. The main point I was trying to make in my original post was not speculation about why these books haven't been reprinted in facsimile; I was originally talking about _Father Goose_ and lamenting that Denslow's beautiful illustrations are not readily available. It then occurred to me that the same is true with _Dot and Tot_ and how I wish all the Baum-Denslow collaborations would be reprinted. -- Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 03:28:26 -0500 From: "Gessel, Michael" Subject: Out of Office AutoReply: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 Michael Gessel is out of the office until December 29 and may not have access to e-mail messages. He will respond as quickly as possible after that date. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 15:37:34 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 The 12/12 Digest was of some interest (if very hard to read), but Joyce has already given a reaction very similar to mine on it and I won't go further. Nathan: >Yes, in _Patchwork Girl_, Dorothy does state that she cannot swim. I >believe that she swims out of the Munchkin River in _Ojo_, however, so >she must have learned in between those two books, which is not at all >unlikely. Dorothy seems to still be a poor swimmer in _Royal Book_, when she nearly drowns before the Cowardly Lion rescues her. It's partly blamed on her being out of breath from a fall, but most people who can swim can at least float on their backs (the river doesn't seem to have been particularly turbulent) even if they're out of breath. I don't know of any evidence that Dorothy has such a low body fat content that she'd sink if she lay quietly on her back on the water. (References to a "round face" and "chubby hands" seem to indicate a well-fleshed little girl, at least in the early books, though I suppose she might have gone on a diet or something.) And in _Lost King_ she can't figure how to get across a river, though that might be attributed to her having Humpy (who'd obviously have difficulty) with her. In _Ojo_, though, as you say, she seems to be a strong swimmer. Ruth: > I suggested to Bill Stillman that the >"Bugle" could choose some "Bugle" covers from Baum's non-Oz books, >but he commented that most of the IWOC members are much more >interested in Oz than in other-Baum, so he didn't think such covers >would be appreciated. Maybe if he gets more show of interest in the >possibility from other people he might consider it.) It's probably true that most IWOC members aren't much interested in non-Oz Baum, but I suspect that that's because most IWOC members aren't much interested in Baum, period, but only in the MGM movie. I'd bet that most IWOC members who are interested in Baum in the first place are as interested in his non-Oz fantasy books (at least those with an Oz connection) as in the Oz books, or nearly so. This might be a good question to put in the annual survey questionnaire sometime. It may be that it's just that Stillman isn't much interested in Baum's non-Oz writing. Bear: >My experience was that things WERE great back then IN THE WEST! You >obviously didn't live out here and immediately trotted out a racial example >from the South. I am sticking to my guns. Yes, some things are better >now, but most things are much worse than in "The Golden Age." Examples >bury us. Given a ticket on the Time Machine I would much prefer to go back >to then. Could I take my computer? :) As with many other things, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to the Fifties, even in the West. And I did move there in 1963, which isn't that long after your Golden Age. It's true that there wasn't legal segregation in the West, but there was still a _lot_ of discrimination against Asians and Latinos as well as blacks in California in 1963. Remember the relocation camps for American citizens of Japanese ancestry during WW II? That was during your lifetime and mine. Granted, things were good in many ways for white, male, healthy, middle-class heterosexuals in the Forties and Fifties, and I, like you, fell into that class. But I seem to have less difficulty relating to those who didn't. And unlike you, I don't think the '90s are so awful. Melody: I agree that Jenny's youth could have worn off naturally (i.e, she chose to grow up) - though it seems as if she aged more rapidly than the time between the publication of the books. (She looks about 11 in _Scalawagons_ and at least 14, if not older, in _Lucky Bucky_. She also looks and acts like a teen-ager in _Runaway_, but it's not canonical.) J.L.: > And speaking of the WIZARD's centennial, are there plans for the IWoOC to >send written notices to all its contest entrants or issue any report >(number of entries, trends in Oz writing, etc.)? Interesting questions. We know the number of entries already (37), though you probably weren't on the Digest the last time it was mentioned. And we know who won (nobody on the Digest, at least nobody who contributes to the discussions). Non-winners who provided postage to send their MSS back to them will presumably get them soon, if they haven't already. (I didn't bother; in this age of computers and high postage costs, it's cheaper for me to print out another copy than to pay postage to get my original back.) As for a report on the entries, the preliminary judges (who included active Digest members Steve Teller and Robin Olderman) have made it clear that they won't comment on the quality of entries or on the reasons why they selected the finalists for the consideration of Payes and McGraw, or even which MSS were finalists, and I agree with them even though I'd love to know at what point mine lost out, and why. They might be willing to make some comment on trends in Oz writing, but they're busy people and that wasn't part of the deal when they volunteered to be judges, so I wouldn't expect it. Joyce: As I said at the top of my post, I couldn't agree with you more about Baum and the Indians. >And by the end of a decade he was writing a children's book of a new kind of >fairyland, for a new kind of child. I am not a Baum scholar. How much juvenile >literature did he write before Wounded Knee? How much non-fiction, or, in >fact, any works for an adult audience (other than dramatic scripts, more >"family-oriented" than adult, imho) did he write after it. Was this a turning >point? Is it possible that if there had been no massacre at Woulded Knee, >there might have been no Wizard of Oz? I don't think Baum wrote any children's literature before Wounded Knee, but he did write some works for an adult audience after it. He edited a magazine about decorating shop windows, and IIRC also wrote a book about that. And I also believe that he wrote a non-fiction book about his travels in Egypt, and his locked-room mystery short story, "The Suicide of Kiaros," appeared in 1897. (I could do more research in the Baum biblios I have, but I'm sure some people like Ruth or Steve, who have much more such information at their fingertips, will provide it.) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 21:05:21 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz and the Sioux Sender: "J. L. Bell" JOdel responded to Baum's 1890 call for Indians to be exterminated: <> I think JODel identifies Baum's despairing tone correctly. This May I wrote the following to an e-mail correspondent after reading Baum's editorials. I do go on, and I hope folks will forgive the length because there are long quotes from Baum. Those and the biographical facts come from the U of Nebraska collection OUR LANDLADY (pub'd 1996, edited by Nancy Tystad Koupal). ++++++++++++++ The statement that the American Indians should be exterminated was indeed Baum's own, not the beliefs of a character he was either lampooning or using as a mouthpiece for others. But the sudden appearance of that opinion is interesting in itself. Baum edited and wrote much of the ABERDEEN SATURDAY PIONEER, a Republican and "literary" periodical in genteel rivalry with the ABERDEEN DAILY NEWS. One regular feature was his "Our Landlady" column, said to be conversations around the dinner table at Mrs. Bilkin's boarding house. Two of those columns touch on the local Indians--local meaning the Sioux 100 miles to the west and the Sissetons and Wahpetons 60 miles to the east. That infrequency seems to confirm the statements of Aberdeen citizens that they rarely saw natives--statements they usually made to encourage other settlers to come. For Independence Day 1890 some Sissetons came to Aberdeen to demonstrate their music and dance in the same building where Baum worked. His fictional Mrs. Bilkins described the sight in this passage, published 5 July 1890: "Did you attend the ball game?" asked Tom. "Oh, yes,--at the Opera House." "No! No! That was the baby show." "Well, that were the only bawl game I had any time for, an' o' course the fool judges guv the prizes to the homeliest babies an' the prettiest mothers. [Baum was one of these judges.] "I allus notis as that's the case. But still, with all the drawbacks, I'd a got along fust rate if I hadn't took it inter my head ter see the injine's war dance. I paid my money to a greasy lookin' injun an' walked in an' stood up. At one end o' the hall was a big chief named Cowjumps, an' back o' him were some sleepy-lookin' squaws an' dried-up babys, an' in the circle were the villainist lookin' lot o' red devils as I ever seed, pushin' each other round the ring an' yellin'. "'Hi-yah! hip-yah! hi-yah! hip-yah!' an' drummin' on a big kittle an' shakin' some tommyhawks and knives over their heads. "'What's up?' says I to the policeman. "'Hush!' says he. "'What's got 'em riled?' says I. "'Nothin',' says he, 'they're dancin'.' "'Oh!' says I; 'well if they had a master they'd do it more polite.' "An' just then I catched sight o' my red bed-spread, as I'd leit out on the line, on one o' the dancin' injins' shoulders. I didn't wait for nothin', but I jest busted inter the ring o' war dancers an' clubbed my umbreller in my fist an' belted him a good whack over the shoulders. He knew what I wanted in a minit and pulled out a watch an' handed me fer a bribe. [A local insurance agent had reported losing a gold watch during the holiday.] "'Not much!' says I, 'you just gimme that 'air bed-spread!" "An' he give it up. He said he found it in the band wagon, but I knowed as he was lyin'." Here Baum portrayed Indians as thieves, at the same time lampooning his main character and even himself. In November 1890 Aberdeen started to fear an uprising connected to the Ghost Dance movement. Men began to drill. On the 22nd the DAILY NEWS reported, "Editor Baum says the people of Brown county can whip the Sioux with cordwood. The editor is noted for being contrary and the young bloods refuse to have their high hopes thus dashed to pieces. They say they will die before they will fight with such undignified weapons." A week later Baum editorialized in his own paper, "...the Indian scare was a great injustice, and when we realize it was all the work of sensational newspaper articles, we are tempted to wish that the press was not so free, and could have some wholesome strictures laid upon it." The principle drawback of the scare, he said, was that "we [South Dakota] are getting a very bad name" for drought (two years running) and insecurity. The DAILY NEWS added on the 30th, "the red men themselves were very much disturbed...knowing that if the whites were thoroughly aroused they would annihilate every tribe." In this atmosphere Mrs. Bilkins returned to the subject on 6 December 1890: "...Oh, yes, I've been to the reservation all right enough--bearded the lion in his whiskers so to speak, an' I'm alive yit to tell the tale." "Tell us about it," urged Tom, as he drew his chair to the stove and lit a cigar. "I will. Ye see, arter the president wouldn't let Buffalo Bill run this campaign ter suit hisself an' General Miles [Cody had come to the Standing Rock reservation to arrest Sitting Bull, but his plan was overruled in Washington], I made up my mind I'd take the thing inter my own hands and find out what the red demons intended to do, or not to do, as Ham expresses it. Fer this skare is like the bile on a man's tenderloins, it assumes tremendous proportions without amountin' to anything, an' is more of a nuisance that [sic] it is a bother. So I tuk the President's Message, and the Life o' Buffalo Bill an' the Cranmer Contest Case [a lawsuit over the recent election] an' put 'em in my reticule along with some crackers an' cheese an' my knittin' an' started fer the seat o' war. I thought if I struck anything rich I'd telegraph the New York papers an' make my expenses an' a reckered as a female correspondint. Well, I struck the reservation about noon. I hired a boy to drive me half way, but he took to his heels an' so I druv on alone. Pritty soon I come to a camp an' found it deserted and the bones o' some of the government cattle strewed about the ground. But the fire was still smolderin' an' so I pushed on rapidly, as they say in the novels. Arter awhile I caught sight of a large body of Injins jest ahead o' me. 'Hol' up!' I yelled, but they turned and saw me, an' givin' a whoop o' terrer they run fer their lives. But my nag was a good one, an' arter I'd begun to read the President's Message to him he run so fast that he caught up with the Injins in no time an' they threw 'emselves on their knees an' begged for mercy. "'Here you, "Hole-in-the-Face,"' says I, fiercely, 'what do you mean by runnin' away? Come up here an' explain yerself!' "Now, Hole-in-the-Face is one o' the bravest Sioux outside o' Sioux Falls, an' he come up kinder sad an' says: 'Don't hurt us, Miss' Bilkins, an' we'll never do it agin.' "'Why should I hurt you?' says I. "'Why,' says he, 'the scouts is all bringin' in word that the whites is all risin' agin' the Injins an' so I was kinder afraid when I saw your complexion.' "'Hole-in-the-Face,' says I, sternly, 'do I look as if I'd hurt a pore Injin?' "'No,' says he, 'but Candidate-afraid-of-his-Pocketbook was in the camp this mornin' an' said the rumors o' the whites risin' that we heard was all true. He said that the whites was all starvin' in Dakota, an' the government wouldn't give 'em any rations, an' so they was comin' to rob us Injins of what we had. I tell you the Injins is pretty badly skeert an' they're leavin' their homes and bandin' together fer mutual protection.' "'What about them oxes I saw the remains of at the camp?' says I. "'Oh,' says he, 'if we hadn't killed 'em the whites would, an' self-preservation is the fust law of a good politician.' "'But about that ghost-dance,' says I suspicious like. "'Why,' says he, 'we live in a free country. We Injins can vote an' you wimmen can't, and don't you fergit that. [Referendums had recently denied South Dakota women the vote while confirming it for Indian men. Baum was married to the daughter of a leading suffragist.] Religion is as free as water an' much more plenty. If there's any fault to be found with our runnin' our religion to suit ourselves we'll just join the independents [soon to become the state's Populist Party], an' then I guess you'll be worry you spoke.' "'Hole-in-the-Face,' says I, 'is this a square deal?' "'It is,' says he; 'jest look at it yourself. Here we Injins has been drawin' rations from the government an' layin' by our savin's till we've got in pritty fair shape, an' just when we least expect it, here comes a risin' of the starved whites, and they're liable to swoop down on us at any minute an' rob us o' all we possess.' "'No,' says I, 'they're afraid o' your swoopin' down on them.' "He laughed sourkastically. 'What have they got as we want?' says he; 'Nothin'!' But the Injuns has got lots that the government has guv 'em that the whites would like to have for themselves. No, Miss Bilkins, you can't fool me like that! But my braves is gettin' anxious to remove their property out o' harm's way, so good day to ye, as the legislater said to Gid[eon]. Moody [one of South Dakota's first Senators, about to be voted out by the new independent state house].' "I saw it were no good arguin' with him, so I druv sadly back. Wherever I went the Injuns was fleein' in one direction and the settlers in another. I've telegraphed the truth to all the papers, but they answered an' said: "'We ain't lookin' fer truth--can get all we want fer a cent a line, but a good lie is wuth a dollar a word to us any minnit.'..." At this point Baum was actually equating Indians and whites in their fears and aspirations, and minimizing their mutual threat. Never one to miss an easy laugh, he does make fun of the translation of Indian names (a joke he used again in JOHN DOUGH AND THE CHERUB, his only children's book that contains an Indian character, and that of the wooden cigar-store variety). Nine days after that column was published, however, Sitting Bull was killed. Baum no longer expressed a belief that the groups could live together with only minor culture clashes. Instead, in a 20 December article he paid tribute to the "proud spirit of the original owners of these vast prairies"; criticized whites' "selfishness, falsehood and treachery"; and concluded that Sitting Bull's death meant "the best safety of the frontier settlers will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians." After Wounded Knee, Baum criticized what he saw as Army incompetence but repeated his earlier program: "Our only safety depends upon the total extermination of the Indians. Having wronged them for centuries we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth." This editorial, on 3 January 1891, was the last Baum published on (real) Indians. With the independents' election, Baum's paper had lost the favor of government. The farm economy was bad, and the Indian conflict had further reduced investment and immigration. His subscriptions fell by 60%. Never in great health, Baum was in bed for two weeks in February 1891. By March he was on the road looking for work, his wife in the last month of her fourth pregnancy and his mother-in-law probably running the paper. In April the family moved to Chicago, where he eventually wrote THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. Baum's views on Indians made a remarkable turnaround in one month, December 1890. I read his genocidal comments as reflecting both public sentiment in South Dakota's white settlements and how his personal setbacks sank into his mind. His witty contrariness in mid-1890 turned into a pessimistic misanthropy by early 1891, and he spat it at the vulnerable minority nearby. Fortunately, like his remarks on the free press, no one took him up on the idea. ++++++++++++ J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 21:54:36 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones From the archives: On May 2, 1996, Melody Grandy referred to the "switch forms trick.", regarding Mombi's spell on Ozma/Tip, with quotes. On that same day, not in response to Melody, but part of the same thread of discussion, I my own self mentioned the transformational swap as a switcheroo, with no quotes. Also on May 2, at the end of that same digest, in a direct response to my post, Dave Hardenbrook also mentions the word "switcheroo", with quotes. Note here that Dave is the only one capable of responding to posts in the same digest. Therefore, it is with no false modesty that I must lay claim to the fact that I, Tyler Jones, was the one who coined that oh-so-famous term "switcheroo":-) Who'd a thunk it? Of course, Dave gets the credit for coming up with the quotes. :-) John Bell: That's generally the reason I use to explain the absence of the Munchkin King, which ties in with _Giant Horse_. If indeed there was a known King of the Munchkins who suddenly vanished for over 20 years, would people not get curious? Imagine what would happen if Washington D.C. dropped off the face of the earth. I can see Bear grinning at that thought! :-) --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 20:05:45 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 Melody, > Her youth could have worn off naturally---just like yours, > mine, and everybody else's. How long does this process take? Except for various aches and pains, and some diminished capabilities, I still FEEL young :-). Bear, > My experience was that things WERE great back then IN THE > WEST! I suspect that the proverbial "rose colored glasses" are coming into play here. We have had our moments of outrageous behavior in the West. A couple of the more egregious events come to mind. In 1933 there was the rather famous lynching of 2 men in San Jose. Curiously, the governor at the time, "Sunny Jim" Rolph made a statement approving the action. Later, there was the totally indefensible detainment of American citizens of Japanese ancestry during WW II. I can recall very vividly attending school with teenagers of Japanese ancestry whose entire childhood had been spent in the camps. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 23:05:28 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 Bear:<> Things WERE better in the '40s and '50s, I think, if we limit those things to ethics and morals, trust, responsibility, etc., etc. Things are clearly better now in the workd of medicine. (I had a bone tumor in the '60s that would have caused an amputation in the '40s or even the '50s!). Concommitant problems with the advances, of course. Cloning comes to mind. BTW, I'd want to take my computer, too, if I got a ticket on the Time Machine...assuming that there'd be any way to use it then! Melody: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder. It really isn't equivalent to having a one-track mind, at all. Sorry. I won't bore you with elaboration. If you *are* interested, I'll e-mail you. I teach that stuff in my Psych. I class. I know what you mean about extreme focus, though. As a kid, I was like Inga, and would sit in a tree or even under an arching bush to read, just to be able to concentrate and to get into the world of the book. Other than crocheting or checking relatively easy homework assignments, I can't watch TV and do anything demanding, either. OTOH, I prefer to have my hands busy while watching. Puritan work ethic? TV is usually a fairly mindless activity, but I get too involved with my music and reading to deal with more than just the one thing. Radio muzac, BTW, doesn't count. It's just background noise, but even that will distract me if I need to concentrate. Have you found that people don't seem to understand that? --Robin Did anyone else see an A&E presentation of the history of magic. In same it is explained that LFB used the magician Keller as his model for the Wizard. They had a brief shot of the two together. Does this agree with other Ozzy sources? ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 97 09:57:37 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things TO MELODY, ZIM, AND GLINDA: Sounds like the nomclature rules are very confusing...One question: Is a "hybrid" a true species or is it a "breed" analogous to a Cocker Spaniel or a Bichon Frise? And Zim, since Robin mentioned cloning, what are your views on GELFs (Genetically Engineered Life Forms)? THE NOSTALGIA CHANNEL: I still stick with my view that the modern "deterioration of values" is mainly the media emphasizing the bad and ignoring the good. There does seem to be a "creativity deficit" though, the Oz community not withstanding. A cartoon of Anastasia?? A musical of the sinking of the _Titanic_??? Movies "recycling" _Leave It to Beaver_, _The Brady Bunch_, and _George of the Jungle_???? Remakes of all of movie history's most historic and monumental flops???????? And as far as TV goes, No Comment. BTW, can anyone imagine Snow White singing in the voice of a modern pop star??? -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 17, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 14:26:47 -0600 From: Gordon Birrell Subject: Ozzy Digest Scott: The Grimm fairy tale "The Blue Light" is about a young soldier who comes into possession of a magic blue light; when he lights his pipe with this light, a little man appears from the pipe smoke and assists the soldier in wreaking vengence on a wicked king who has mistreated the soldier. I've never understood what connection this story has with Riefenstahl's film of the same name. In terms of _Patchwork Girl_, children who are familiar with the fairy tale would associate the blue light with the possibility of magical assistance in making one's dreams come true, but in Ojo's case that possibility is teasingly proferred at the beginning of the journey and then frustratingly withheld until the very end of the book. Bear: E.T.A. Hoffmann's "The Sandman" is the tale of an over-imaginative student/poet who rejects his sensible, good-hearted lover Klara in favor of a cold but beautiful woman named Olympia who turns out to be a robot constructed by the student's physics professor (!). The story is well known as one of the episodes of Offenbach's opera "The Tales of Hoffmann," and it also forms the basis for Delibes' ballet "Coppelia." Robin: I agree that the cottage episode has a distinctly and somewhat unsettling European feel to it, probably because of all those fairy-tale intertexts, including "The Three Little Pigs" (even though Ojo doesn't interpret the wolf in those terms, any child reading the book would certainly be reminded of the folk tale). I think these inconclusive and oddly out-of-place references are an indication of Baum's great skill as a story-teller: rather than having Ojo and Scraps embark on a conventional series of little set-piece adventures involving dangers that are encountered and overcome, he makes their first adventure enigmatic and strangely unresolved. It's as if Ojo, Scraps, and Bungle have wandered into a different, no longer typically Ozian narrative that is composed of a "patchwork" of allusions to European stories. The multiple strangeness of this episode sends a kind of signal that the rest of the book can't be counted on to be entirely predictable, and in fact it *isn't* predictable: despite Ojo's accelerating success rate at accumulating the six items needed for the disenchantment, he ultimately fails in his prescribed quest, and the final resolution is brought about by Ozma's redefining the quest as a test of Ojo's courage, tenacity, and love for his uncle. The quest itself is thus the final example of the theme of things not being what they seem to be. On subliminal effects: I actually still have a copy of that book from the 70's that finds all sorts of suggestive images in things like ice cubes (it's _Subliminal Seduction_, by Willson Bryan Key). I didn't find it persuasive then and I don't find it persuasive now. In the meantime, more than two decades of intensive research in cognitive psychology have passed since all of that speculation about subliminal suggestion. What I'm wondering is: does anyone with serious credentials in the field give any credence to this phenomenon? Would any of the psychologists who are subscribed to the Digest care to comment? Bear again: It's true that Oregon in the fifties was relatively serene with regard to racial problems. Still, I have vivid memories of the time Marian Anderson came to give a song recital in Salem. When the recital was over she had to drive back to Portland, since there was not one hotel in Salem that would rent a room to a black person. --Gordon Birrell ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 14:44:39 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: last digest Here is a resend of the messages I sent yesterday: David Hulan wrote: > There was a copy of _Father Goose_ being auctioned at the Winkie Conference > this year that appeared to be a reprint from around the '60s or '70s, and > didn't go for too high a price - though more than I was willing to pay for > it. (I think around $25.) I don't know whether it contained the racist > poems. There has been no reprint that I know of of FATHER GOOSE HIS BOOK in the past 70 + years, however there was a reprint of SONG OF FATHER GOOSE in the 50's or 60's. This may have been what was auctioned. It did not contain the more "racist" poems. JOdel wrote: > I am not a Baum scholar. How much juvenile > literature did he write before Wounded Knee? He wrote no juvenile literature (at least that has survived) although he was known for telling stories to his sons and other children. > How much non-fiction, or, in > fact, any works for an adult audience (other than dramatic scripts, more > "family-oriented" than adult, imho) did he write after it. Baum did not write much non-fiction in his career, the exception being THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS. None of the books published under his name were for adult audiences but THE LAST EGYPTIAN published anonymously is an adult novel and THE FATE OF A CROWN and DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY by Schyler Stanton are for at least adolescent audiences. Was this a turning > point? Is it possible that if there had been no massacre at Woulded Knee, > there might have been no Wizard of Oz? > Anything is possible, but there is a gap of seven years between the massacre and MOTHER GOOSE IN PROSE. It seems a gratuitous stroke to refer to Baum's reaction as "liberal guilt"--Is this to contrast to conservative guiltlessness expressed in the phrase "The only good Indian is a dead Indian"? It is a pity that few of you were at Aberdeen this August. There was an attempt by historians to confront Baum's editorials head on and try to explain them. It should be noted that when Baum wrote the editorials the events at Wounded Knee were NOT widely known, and what was known came from the military who had a rather prejudial view of the events. The citizens of Aberdeen did not know what to expect, and in such circumstances it is common to fear the worst. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 15:13:33 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Digest > > < suspiciously akin to the harmless pastime of finding figures in clouds. > ("That one looks like an alligator. That one looks like an aardvark. That one > looks like a horse. And so on.) Now, did anyone deliberately make the clouds > look that way? Same thing with what this fellow was claiming to see in ice > cubes and other images found in advertisements. I didn't quite believe him, > either, 'cause I could not discern the word or image he claimed was there. > And even if it *was* there, it was probably an accident, just like cloud > formations are accidents.>> > > This was SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION by Wilson Bryan Key, I think. There was another even more notorious book: THE SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT by Frederic Wertham, which may have led to the demise of EC Comics. The following is from a biography of Wally Wood: >While at EC he also did some of the best humor material ever in first Mad comics, >and then Mad magazine. But comic book publishing was about to be decimated by >Frederic Wertham's book "Seduction of the Innocent" which suggested that comic >books were a major contributor to juvenile delinquency and as such needed to be >abolished, and they almost were. Since Tyler Jones has staked his claim to "Switcheroo spell" I think I should put in my claim for having originated IE (irrelevant episode) a term I originated in a Freshman term paper in 1959. > I still stick with my view that the modern "deterioration of values" is > mainly the media emphasizing the bad and ignoring the good. There does > seem to be a "creativity deficit" though, the Oz community not withstanding. > A cartoon of Anastasia?? A musical of the sinking of the _Titanic_??? > Movies "recycling" _Leave It to Beaver_, _The Brady Bunch_, and _George > of the Jungle_???? Remakes of all of movie history's most historic and > monumental flops???????? And as far as TV goes, No Comment. The vast wasteland of television was noted thirty years ago. I always remember a poem entitled "Discernable Today" which contains the lines: "Going downhill is the way things run./ For the old have illusions and the young have fun." and "Going downhill is the natural way,/ For the old folks work and the young folks play." Thank you J. L. Bell for the thoughtful analysis of Baum's Indian editorials. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 16:13:49 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97, 12-15-97 David: I have IUPUI library's copy of _The Master Key_ from Hyperion right here in front of me, and I cannot understand why they were replaced. F.Y. Cory's illustrations are quite fine, and not significantly different enough from Neill art to warrant replacement, IMHO. They seem a little more archaic, but look better to me than the ones in the current edition, whihc I do not own. Bompi: Jimmy Stewart's home town! I think Nathan is going to IU of P. No Oz fans in Indiana it seems. I once sent letters to IWOC members in Indidanapolis and only got one reply--and that was from a guy who only joined to find out if he could get a Toto glass. Bear: Basically, I found some interessting stuff doing and AltaVista advanced search for L. Frank Baum, and copied and pasted it into my e-mail. There was Baum's genocidal editorials and responses to them, info about a non-Baum book called _The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus_, news about Erik Larsen's centennial Oz novel, _The Savage Dragon in Oz_, a restaurant review based on the Horner/Hopper war, and more. I realize it was tough to read. I think I'll be reading PG tomorrow. Today, I'll read _Waiting for Godot_. After PG, I'll read _The Master Key_ and _The Wild Palms_, not necessarily in that order. J.L.: I just saw the documentary _The Real, The True, The GEN-U-INE Wizard of Oz: L. Frank Baum_, a few days ago, and was going by what it said. It had an illustration of young Baum being tutored in a small room with his siblings. According to the chronology on the IWOC site, Neill's manuscript for Wonder City had neither the war between the houses, the Ozelection, or the lobotomization of Jenny. This latter would explain why she seemed unchanged in the sequels. Stephen: What is the thing with the SASE for mss? I followed rules in letter but not spirit. There is no way my ms could be sent in the envelope I sent it with, but I really do need to get it back. Do you know how to go about this? I think Martin Scorsese, the film preservationist that he is, almost certainly saw _The Patchwork Girl of Oz_ when it was discovered. Along with the R-rated "Surrender Dorothy!" joke came a strong plot parallel to PG in _After Hours_. The main character even gets turned into a statue and stolen (though by Cheech and Chong, not Jinjur). The in _The Last Temptation of Christ_, whihc I just saw yesterday. In the seen just as Saul/Pauls' sight is restored, just before he shows a bunch of lepers leaping around in a scene that strongly mimics the Tottenhot scene of the 1914 film. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 16:05:12 -0600 From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 > Also, Ozma cordially invites all Digest members to the > birthday bash she is throwing for Beethoven and Jane Austen > at the Emerald City at Noon today OST (Oz Standard Time). :) And 12/18 is my 61st. I wouldn't really want 61 candles on a cake, so I thought of a better way - just have a single row that looks like I I I I I. Joyce: Good point about Scraps being a "colored girl." If it weren't for the Tottenhot in the transformation sequence in _Rinkitink_ I'd be pretty sure you're right; as it is, you may be. Rich: > Did attitudes change that much? Even 1938 was over 70 years after >slavery was abolished in this country... Attitudes about race changed a great deal between 1938 and 1972 - more than they had between 1865 and 1938 by far. The big transition in racial attitudes started with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and had reached pretty much its present state (or perhaps was a bit beyond its present state, since the Republicans hadn't started using race as a wedge issue yet) by 1970. >(Although antebellum slaveowners liked to compare the two, American slavery >was far more vicious than slavery in such other cultures as Arab countries, >ancient Greece and the like...slaves in those cultures weren't dehumanized >and were accepted as equal citizens when freed, as American blacks at the >time weren't.) Not really true. American slaveowners didn't, for instance, turn a lot of their slaves into eunuchs the way the Arabs and Turks did, and while slaves in Rome and Greece did have the opportunity to be freed, they were by no means equal citizens. And American slaves could be freed too, and frequently were. It's true that the African slave trade was more vicious than most of the slave trade in earlier times - the "middle crossing" was brutal - but the condition of American slaves once they were in this country wasn't notably worse than that of Roman slaves, for instance. In fact, the worst-off Roman slaves, in the lead mines and galleys, were considerably worse off than any American slaves; they rarely lived a year after being sent to those duties. And Roman slaveowners had absolute life or death authority over their slaves, which American slaveowners didn't (legally, though they could usually get away with killing one if they could come up with a cockamamie excuse for it). I don't know enough about the average condition of Arab slaves to have an opinion on that, other than that I know castration was a very common practice there. The Big Little Book is the only published edition of _Laughing Dragon_. I've read the text (though I haven't seen the illustrations), and rate it about on a par with the average Buckethead Oz book. Not as good as most of the ECP books (though better than two or three of them). As for books by Baum descendants, I'd put it about on a par with _Dinamonster_ and much better than any of the _Silly Ozbul_ books, but not as good as _Dorothy_. (I have a copy of _Lion of Oz_ but haven't read it yet.) >[Scraps] could be a hyperactive child...or a screwball comedienne >like Carol Burnett or Gilda Radner (neither, of course, born at the time >PATCHWORK GIRL was written, but they must have had equivalents in >vaudeville). Fanny Brice comes to mind as an example - she might not have become popular yet at the time of _Patchwork Girl_, but it couldn't have been much later, and I'm sure there were others like her on the stage before her. For that matter, the girls who played Dorothy in the stage _Wizard_ and Tip in the stage _Woggle-bug_ would probably have fit the description, from what I've read of reviews. > ILTT that >Ozma later used the Magic Belt to restore the Nomes and Scoodlers once her >friends were safely out of danger. So do I. In fact, I made it explicit regarding the Scoodlers in _Magic Carpet_. Craig: I agree that it would be nice if all the Baum-Denslow collaborations could be reprinted in their original form, but I don't think there's enough of a market for such books to make the reprints likely to succeed commercially. I imagine the only way to get such books produced would be for someone to determine the cost of production at various quantities and then to sell it by subscription, with the price set based on the number of subscribers. My suspicion, though, is that you'd have to charge $100 or so a copy, and then you're around the price point of decent-condition copies of the early printings. It's not as if the books are particularly rare. I have three early - though not 1st - copies of _Dot and Tot_ myself, and I'm not that much of a collector. I don't have _Father Goose_, but I don't think it's hard to find if you're interested and willing to pay $100 or so. Robin or Herm Bieber would be better able to verify that. Tyler: It appears you've unearthed the origin of the term "switcheroo" as applied to Mombi's spell. A known King of the Munchkins vanishing for over 20 years is probably more comparable to Boston or Atlanta dropping off the face of the earth than Washington, D.C., but even those would cause comment. :-) Bob Spark: > How long does this process take? Except for various aches and >pains, and some diminished capabilities, I still FEEL young :-). _Moi aussi_. But we're talking about how Jenny looks, not how she feels, and I look pretty old (though not, I've been told, as old as I am...though that might have been flattery). > I suspect that the proverbial "rose colored glasses" are coming >into play here. We have had our moments of outrageous behavior in the >West. A couple of the more egregious events come to mind. In 1933 >there was the rather famous lynching of 2 men in San Jose. Curiously, >the governor at the time, "Sunny Jim" Rolph made a statement approving >the action. Later, there was the totally indefensible detainment of >American citizens of Japanese ancestry during WW II. I can recall very >vividly attending school with teenagers of Japanese ancestry whose >entire childhood had been spent in the camps. Right. There were also the Zoot Suit riots in LA in the '40s, and probably other similar cases that I'm not familiar with because I didn't live in the West then. Robin: >Things WERE better in the '40s and '50s, I think, if we limit those things to >ethics and morals, trust, responsibility, etc., etc. Things are clearly >better now in the workd of medicine. (I had a bone tumor in the '60s that >would have caused an amputation in the '40s or even the '50s!). Concommitant >problems with the advances, of course. Cloning comes to mind. BTW, I'd want >to take my computer, too, if I got a ticket on the Time Machine...assuming >that there'd be any way to use it then! I stand by my opinion, even when we're talking ethics, morals, trust, responsibility, etc. There are certain limited areas where ethics and morals have deteriorated in the last 50 years; there are others where they have improved enormously, especially in the treatment of other races and ethnicities. Overall, I think things are better now. And that's _before_ taking technological progress into account. The principal problem that I see in the present is overpopulation; that, and its side effects, are the only major things that are different from 50 years ago that I find bothersome. (Of course, I like the popular music of the '40s a lot better than that of today, and the movies of the '50s, and that sort of thing, but I can still enjoy the good stuff from those days through the wonders of technology, so other than having to endure unpleasant music in some restaurants it's not that big a deal.) Dave: I don't think there's so much a "creativity deficit" today as that the costs of making movies - and even TV programs - have gotten so high that the money people are afraid to take any chances. Back in the Golden Age of the movies each major studio turned out a film a week; there were probably 500 feature movies made every year. Most of them were junk, but those don't even make it onto Nick at Nite very often. What we see from the '30s through the '50s now are the _creme de la creme_. I don't know how many movies are made by US producers now, but I'd guess it's under 100 a year; if Sturgeon's Law ("90% of everything is crud") applies, then there are probably only a fifth as many good movies now as there were then. And there's much less chance of getting a movie made that's actually innovative as well as well-made, simply because there are so many fewer movies. As for musicals, I'll pop in here with my personal opinion: good musical theater relies for its effect on the words of the songs being intelligible. OTOH, most popular music for the last 40 years or so has emphasized unintelligibility of the lyrics as part of its essence. This means that musical theater today is either (a) using songs whose lyrics can't be understood, so that they can't carry the story along, or (b) using songs that aren't in the form of modern popular music, so that most members of the audience aren't turned on by the music, and so the show has to rely on spectacle rather than story to draw an audience. Or, of course, they revive a classic like _Show Boat_. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 20:43:56 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman J. L. Bell >After Wounded Knee, Baum criticized what he saw as Army incompetence but repeated his earlier program: "Our only safety depends upon the total extermination of the Indians. Having wronged them for centuries we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth." This editorial, on 3 January 1891, was the last Baum published on (real) Indians. Is this the only evidence that Baum advocated genocide? The way I read this is that he was being ironic. Making a point by being absurd. Please enlighten me otherwise, since you have brought this up. I would like some further evidence before I start thinking of Baum as favoring genocide. Tyler - I can remember my father talking about someone pulling "the old switcheroo." He wasn't talking about "spells" however. And, yes I'm grinning at your DC thought. Sparky - I will respond to you off line. Robin and Melody - I watch TV with one eye and do something else with the other two. Read mail, magazines, clip strips, etc. I rarely just sit there and give it control. Well......if I were watching something like "Alien" I would give it my full attention. Robin >Did anyone else see an A&E presentation of the history of magic. In same it is explained that LFB used the magician Keller as his model for the Wizard. They had a brief shot of the two together. Does this agree with other Ozzy sources? You quoted my post above but didn't comment on it. Comments anyone? Regards, Bear ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 10:29:19 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Rich Morrissey: The Big Little edition of "The Laughing Dragon of Oz" was the only one. // Interesting comments on how Baum's characters deal with hostile peoples. Craig Noble: Yes, Peter Glassman in a later Ozzy Digest said that he meant that the color illos reproduced in b&w would not appeal to young readers now. In terms of "Father Goose," this factor might not be as much of a problem, as the color scheme there (black, grey, and orange) was so limited. When a selection of (most of) the poems was set to music and published as "The Father Goose Songbook," the illos were reproduced in b&w, and they worked pretty well that way. (Bobbs Merrill kept the "Songbook" in print up through the 50's, so for a while that was the only example of Denslow's work readily available.) David Hulan: There's probably some drop-off of interest level moving from Baum's Oz to Baum's Borderlands, but I'd agree that it's not much of one. (As you commented, the main such difference is between those who are mainly interested in the MGM movie and those who are mainly interested in the books.) Fred M. Meyer has commented to me (in connection with the article I've been working on about Fred Richardson) that whenever the "Bugle" has printed an article on one of Baum's non Oz illustrators, there've been some complaints that the topic was not of interest. I'm not sure that this relative lack of interest should be a concern, though, as I doubt that the complainers find such material frequent enough or boring enough to make them want to drop out, and I'm sure that there are many of us who find Baum's non-Oz fantasy work (and even the illustrators thereof) strongly interesting. On the "squeaky wheel" principle, though, I think it might be helpful if those of us interested in stuff along that line commented on the fact to Bill Stillman -- as, for instance, by suggesting favorite color illos that might be used for covers. Yes, Baum wrote a little adult fiction after succeeding as a children's book author. Besides the material you mentioned, there's the novel (published anonymously) that grew out of his trip to Egypt, "The Last Egyptian." But most of his adult fiction was in the couple of years after he moved to Chicago and before he got into children's books -- a lot of short stories published 1896-97. Joyce Odell and J.L. Bell: Thanks for the good job contexting Baum's "Indian" comments. J.L. Bell & Tyler Jones: On reasons why the Ozites wouldn't have noticed when a King of the Munchkins disappeared for 20 years -- well, as I suggested in my "Elusive Rulers of Oz" article, if there was a gap in time between the disappearance of Orin and the appearance of Quiberon, there would have been a period when Cheeriobed was showing up for official events (like greeting Ozma-on-progress and attending her birthday party), but too sad over the loss of his wife to do much else, and as he was showing up so little anyhow, people might not have noticed when he stopped showing up at all. (If someone who doesn't have a copy of the article would like one, let me know an address to send you a copy.) Robin Olderman: I'm not sure that things were better in the 40s and 50s in terms of trust and responsibility -- in terms of worrying about street crime, yes, but probably not in terms of worrying about corporate crime. Corporations nowadays do feel obliged to worry at least a bit more about public health and pollution (and the 40s and 50s in that kind of respect were better than the turn of the century, when the abuses of food-packing companies and such like began to be regulated with the formation of federal bureaus to oversee issues of public health). Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 11:14:56 -0500 (EST) From: OzBucket Subject: Oz page Okay, I know I have not read a Digest in like a century... But I just got the copies of The Forest Monster of Oz and The Magic Ruby of Oz back from the printer. They are $10.00 and $12.00 respectively. I had hoped to have them done in time for holiday gift-giving. But time and money are not always on my side. If you would please mention them to your readers asap, I will make every effort to mail the orders out on the day they arrive. Both of these volumes sport lovely full-color covers and are very well illustrated. I will have art samples on the webpage asap. But so far they are yet to be moved from the forthcoming list to the publication list. One problem with having someone else do your webpage for you: Other people actually have lives... http://members.aol.com/OzBucket/webpage/home.htm ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 97 12:31:37 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things EC: What is EC??? Remember that the offical Ozzy Digest meaning of EC is "Emerald City"...(See Section 1.4 of the Ozzy Digest FAQ). BAUM ON THE WEB: Scott wrote: >Bear: Basically, I found some interessting stuff doing and AltaVista >advanced search for L. Frank Baum, and copied and pasted it into my >e-mail... So what are the URLs?? >Erik Larsen's centennial Oz novel, _The Savage Dragon in Oz_ I gather this has nothing to do with the Centennial Book Contest... SCRAPS: The concept of Scraps as a "colored girl" makes me think of the line from the famous "Chuckles Bites the Dust" episode of the _Mary Tyler Moore Show_: Ted: I never treated Chuckles [the Clown] as well as I should have...I was prejudiced against him because his face was different colors than mine... -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 18, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 14:21:42 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Dave wrote: >There does >seem to be a "creativity deficit" though, the Oz community not withstanding. >A cartoon of Anastasia?? A musical of the sinking of the _Titanic_??? >Movies "recycling" _Leave It to Beaver_, _The Brady Bunch_, and _George >of the Jungle_???? Remakes of all of movie history's most historic and >monumental flops???????? And as far as TV goes, No Comment. I don't know about all that. "Anastasia" (which, by the way, is based on the famous play of the same name, though simplified and given a clear villain in the person of the ghost of Rasputin) is quite good, and has a score at least as good as "Beauty and the Beast". It definitely throws down a gauntlet that Disney is going to have to pick up. I haven't seen "Titanic", and had grave doubts about it, but it seems to be a critical success. More to the point, I cannot see how you can condemn it as lacking "creativity". Has there been a "Titanic" or other steamship-disaster musical before this? Has there ever been (I cannot recall any) even a straight play about the Titanic? Or are you proposing that taking the mere event of the sinking of the Titanic and making a playable musical out of it is a trivial exercise? "George of the Jungle" was originally intended as a generic "Tarzan" parody (which clearly shows in the plot, based on the original novel), and only picked up the Jay Ward character because the studio that agreed to do the film happened to own the "George" rights; in any case, it was funny -- and one could scarcely ask for more. I'm not sure what you mean about "Remakes of...flops". As to television, while we have lost the golden age of live performances of original scripts, as exemplified by "Playhouse 90", and of faithful performances of classic works for the stage (except for Shakespeare, who cannot ever, it seems, be wholly neglected), and while the average level of sitcom seems to sink a little every year -- especially many of those starring blacks, which seem to be sucked further and further into uninspired, pre-scripted sessions of "the dozens" -- the percentage of drama series showing real originality is higher than ever. What did the 50's give us to compare to "Cracker" (I grant it's not up to its British original), "Homicide", "Ally McBeal", "Millennium", "Nothing Sacred" or "Babylon 5"? And the last few years have been a new golden age for 'toon fans (though it seems, alas, to be winding down now) with "Tiny Toon Adventures", "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", and their ilk. As to "moral" issues, I was, in Maine, as isolated from racial issues in the 50's as it was possible to be -- until Life Magazine did a cover of the National Guard in Little Rock, I literally thought the whole business had been buried in 1865, and was rather shocked and outraged to learn that it had not -- so I don't feel altogether qualified to address that. On the other hand, may I suggest that if we had a lower crime rate then, it may have something to do with the fact that Americans had a higher material standard of living than any other nation in history, with new miracles due to arrive on schedule almost every other day? And that the arrogance and hypocrisy of the 50's was the proximate cause of any decline seen since? (C.S.Lewis wrote at this time that one of the reasons he was a science-fiction fan was that SF was the only mode in which Americans were allowed to satirize the "American way of life"; strictly speaking though, he was wrong: he didn't know about "Mad".) // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 16:50:13 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 > > EC: > What is EC??? Remember that the offical Ozzy Digest meaning of EC is > "Emerald City"...(See Section 1.4 of the Ozzy Digest FAQ). > EC was a comic book company i thikn in the 50s the tv show tales from the crypt takes it stories from the old comics i forget what it stands for thougyh on a side note how is yoru red dwarf/ wizard of oz story coming is it done yet ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 16:56:36 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 I don't have much time to reply to this message today, but I did want to note that I discovered a TV film called _Mr. Stitch_ (1995) by _Pulp Fiction_ co-scripter Roger Avary, which has a real-life Patchwork Girl, Frankensteiniean, but in crazy quilt colors. The box shows the actress's nipples on the cover, but it's rated PG-13. It stars Ruger Hauer, Wil Wheaton, Nia Peeples, and Tom Savini. I also saw _Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz_ yesterday. Michael Gross has the "Slinky Ozma." Diana Dru Botford (MASK--The Oz Effect) produced, and Nelson Shin (director of The Transformers: The Movie) was the production manager. Great art, but the dialogue that isn't straight from Baum (such as the Wheeler's speech, identical to RTO) has a tendency to be cheesy. Aunt Em joins for the voyage. I have the cast list, but it doesn't say who played who. It also had seven directors. Peter Glassman is thanked at the end. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 13:58:16 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 Scott, > Stephen: What is the thing with the SASE for mss? I > followed rules in letter but not spirit. There is no way > my ms could be sent in the envelope I sent it with, but I > really do need to get it back. Do you know how to go about > this? Methinks there is a lesson to be learned here. David Hulan, > And 12/18 is my 61st. I wouldn't really want 61 candles on > a cake, so I thought of a better way - just have a single > row that looks like I I I I I. Happy 61st. I can't make sense of the candle scheme. Explanation, please. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:42:34 +0000 (GMT) From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 Gordon: Very interesting comments on the cottage episode in PG. Steve: I'm sure that was _Songs of Father Goose_ that was auctioned at Winkies, then. As I've said, I'm not much of a collector, so don't always pay attention to fine details. _Seduction of the Innocent_ was from the Fifties; I remember when it came out and the notoriety it got. (Batman and Robin were gay; Wonder Woman was into bondage; etc.) I don't know how much influence the book had on the demise of EC comics; if it had any it was probably mostly in calling the attention of parents to those comics so that they read them. A lot of the EC titles (_The Crypt of Terror_, _The Vault of Horror_, etc.) really _were_ too strong for children, imho. I read them and even as a teenager I had a hard time sleeping for a few nights afterward. They were very well done, it's true, but shouldn't have been marketed with other comics that were intended for grade-schoolers. On the other hand, I don't think they had anything to do with juvenile delinquency. To hear most olderpeople tell it, the world has been going steadily downhill morally and esthetically since at least the Mycenian Age. I don't think there's ever been a generation that thought the one following them (or _a fortiori_, the one following that) wasn't degenerate compared to them when they were that age... Scott: >David: I have IUPUI library's copy of _The Master Key_ from Hyperion >right here in front of me, and I cannot understand why they were replaced. >F.Y. Cory's illustrations are quite fine, and not significantly different >enough from Neill art to warrant replacement, IMHO. They seem a little >more archaic, but look better to me than the ones in the current edition, >whihc I do not own. _De gustibus non disputandum est_, as the old Romans would say. Me: Well, in my copy of my post my little joke about my birthday candles didn't work because a line-feed happened at the wrong place. That row of candles was supposed to look like: I I I I I Ruth: True that most of Baum's adult fiction was written before he started writing for children - but Joyce's question was with regard to its timing vs. Wounded Knee, and he wrote adult fiction after that. >J.L. Bell & Tyler Jones: On reasons why the Ozites wouldn't have >noticed when a King of the Munchkins disappeared for 20 years -- well, >as I suggested in my "Elusive Rulers of Oz" article, if there was a gap in >time between the disappearance of Orin and the appearance of >Quiberon, there would have been a period when Cheeriobed was >showing up for official events (like greeting Ozma-on-progress and >attending her birthday party), but too sad over the loss of his wife to do >much else, and as he was showing up so little anyhow, people might >not have noticed when he stopped showing up at all. It's probably worth noting that on the only other occasion in Baum where there was a mass gathering of celebrities - Ozma's birthday in _Magic_ - the Good Witch of the North didn't show up any more than the King of the Munchkins (whoever he was), and nobody seemed to notice. So apparently the full attendance of regional rulers in the mass gathering in _Road_ was unusual even for Ozma's birthday. And Ozma never traveled outside Oz in a Baum book after _Ozma_. Dave: >EC: >What is EC??? Remember that the offical Ozzy Digest meaning of EC is >"Emerald City"...(See Section 1.4 of the Ozzy Digest FAQ). EC was a comic book publishing company, like DC and Marvel today. And unfortunately for the potential confusion, "EC" is how it was known. (If you looked at the fine print of the publication data it was sometimes "Entertaining Comics," sometimes "Educational Comics," and sometimes, IIRC, "Tiny Tot Comics". I'm sure Rich Morrissey can give chapter and verse on all this; I'm working from a nearly 50-year-old memory.) There isn't really any practical alternative way of referring to it. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 14:48:25 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 Hi Dave, In reading excerpts from Baum's two editorials quoted yesterday in the Ozzy Digest, I was instantly put in mind of a somewhat earlier editorial, published a century earlier. Here are excerpts from that: I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout. I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that of the hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine; and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter. I suspect Bear's sense of Baum's ironic voice in his editorials is correct. Peter ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 18:15:25 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 Hi folks, Greetings! Not really reading but skimming, I came across Gordon Birrell's request for information about subliminal effects. I personally feel that the skulls in teh icecubes type of thing is nonsense, I'd need to see some pretty conclusive scientific evidence to change my mind. Nonetheless, as the daughter of a coginitive psychologist, people are a lot more open to suggestion than they would like to believe. This is particularly true about people under hypnosis, but also in general - we tend to be overconfident in our memories, believing that something we remember vividly must be true, when in fact our memories do not operate like recording devices and there are many ways to alter and affect memories, even to create false memories. A psychologist who has done a lot of research in this area is Elisabeth Loftus - in one experiment, she showed that by simply changing the wording of a question she could affect people's memories about an event they witnessed. People shown a video of a car accident were apt to report much higher speeds when asked "how fast was the car going when it *smashed* into the wall" than "how fast was the car going when it *bumped* into the wall; later, people who had been asked about "smashed" were more likely to remember having seen broken glass in the film, when in fact there was none, etc. Some magic tricks operate on the power of suggestion, when people are asked to think of a number, shape or animal, they will tend to think they are being pretty original when in fact they are responding in a highly predictable way. Let's see if I can recreate this one. Please follow closely. Think of a number between 1 and 100. Multiply this number by nine. Now, if you find yourself with a two or three digit number, add the digits to each other and look at the sum. Once again, if you find yourself with a two digit number, add the digits to each other. Repeat until you remain with a one digit number. From your one digit number, subtract five. Now, find the letter in the alphabet that corresponds to your number - if you remained with a negative number, just disregard the minus sign, and if you remained with zero, your letter is Z. (1 and -1 are A, 2 and -2 are B, etc.) You now have a letter. Think of the country whose name begins with that letter. Write down the second letter of the name of the country, and the last letter of the name of the country. Think of two animals whose names begin with the two letters you wrote down. Now think of a color. Now go to my next digest post. Gili ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel 513 Winthrop mail center Tel: 493-3287 ====================================================================== |\ _,,,---,,_ /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me" |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' '---''(_/--' `-'\_) _Richard II_, Act 5 scene 5 ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 18:18:45 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 Have you followed up to now? Good. Chances are, the color you have thought of is gray. That's because you are open to suggestion, and gray is typically the color of both the animals that you chose. The animals that you picked are and elephant and a kangaroo. The country that you picked is Denmark. That's because we all think alike. The number that you subtracted 5 from was 9. That's because 9 is a magic number. I hope this worked. It usually does... Gili ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel 513 Winthrop mail center Tel: 493-3287 ====================================================================== |\ _,,,---,,_ /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me" |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' '---''(_/--' `-'\_) _Richard II_, Act 5 scene 5 ====================================================================== ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 18:38:02 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 David Hulan wrote: >And Roman slaveowners had absolute life >or death authority over their slaves While this is true, it is important to place it in context: Roman fathers also had absolute life or death authority over their children, even their adult children. The big difference is one of attitude. Although there was a certain attitude that Athenians, or Romans, or whoever, were born to rule (and what empire ever existed without it?), there was in the classical period (except, perhaps, in Sparta) no real notion that slaves were untermenschen. The stereotypical comic slave of the classical period is of the too-damn-clever- to-be-a-gentleman model, whereas the stereotypical comic slave of the American tradition is simply lazy and stupid. Racism as we know it had not been invented. Unfortunately, that is not the case in slave-holding Islamic countries today. Does the Koran forbid enslaving your fellow man? OK, no problem here -- blacks are subhuman, Q.E.D. Perhaps something of the sort happened vis-a-vis Protestantism 300 years ago. >OTOH, most popular music for the last 40 years or so has emphasized >unintelligibility of the lyrics as part of its essence. Piffle. I'll readily grant a terrific fall-off in the craft of singing (a decline that, after all, started with Bing Crosby), but modern lyrics are _meant_ to be heard just as much as older lyrics were. Moreover, while it is true that many contemporary lyrics are poor stuff indeed, I can think of only a handful of older songs (the title song from "Allegro" being one) that come up to the standard of today's "better" grade, and none that reach today's best. Dave wrote: >EC: >What is EC??? Remember that the offical Ozzy Digest meaning of EC is >"Emerald City"...(See Section 1.4 of the Ozzy Digest FAQ). An essentially extinct line of comic books. I have seen more than one explanation of the "E", which may be why they are invariably referred to simply by "EC" or the pleonastic "EC Comics". They started out doing Bible stories, but in the early 50's were famous for their horror line. They were, in fact, probably the most morally sound and thoughtful comic books of the era, but they became the scapegoat of the great comics purge of the early 50's, and when they tried to restart with a new, "reformed" line it quickly died the death. However, they did not vanish altogether; they had a quirky little humor title (later converted to an oversized black-and-white format) named "Mad". // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 20:16:57 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus Subject: Oz post If anyone knows anyone who lives in the midwest, and has an extensive collection of Russian Oz material, please ask them to get in touch with me via e-mail or snail mail. Thanks, Jane Albright 3517 Holmes, Kansas City, MO 64109. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 21:31:23 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 David Hulan: I couldn't agree with you more that the root of most of our problems is overpopulation. It explains the environmental degradation that we're experiencing on a global basis, as well as the general loss of community in our increasingly impersonal, rude, frustrated society. There have been animal studies (rats, if I recall) that demonstrate what happens when individuals' minimum personal space is violated. I see most of our global civilization's problems linked to this loss and the accompanying competition for scarce resources. Interestingly, if you read Riley's _Oz and Beyond_, he plays up the concept of agrarian versus city life as a major theme in Baum's development of his utopian world. It seems that Baum was troubled by these same issues almost a century ago. In particular, Baum seems to have have been trying to recover the Roselawn of his childhood (especially while living in Chicago) and to have at least partially realized this dream by moving to California. By the way, I received the Levenger catalog in the mail the other day. Unfortunately, the only pillow was a pillow that you're supposed to support your book with; I'm looking for a pillow that I can support my back and shoulders with. Oh well, there were some interesting other items for sale, and I had a few laughs at some of the $100+ pens for sale and the special cases for people who collect and travel with them. (Odds are that I've offended someone here who is very attached to their pen collection. Forgive me, if it seems awfully silly.) Ruth: As someone whose interest has always been strongly tilted toward Baum and his books (versus the MGM movie), I will do whatever it takes to be a squeaky wheel. How can I contact Bill Stillman? Incidentally: I received Fred Meyer's holiday card in the mail this week. I noticed that he tabulated IWOC membership by state and country, but didn't give a total figure. I haven't added up the numbers, but it looks like membership may be lower than when I first joined more than 20 years ago. I hope I'm wrong. Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 21:57:10 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Gordon - Thanks, "Tales of Hoffman" is one of my favorite films. I finally gave up waiting for it to appear on "free TV" and bought it. >I think these inconclusive and oddly out-of-place references are an indication of Baum's great skill as a story-teller: rather than having Ojo and Scraps embark on a conventional series of little set-piece adventures involving dangers that are encountered and overcome, he makes their first adventure enigmatic and strangely unresolved. I thought this was a more modern device in writing. One that I do not care for at all. I always think of it as the "written while stoned" type of plot. Why would one want to read some nebulous thing and then end up wondering what the author had in mind? I'll take vanilla. I feel the same way about modern poetry. >On subliminal effects: .....does anyone with serious credentials in the field give any credence to this phenomenon? I consulted the "house psychologist" and she says, in a word, "No!" >Marian Anderson - I was at WU in Salem from 1953 to 1956. I find this story very hard to believe. Stephen >Frederic Wertham's book "Seduction of the Innocent" Communication gets really hard. I don't believe in censorship for starters. However, what Wertham did was run EC out of business and help establish a comic code. By the way, if you have a copy of his book, you are rich now. No way was he going to succeed in banning all comics. There were lots of "good" comics at the time as well. Did you read EC comics? They were really yuky. Nothing you would want to give a child. After reading them I have never been the same....snarl, gnash, growl. Fortunately, I kept all of mine and a few years ago decided to get rid of them. I made a major profit, even giving them to a dealer on consignment. There is a real demand for them now. Check your copy of "The Overpriced Street Guide." The worst EC's that I remember were "Haunt of Fear," "Crypt of Terror," "Vault of Horror" and "Crime Suspense." Modern children would recognize them from the "Tales From The Crypt" series on TV. Trust me, the things on TV are pretty tame compared to what was in the comics. They were more like "Halloween" and "Scream" or worse. Scott - I would let "Godot" wait! David - Let me get this straight. You don't like modern music, or musicals. You don't like modern movies. You don't like the modern population pressure with all it attendant problems. You don't like TV. What you do like is that you think relations are better between the races. Do I have this right? :) :) Dave >What is EC??? It was a comic publisher. Originally it stood for "Educational Comics" but was changed to "Entertaining Comics." They had a series of comics before the ones I mentioned above arrived in 1949 and became hits. I can tell you much more about this if you care. Comically, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:26:19 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Dave: >And Zim, since Robin mentioned cloning, what are your views on GELFs (Genetically Engineered Life Forms)?< Zim: I have plenty of very nice ones in my arboretum. Generally, the higher the life form the more hesitant I am to tinker with it. I *have* accidentally created identical twins while attempting to piece together and regenerate the limbs of living beings that have been torn to pieces. One pair appreciated it---they had come from a fellow who had always wanted an identical twin brother. But the other pair, from a lady who had always prided herself on being unique, did not. Melody Grandy :-) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:27:58 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-14-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Nathan: > Regarding the Lion's courage at the end of _Wizard_: It's possible that the potion given by the Wizard to the Lion contained some sort of drug (possibly alcohol) that made the Lion feel brave for a period of time. It's also possible that the potion had no effect at all, but the Lion thought that it did, and he later thought that it had worn off.< It *has* been said that the "potion" may have been an alcoholic beverage. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:26:39 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Bob: > Melody, > Her youth could have worn off naturally---just like yours, > mine, and everybody else's. How long does this process take? Except for various aches and pains, and some diminished capabilities, I still FEEL young :-).< Oh, roughly 70 years, give or take a decade or two. :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:27:14 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Robin: >Melody: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder. It really isn't equivalent to having a one-track mind, at all. Sorry. I won't bore you with elaboration. If you *are* interested, I'll e-mail you. I teach that stuff in my Psych. I class. I know what you mean about extreme focus, though. As a kid, I was like Inga, and would sit in a tree or even under an arching bush to read, just to be able to concentrate and to get into the world of the book. Other than crocheting or checking relatively easy homework assignments, I can't watch TV and do anything demanding, either. OTOH, I prefer to have my hands busy while watching. Puritan work ethic? TV is usually a fairly mindless activity, but I get too involved with my music and reading to deal with more than just the one thing. Radio muzac, BTW, doesn't count. It's just background noise, but even that will distract me if I need to concentrate. Have you found that people don't seem to understand that?< I've known people who think that sticking one's nose in a book when there's another living, breathing human being in the room is extremely rude! :-) By that standard, I'm sometimes a very rude person, indeed! But I *can* read while the TV's on, or with background noise. The only time I cannot concentrate is when someone insists on trying to converse with me when I'm reading. Okay, Robin, what's the pychological term for incredible concentration? Hmmm. Here's another one. Autism? Autism certainly sounds like introversion taken to crippling levels--to the point where spinning plates can provide hours of amusement to the sufferer, who is so completely trapped in his/her own little world it is nearly impossible to break him/her out of it. And yes, do E-mail more details about obessive-compulsive disorder, as I know some friends who have it. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:28:51 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Message text written by "Dave L. Hardenbrook" >Sounds like the nomclature rules are very confusing...One question: Is a "hybrid" a true species or is it a "breed" analogous to a Cocker Spaniel or a Bichon Frise< They sure are confusing. " ... But the vast amount of scientific data available can be interpreted in many different ways, with different botanists placing emphasis on different characteristics, and so even at the present time there are a number of rival systems of plant classification...." Zim: As many as there are botanists, it seems. "...This is particularly the case for the higher levels of classification.....and no two published classifications use the same names....." Zim: Until the dust settles down, if ever, I may as well invent a classification system of my own. "...As well as differences in classification which reflect differing scientific judgements, there are differences in nomenclature of some family names that persist among botanists, to the irration and confusion of gardeners and others....." So there's why I'm had some difficulty finding out how botanical nomenclature is done--there seems to be a lot of disagreement out there as to how it should be done! Even in "Botanica": "The scheme of classication of the flowering plants used here is based rather loosely on that of Dahlgren, a recent Danish botanist. Dahlgren's system recognizes a larger number of plant families than that of another well known recent system, that of the American Cronquist." Note the word "loosely," folks! if they're "rather loosely" basing *their* nomenclature system on Dahlgren, not exactly, even the authors of "Botanica" aren't above stepping into the Latin nomenclature fray with opinions and adjustments of their own. To answer your question, Dave, apparently hybrids are not recognized as different species from their parents, but are considered "breeds" like the different dogs you mentioned. Hmmm. But another part of "Botanica" says: Because botanists the world over use the same system of plant nomenclature and follow its conventions,plants from all parts of the world can be identified and described without confusion.......and the development of a simple system by which they can all be named and enumerated has been a triumph of human sbility and cooperation." It even talks about the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature--according to that, whoever invents and publishes the name of a new species first, that is the name recognized. Zim: Linnaeus' system may be imperfect, and there may be disagreement--but less disagreement than exists over common names. :-) Tip: Trifolium praetense 'Trifolium duplex'? I think I'll stick with trifolium duplex. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:29:11 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-16-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" RMorris & David: > I thought (and maybe Neill did too) that it was quite natural for Nine to have a crush on the older girl in WONDER CITY, but the infamous editor may have wanted to adjust the ages for a more conventional (i.e., the boy being older) relationship. Whether anything does happen if or when they ever grow up completely, I rather like the more unconventional ages of Neill's original.< It does happen in real life--my father married twice to older women (my biological mother was five years older than Dad!), my half-sister's husband is 2 years younger than she is and *my* husband is five years younger(!) (What is it with my immediate family and older woman/younger man pairups anyways? My 37 year old half brother will probably be bringing a 42-year-old wife into the family any time now... ) In view of her bad temper, Jenny's unquestioning acceptance of her involuntary de-aging seems strangely out of character. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 23:08:08 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz and American history Sender: "J. L. Bell" Scott H wrote: <> I'm baffled by this. Are you saying that Neill didn't write or sign off on those passages in his book? Scott also wrote: <> At the office I regularly come across folks who've done this. When someone has followed the "rules in letter" by sending a letter envelope, they get a letter back, and as much of their original as $ .32 will carry. Dave Hulan wrote: <> Indeed, the shift in American racial beliefs before and after the civil rights movement was so profound it's hard for us to realize it. However, facts quoted in this forum should remind us all. The movie that established American feature films: BIRTH OF A NATION. The biggest book and movie of the 1930s: GONE WITH THE WIND. The black character who became the Cowardly Lion in the 1925 WIZARD movie: lightning hits his head and--laffs galore--he don't even feel it! Two quibbles with your dates, Dave. First, Kevin Phillips's "Southern strategy" for Richard Nixon in 1968 started the GOP exploitation of racial issues as a wedge. Its effect wasn't clear at first because of George Wallace's independent run for the presidency the same year. Second, I think the shift in American racial attitudes really began with World War II. We realized that (a) all ethnic groups contributed to our victory, and (b) the racist road can lead to death camps. Harry Truman's desegregation of the armed forces, Jackie Robinson's arrival in major-league baseball, and the NAACP's first court victories against "separate but equal" followed in the late 1940s. The shift is visible in popular culture. For instance, blackface numbers were common in Hollywood musicals before the war (watch HOLIDAY INN this holiday season for one embarrassing example). After the war, they vanish. Largely vanishing with those caricatures of African-Americans were nearly all depictions of African-Americans in mainstream popular culture for a while. That may be reflected in Thompson's 1950s Oz manuscript, YANKEE. In a quick look at that book I saw no mention of Jinnicky's "slaves"--but I saw no mention of "blacks," either. Bear said of Baum's Wounded Knee editorial: <> The Web site devoted to Baum's editorial (quotations from which actually "brought this up") includes two essays by scholars discussing their instinctual attempts to find some innocuous explanation for his comment--that he was being ironic, that he was using boilerplate copy. I, too, first assumed these words came from the mouth of a character he was lampooning. But no. There's no irony in the context. He repeated his call to wipe out all Indians. Rational people who look at Baum's words conclude that he meant them at the time. On the other hand, Bear, on this list you've shown a remarkable talent for overlooking prejudice and injustice that didn't affect you. So believe what you want; your beliefs continue to tell us more about you than about Baum. J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:00:21 -0500 From: Lisa Bompiani Subject: Ozzy Digest Hola! Only one more paper to go . . . Bear: Do you know if the A&E magic special air again? I'd like to tape it and watch it over break. Scott: Yes, Jimmy Stewart's hometown, and yes, Nathan does go to IUP, too. I know he's around somewhere; we have mutual acquaintances. But, don't get me started on the Jimmy Stewart thing. The town has attempted to recreate Bedford Falls, and a sign was put at one end of town stating "Welcome to Bedford Falls." However, people are getting confused, and complaining because out-of-towners think they're lost! besides, with all of the light displays from his movies, the downtown looks like a circus. Geez . . . BTW, speaking of Ozzy references in _After Hours_, what about _Wild at Heart_? Okay, a few questions about the real world because I have been holed up in my apt. studying for good ol' finals . . . did ol' Blue Eyes Sinatra pass away? I heard a news flash that spoke of him in the past tense, but never stated. Thanks? More later, Bompi ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 23:47:11 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber Subject: For Ozzy Digest The following may be of interest to Digest readers: A PLATE IS A PLATE IS A PLATE Collectors have often asked me, "What are the correct colors for the early Oz plates?" The answer is that only Mr. Reilly knows, and he ain't talking! As soon as a book rolled off the press, the organic dyes in the plates began to age. And this aging is dependent upon many variables. In rough order of importance, these are 1. Chronological age; Almost all organic chemicals degrade, and the kinetic rate is a function of time and 2. Temperature. Everything else being the same, a book stored on a fireplace mantel will brown faster than a book stored in a cool room. Another important consideration is 3. Humidity; Some organic chemicals in the adsorptive pores of the cellulosic page can actually sequester moisture in humid environment and form micro solutions in the pores. This greatly accelerates aging reactions. 4. Temperature variations are also very relevant. If the environment is humid, and the temperature drops fast, the room can get below the dew point and actually condense free water on the book cover and page edges. This free water can then diffuse into the interior causing color to run, age, etc. Conversely, a rapid rise in temperature when the humidity is low can cause excessive drying which can be bad for glue, thick ink, leather, etc. That is why many antiquarian libraries maintain a constant temperature (on the cool side) and a constant humidity. 5. Atmospheric chemistry is a very mixed bag. A book that has aged in the city will have experienced sulfurous gases, chlorine, and hydrocarbon emissions. A book on the farm will *see* dairy gases (lactic and acetic acid), chicken manure (ammonia), and other bucolic odors. Over time, the chemical effect of these on inks, paper, cloth and glue are obviously radically different. The moral of this lesson is that, captions or no captions aside, if you are a purist, you should try to replace missing plates from books printed in the same year as the one being repaired. Even here you may have to work to find a perfect color and paper match to the other plates in your treasured book. And it goes without saying that color xeroxes, and *plates* from recent facimile editions of Oz books, made by photocopying techniques, will never approximate earlier renditions. Precision color photography of Oz plates on coated stock, coupled with dye transfer print processes, might be used to make faithful renditions (as for expensive limited editions of art prints or nature photographs), but this is much too expensive for producing single plates for tipping in. Herman Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:10:56 -0500 (EST) From: NYCloudy Subject: OZ Maybe you can help me. Ozmama suggested that i ask you about doing a childs party with the theme the Wizard Of Oz. She said you would have the info from about a year ago. One daughter is going to be 4 and the other 12 They BOTH want this as their theme. Thanks so much for any information you have to offer NYCloudy@aol.com [ I can't find this info...Can someone who has it send it to him? -- Dave] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 97 12:01:54 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things GILI'S EXERCISE: The color I chose was blue...I guess this just goes to show how independent-minded and non-conformist I am. :) TV AND COMPUTERS: Just to put in my views on this, I can work at the computer while listening to music (especially Enya and Vangelis); or TV, provided it is something I've seen before and like, or it's C-SPAN. For the record, here my mom's and mine favorite films to have running in the backround while we're working on the computer or something else: _Adventure in Baltimore_ _Margie_ _The Green Years_ _Bachelor Mother_ _Luck of the Irish_ _The Caine Mutiny_ _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ _The Thief of Bagdad_ _The Bridge Over the River Kwai_ _Hobson's Choice_ _Educating Rita_ _The Lady Eve_ _Hopscotch_ _Hot Millions_ _Sleepless in Seattle_ Quite a diverse collection as you can see... :) BIOLOGY IN OZ: Zim the Flying Sorcerer wrote: >Linnaeus' system may be imperfect, and there may be >disagreement--but less disagreement than exists over common names. :-) Audah: You're a Linnaeian, Zim? We Adepts are cladists, that way everything is much more clear-cut. Ork: For example the family Orkidae is definitively defined as the clade of us guys with these terrific propeller-tails! Aujah: Of course, the weirdest thing about cladistics is that it has this "You are your ancestors" concept -- Under cladistics not only is the Ork a "reptile", but we Adepts are *still* "fish" (As are all humanoids)! Aurah: Actually, most cladists have chucked away "fish" and "reptile" as taxonomic entities, and so the Ork and Terrybubble are "Sauropsids" and practically all Oz celebrities except Professor Wogglebug are "Chordates"... -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 19 - 20, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 14:33:42 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-17-97 David: The BLB is not the only published edition of _Laughing Dragon_, BoW made it available with new illustrations a couple of years ago. I think I messed up a bit describing the similarities between PG and _After Hours_. I highly reccommend renting it, though. Also, for you David, the Alta Vista search results included the Yale Dram School cast for a recent production of _The Wiz_. I have just learned there are two films of _The Wiz_, both 1978. One is a documentary of play stills accompanied by the original cast album. This was directed by Susan Simmons. The other is the Sidney Lumet film, written by _Batman & Robin_'s Joel Schumacher. I'm told that in _B&R_, Schumacher pretty much tells the audience he's gay with his choices of imagery. Dave: Lost the urls, sorry... Anyone see Michael Cohn's new film _The Grimm Brothers' Snow White_ with Sigourney Wever as the wicked stepmother? It looks excellent, and the review I read said that it is good for the first half before it starts to move into horror cliches. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 16:05:01 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: oz Anyone know what "oz" means in Hebrew? I found a video about the struggle over the Goloan Heights that had "oz" in a position that made it look like a preposition. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 15:42:19 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-18-97 David Hulan, > Me: > Well, in my copy of my post my little joke about my birthday candles didn't > work because a line-feed happened at the wrong place. That row of candles > was supposed to look like: > > I I I I I I guess I'm just dense. I have been trying to connect the above with the age 61 and cannot for the life of me. Please, I know that it ruins jokes to explain them, but it's driving me nuts! Help! Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 21:50:25 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones I sent this to NYCloudy, but here are the Ozzy birthday party suggestions of Katy Lau, dated March 30, 1996. From Katy Lau, March 30, 1996 I had an Oz birthday cake last year. We bought Wizard of Oz plastic figures at Toys R Us (Where does that apostrophe go?) and put them on a birthday cake. The set we got came with Dorothy (and Toto in a basket), Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch. I had green balloon decorations. You could also use green streamers and paper goods. Hallmark sells Wizard of Oz (MGM) stickers that could be used to decorate plastic cups, homemade invitations, or paper goodie bags. There's a whole bunch of cut out and assemble things like a WOZ theater, the Emerald City and nesting Oz dolls at Borders Bookstore. You could use these for a centerpiece, or to play with. One Christmas my mom made a treasure hunt with (paper) yellow brick road clues leading to some Ozzy presents. Here are some other ideas: * Use washable chalk to draw the yellow brick road on a sidewalk or driveway leading to your door. * Pin the tail on the Cowardly Lion, or Pin the heart on the Tin Man * Skip the plates and use "lunch boxes." :-) * Hang green streamers around your door and put a sign that says "Welcome to Emerald City." You could even hang a horseshoe-shaped magnet (the Love Magnet that comes in later books) over your door. * Use yellow playdough and those plastic Oz figures to play "going down the yellow brick road." My little brother who is 5, likes playing with figures in the playdough. * Green ice cream :-} yum! * Play the Oz soundtrack (musical chairs?) --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 21:51:14 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman David >To hear most older people tell it, the world has been going steadily downhill morally and esthetically since at least the Mycenian Age. What can I say? You know Hulan, if you can't see this I think you need a new set of glasses for your 61 year-old eyes. It is apparent to me because I am older (1 year and 9 days) and wiser! :) And why weren't your candles: I I I I I I I or if you meant binary it would be: I I I I I or 101111 Peter - Thanks for the Swift. Wasn't this called "A Modest Solution." Craig - Pillow - Try your local department store. Robin for Melody on O-C Disorder. If you don't have access to a DSM-IV I can help you out. J.L.Bell > On the other hand, Bear, on this list you've shown a remarkable talent for overlooking prejudice and injustice that didn't affect you. So believe what you want; your beliefs continue to tell us more about you than about Baum. My, my. What is a "list?" I said Baum sounded ironic TO ME and asked for additional evidence before I started believing Baum was advocating genocide. Your response is to refer to the opinions of two scholars (unnamed) and pontificate that "There's no irony in the context." Well, this tells me something about you too. Lisa - I copied the A&E Special. Where do you live? I don't know if they will show it again. Bompi - Sinatra is fine currently and celebrated his birthday. Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 15:42:29 +0000 (GMT) From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-18-97 Gili: Good to hear from you again! I guess I'm Different. I picked blue for the color, and earthworm and koala for the animals. That everyone was going to get 9 as the results of the calculation is based on the fact that any multiple of 9 has its digits add to 9 using the technique you describe. IIRC, this is true in any number base for the number that's one less than the base. And Denmark is the only country I can think of that starts with D, though Dahomey did occur to me - only these days it's known as Benin.) John K.: Certainly there were differences between Roman and American slavery, and the feeling of American slaveowners that their slaves, because they were black, were lesser human beings was a negative on that side. But overall the lot of the Roman slave was worse than the lot of the American slave, on average - probably mostly attributable to the far greater supply of slaves for the Romans, so that an individual slave wasn't particularly valuable, whereas once the importation of slaves stopped in America (which I think was around 1810 or so; I could look it up, but I'm lazy) the supply was limited to what could be bred, not what could be captured. (And with respect to Roman slavery I'm talking about the late Republic-early Empire days, when new conquests provided new supplies of slaves in large quantities; I suspect that once the Empire began to shrink, after the Antonines, the treatment of slaves probably improved.) Craig: Levenger has carried a pillow for putting your back against while reading; they must not have had it in the catalog you got. (They do have things go in and out.) They'll probably keep sending you stuff for a while; keep checking it. Bill Stillman can be contacted at thebbugle@aol.com. Bear: >David - Let me get this straight. You don't like modern music, or >musicals. You don't like modern movies. You don't like the modern >population pressure with all it attendant problems. You don't like TV. >What you do like is that you think relations are better between the races. >Do I have this right? :) :) Not quite, but close. I don't like modern popular music, or musicals, though I do like modern jazz. I like modern movies OK, though I rarely go to one - but that's more due to a change in personal habits than that I don't like the product. Same for TV. Otherwise, you're right - though race relations aren't the only things I think are better. Melody: >It *has* been said that the "potion" [that gave the lion courage] may have >been an alcoholic beverage. Or what used to be known as "Dutch courage"? (May still be, for all I know, but I don't recall hearing or reading the term recently. Ethnic allusions of that sort, even against a relatively high-status group like the Dutch, have rather gone out of fashion lately.) >I've known people who think that sticking one's nose in a book when there's >another living, breathing human being in the room is extremely rude! :-) By >that standard, I'm sometimes a very rude person, indeed! Me too. Taxonomy isn't an exact science, so there's a lot of room for argument, especially between "lumpers" and "splitters". (I recall an amusing line by a "lumper" regarding dinosaur fossils: "If a 'splitter' can tell two fossils apart, he puts them in different genera. If he can't tell them apart, he puts them in different species.") Older women marrying younger men happens with reasonable frequency - I have an aunt who's several years older than her husband - but it's not the more usual arrangement, even though from a practical standpoint it tends to work better in modern society. But a million years or so of evolution aren't overturned that easily, and in a primitive culture it's advantageous for the male to be older. J.L.: >I'm baffled by this. Are you saying that Neill didn't write or sign off on >those passages in his book? I don't know about "signing off on," but those who have seen Neill's original MS of _Wonder City_ say that someone at R&L made massive changes in it. Steve Teller says that they improved the book considerably; Eric Shanower didn't think so (although he agreed that the book needed a lot of copyediting; Neill wasn't a writer). Not having seen the original myself, I conclude that it's probably a matter of taste. Your quibbles with my dates on the transition in racial attitudes are noted. Certainly there was the beginning of a change with WW II, but I don't think it really started to gather momentum until BvBoE. My perception, though, may be affected by the fact that I was living in states with legal segregation through most of that interval; there wasn't much change in attitudes among people I knew. And while Nixon's "Southern strategy" was first formulated in 1968, it wasn't until 1972 that it began to bear serious fruit, and it wasn't until the '80s that it became pretty much the standard line of the Republican party (and the Republican party came to be dominated by white Southerners). Bompi: If Sinatra passed away I didn't hear about it, and I think I would have. He just had a birthday, though, which had a lot of people commenting on the fact that he's been in poor health for some time. (I think he was 82.) Dave: An interesting and eclectic group of movies. I assume that it's the Korda version of _Thief of Baghdad_ from back around 1940 you mean, since it's been filmed at least three times. I've only seen five of the ones you list that I recall for sure, though there are a few others I might have seen in my younger days but don't remember. Can you recommend a good book on cladistics? I've run across discussions of cladistic classification of specific species or groups, but not a general discussion of the whole technique and the best current ideas of how all the various groups of living organisms are related. It's a subject that I find quite interesting, and you seem to have found more information on it than I have. We have a pretty good library here, and failing that there's always amazon.com. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 09:59:20 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Gordon Birrell: I suspect that the reason the Grimms' "The Blue Light" isn't well known to English readers is that editors tend to try to avoid overlap, and as one of the favorite Hans Christian Andersen stories is his more elaborate version of that plot, "The Tinder Box," selections from-Grimms are less likely to include TBL. (Hmmm. I wonder if it's also less well known in Danish.) I'm not sure from my English-language complete-Grimms which story is the "Table Set Thyself" one. There's "The Wishing Table, the Gold Ass, and the Cudgell," and "Little One Eyes, Little Two-Eyes, and Little Three-Eyes," both of which involve tables that set themselves with magically appearing food. (On the other hand, the ToC is so long, I always have trouble finding any specific story in it, so maybe I'm just not spotting it.) Scott Hutchins: Books of Wonder hasn't so far done an edition of "The Master Key," have they? Maybe if people get in touch with Peter Glassman to voice a strong preference for Fanny Cory's illos -- even in b&w -- he might consider doing that. There is a certain muddy quality to b&w reproductions of her color plates, so I don't know if he'd go for it, but it's a somewhat better possibility with "The Master Key," than for "Yew" (or for Denslow in "Dot and Trot"), where the color work was not just color plates but included illustrations on the pages of text and extending underneath the text -- these would pose considerable problems of legibility if reproduced in b&w. Melody Grandy: Interesting suggestion about different reactions to having a twin. David Hulan: Michael Riley has some interesting comments on the differences between the big birthday bashes of "Road" and "Magic" in "Oz and Beyond," pointing out the smaller scale of the "Magic" celebration. And belated happy birthday. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 10:20:55 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-18-97 Howdy, On reading habits: Mine is to read either in my den or in bed. As far as competing influences go, the reading completely blocks out anything else. If music is playing, I usually have to replay the CD or record in order to hear what I wanted. From time to time I attempt to read while the TV news is on but that's just a waste of electricity. Curiously, I am absolutely unable to read at the beach or some similar place. I can't concentrate for more than a few minutes. Before I retired, I found a radio playing while I was working to be terribly distracting, particularly Limbaugh or others of his ilk. I often had words with the offending (and offensive) radio players. I don't understand why people won't use earphones. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 16:02:35 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-18-97 John: There have been several films about the Titanic. Alfred Hitchcock thought about making one, decided it was not a good film subject, and turned it over to someone else. The score for _Anastasia_ is by David Newman, who also wrote the score for _The Brave Little Toaster_, which was produced by Willard Carroll. Mark: EC originally stood for "Educational Comics" and published adaptations of Bible stories. The title was later changed to Entertaining Comics, which was most famous for publishing _Mad_ and _Tales from the Crypt_. Gili: You puzzle mathematically force a nine, but the rest did not work. I thought of Djibouti, the animals were Jaguar and Iguana, and the color was blue, because I'm seeing my e-mail in blue today and I usually see black. :) Any _Hakosem!_ updates? BTW, what does Oz mean in Hebrew? I already asked that, didn't I? Bear: The _Weird Science_ stories I read were excellent, and I did read _Waiting for Godot_. I tend to write the way you complained, though I've never been stoned. I'm guessing you're the kind who likes primitive fare like _Rocky_ by John G. Avildsen, which I still can't understand why it was deserving of best picture, but why did _The English Patient_ beat _Fargo_? J.L.: At least I sent an 8 1/2*11 brown envelope, not a letter one. I preprepared it, and then the printed version turned out to be more massive (and especially in triplicate) than I thought. Bompi: I got trashed several months back for quoting from _Wild at Heart_, especially since I mentioned that a character in my next Oz book quotes from it, as there is a parody of the parody scene where Sailor gets beaten up and sees Glinda. Several people have suggested I take _Wild at Heart_ off the proper filmography and move it to the Sightings list where things like _After Hours_ show up. Oh my God! I'm sitting right in front of an Oz book display. I didn't notice it before. They got the BoW OZma, LWS, PG, WW, Tiktok, DotWiz, and a Hague-illustrated Wizard. It's because Civic Theatre has their MGM adaptation from Dec 26-Jan 10. I'll just take these bookmarks for souvenirs. It seems Coronet Instructional Films of Chicago IL, Teaching Resources Films of Mt. Kisco NY, and Educational Audio Visual, Inc. of Pleasantville IL are all out of business. Each has Oz-related filmstrips. The latter is of _The Wiz_ and was made, ironically, in 1978, accompanied by narration and the original cast album, it shows photographs of the original broadway production. I'm going to try contacting The Center for Drug Free Living about their film _Trouble in Oz_, though I believe someone (was it you, Jane?) said something about them refusing. Fred says no IWOC member has yet gotten permission to view _Number 13_, however, I have some brief material from Harry Smith's biography _American Magus_ xeroxed for me by Marc Berezin. Maybe tomorrow I'll read PG. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Dec 97 17:14:03 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things "SOUTHERN STRATEGY": Of course, in the Great Ozlection, the "Southern Strategy" was when Ozma talked about her cousin Bubba in Tuscaloosa..."Southern Stretegy" was when Jenny Jump stood in the pulpit of an African-American church and proclaimed, "Free at last! Free at last! It's like totally rad to be free at last!" :) :) "LUMPERS" AND "SPLITTERS": David H. wrote: >Taxonomy isn't an exact science, so there's a lot of room for argument, >especially between "lumpers" and "splitters". "Lumpers" of course merge two or more genera together, as some (including Crighton in _Jurassic Park_) do with _Deinonychus_ and _Velociraptor_; and "splitters" fragment an established genus into two or more, as Robert Bakker does in his assertions that _Triceratops hatcheri_ is really not a species of _Triceratops_ but is in fact a separate genus, "_Diceratops_". In the context of Oz, a "lumper" lumps two characters together, as MGM did with Glinda and the Good Witch of the North; and a "splitter" decides that what was assumed to be one character is really two, as yours truly speculates about Tattypoo and Locasta, the "real" Good Witch of the North. NUMBER JUGGLING: Bear wrote: >I I I I I I I or if you meant binary it would be: I I I I I or >101111 But I make 101111 to be 2^5 + 2^3 + 2^2 + 2 + 1, which would be the Number of Noland, or as Buckminster Fuller called it, "The cosmic random element, the Agent of Infinite Change"... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 21 - 22, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 07:02:09 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 Bear, > What can I say? You know Hulan, if you can't see this I > think you need a new set of glasses for your 61 year-old > eyes. It is apparent to me because I am older (1 year and > 9 days) and wiser! :) And why weren't your candles: > > I I I I I I I or if you meant binary it would be: I I I I I > or 101111 By God, I'll be 62 in September of 2002. I can't wait for enlightenment! :-) In the alternate base numbering schemes that I learned, 61 decimal is translated as follows: 111101 Binary (I finally understand the joke) (Base 2) 75 Octal (Base 8) 3D Hex (base 16) This came my way today. It might be familiar to some of you, but wasn't to me: "MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH" *********************************** Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named BOOK. BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works: BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKS with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it. BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though like other display devices it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pin-points the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval. An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely,numerous BOOK markers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK. You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language stylus (PENCILS). Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 19:52:56 +0200 (IST) From: Tzvi Harris Subject: Ozzy Digest Scott: "oz" in Hebrew means strength. If you saw a documentary about the Golan heights, then the oz that you saw is the 77th something (the word I am looking for is a unit which contains companies, and is part of a brigade- the word slips my mind at the moment) of the 7th brigade, which fought valiantly in the Yom Kippur War in 1973, defending the Golan against tremendous odds. The reason that this unit is referred to as Oz, is because in Hebrew the word oz is numerically equivalent to 77. Just finished _Wonder City_ and was sorey disappointed, the book is a cyclone of events, people and magic, mixed together in a weird way. Tzvi Harris Talmon,Israel ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 13:13:47 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz on the record Sender: "J. L. Bell" Bear replied to me: <> "On this list" referred to postings on an Internet mailing list--as in how we're communicating right now. The 12/12/97 digest quoted in full Baum's two editorials on why it was wise to "extirminate" [sic] all Indians. It also included the names of both scholars. In addition, I alerted you to "The Web site devoted to Baum's editorial (quotations from which 'brought this up')." Even now you don't seem to have looked at any of that material. My doubt that you would actually acknowledge the reality of this racism, Bear, is based on your earlier statements that there was no legalized racial injustice in the West before 1960, and that you could disregard injustice in the South because you didn't live there. Prove my doubt wrong. At least prove that you really are eager to read the whole record that's been made available to you. To all: When I posted my essay about Baum's comments after the killing of Sitting Bull and the battle/massacre at Wounded Knee, I assumed that folks on this list had already read them. I'd written not to report his statements, but to put them in the context of his economic, political, familial, and medical situation. Therefore, I included only one short passage from the editorials themselves, but long passages from OUR LANDLADY. For me the full record shows two things: 1) Baum clearly stated genocide was the only way to resolve the conflict between whites and Indians in America. (I could view one such call as clumsy irony, but his follow-up essay negates that possibility.) 2) Those statements were unusual in his writing about Indians and life in South Dakota, and came at a particularly low period in his life. That a call to kill Indians doesn't square with Baum's picture of Oz is no indication that he didn't make that call. After all, the faulty logic at the basis of racism is that one can treat this group of people differently from that. Writing that Hoppers and Horners should be peaceable neighbors but that Europeans and Native Americans couldn't be has just as much, or as little, logic as was behind apartheid or Jim Crow. If folks who missed the 12/12/97 digest or don't have Web access want to see Baum's editorials in full, I can dig them out of my files. David Hulan wrote in response to my bafflement about WONDER CITY: <> When I saw my question posted, I realized I'd phrased it poorly. I should have written, "Are you saying that Neill didn't write those passages or that he didn't sign off on them?" Sorry to all for any confusion, and thanks, Dave, for your report on this manuscript. Book editors write or rewrite passages all the time, especially for a first-time author with a firm deadline, as in this situation. But because Reilly & Lee needed Neill to illustrate WONDER CITY, and because they wanted more books after that, they also needed him to approve the result. After posting, I looked in my copy to confirm that Neill did illustrate the additions. So R&L must have gotten his sign-off, perhaps with some arm-twisting. That leads to difficult questions of whether these passages must be ascribed to Neill, and therefore treated as part of the Ozian canon. Imagining WONDER CITY without the Ozlection, the house battle (stemming from that election), and Jenny's symbolic lobotomy, I suspect I'd fall somewhere between Shanower and Teller on their value. On the one hand, they're not Ozzy (the election "heelers," may show Chicago roots). On the other hand, without the Ozlection, there's practically no plot line binding the narrative. And without the personality change, Jenny doesn't grow as protagonists (especially flawed protagonists) are "supposed to." In my experience, even authors who agree to being rewritten rarely get behind material that isn't theirs. Neill brought Jenny back much as she was before: not as ambitious, but certainly not lacking gumption. And in that respect, I think Neill was justified. A question for writers: Several non-canonical Oz books take Tip as their protagonist--Madden's MYSTERIOUS CHRONICLES, Melody's SEVEN BLUE MOUNTAINS, Nathan's TIP. The McGraws' FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN falls in a related category, with Ozma traveling as a boy. Me, I've never felt a strong wish to see Tip back. Or rather, I see Tip all the time as Ozma. At the risk of breaking taboos about discussing manuscripts most people haven't seen, I wonder if the Tip fans out there can share what makes him particularly appealing as a protagonist for stories. Thanks. J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 12:37:21 -0600 From: "R. M. Atticus Gannaway" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-18-97 GILI: >Chances are, the color you have thought of is gray. > >That's because you are open to suggestion, and gray is typically the color >of both the animals that you chose. > >The animals that you picked are and elephant and a kangaroo. The country >that you picked is Denmark. > >That's because we all think alike. > >The number that you subtracted 5 from was 9. That's because 9 is a magic >number. > >I hope this worked. It usually does... i picked djibouti, jackal, ibis, and red. ha. color me anomalous. and of COURSE, since you multiply the initial number by nine every time, the digits add up to 9 and subtracting five makes four. denmark just happens to be the most commonly known "D" country. i take issue with your reasoning, my dear, and chalk up the tendency to pick denmark to general poor command of geography. CRAIG NOBLE: >David Hulan: > >I couldn't agree with you more that the root of most of our problems is >overpopulation. It explains the environmental degradation that we're >experiencing on a global basis, as well as the general loss of community in >our increasingly impersonal, rude, frustrated society. There have been >animal studies (rats, if I recall) that demonstrate what happens when >individuals' minimum personal space is violated. I see most of our global >civilization's problems linked to this loss and the accompanying competition >for scarce resources. yeah, in the biology course i just completed we talked about psychosocial stress as being the "k" (limiting factor) that kicks in if there are no other limits on population growth (unlimited food, water, air, etc.). ATTICUS * * * "The crash of the whole solar and stellar systems could only kill you once." Visit my webpage at http://members.aol.com/atty993 ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 12:37:56 -0600 From: "R. M. Atticus Gannaway" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 SCOTT: >David: The BLB is not the only published edition of _Laughing Dragon_, >BoW made it available with new illustrations a couple of years ago. that edition was canceled due to legal difficulties. BEAR: >Peter - Thanks for the Swift. Wasn't this called "A Modest Solution." it was "A Modest Proposal." ATTICUS * * * "The crash of the whole solar and stellar systems could only kill you once." Visit my webpage at http://members.aol.com/atty993 ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 19:16:45 +0000 (GMT) From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 Scott H.: >David: The BLB is not the only published edition of _Laughing Dragon_, >BoW made it available with new illustrations a couple of years ago. No, they didn't. They planned it, announced it, and took advance orders for it, but then ran into permission problems (I don't know details) and had to cancel it and refund people's money who'd ordered it (including me). >Anyone know what "oz" means in Hebrew? Since transliteration of Hebrew into Roman characters is an inexact process there are at least a couple of possibilities, based on a quick look at my Hebrew dictionary. Most likely, from your statement that it's in a preposition-like position, is that it's the conjunction "then", which appears to be pronounced more or less the way we pronounce "Oz". It could also be the noun "strength," which appears to be pronounced more like "awz." I'm sure Gili or Aaron could tell you from personal knowledge, but neither of them comments that often these days. Bob S.: If a candle represents a "1" and the absence of a candle a "0", then 111101 is the binary representation of 61. Bear: >You know Hulan, if you can't see this I think you need a >new set of glasses for your 61 year-old eyes. It is apparent to me because >I am older (1 year and 9 days) and wiser! :) I got a new set of glasses just a couple of months ago. Things still look better to me now than my memories of the '50s. Ruth: >Scott Hutchins: Books of Wonder hasn't so far done an edition of "The >Master Key," have they? Yes, they have, quite recently. I haven't seen a copy, though. Bob S. again: > Before I retired, I found a radio playing while I was working to be >terribly distracting, particularly Limbaugh or others of his ilk. I >often had words with the offending (and offensive) radio players. I >don't understand why people won't use earphones. But the kind of people who listen to Limbaugh tend to be the kind of people who think _everybody_ ought to listen to Limbaugh (and believe what he says), so using earphones would defeat the purpose! David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 20:01:09 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman David >>I've known people who think that sticking one's nose in a book when there's another living, breathing human being in the room is extremely rude! :-) By that standard, I'm sometimes a very rude person, indeed! >Me too. Everyone needs some "space" in their life. When you are married it is sometimes hard to get that. Reading a book is one socially acceptable way to do it. Ruth - BOW has indeed done "The Master Key." Just this fall. Did anyone catch it - The Stanford Womens Volleyball Team just won the National Championship against Penn State. One of the best games I have ever seen. Third time in the last four years. Yes! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... Bear ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 21:38:12 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Subject: The Meaning of Oz Scott: `Oz is Hebrew for 'strength'. Aaron. Aaron Solomon (ben Saul Joseph) Adelman adelman@ymail.yu.edu North Antozian Systems and The Martian Empire ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 22:51:55 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 In a message dated 97-12-20 03:50:08 EST, you write: Bear:<< Peter - Thanks for the Swift. Wasn't this called "A Modest Solution.">> Nope. It's "A Modest Proposal." <> Thanks, but I have access to one. What're *you* doing with one of those, Bear?! I teach psych, so I have to be able to track stuff down, but why on earth would anyone bother with one 'less s/he had to? Not "fun" reading. Sad day: My high school football team just lost the state football championships today. Bad day at the Astrodome, folks. Sad ride back home in one of the buses full of unhappy kids. I kept thinking of Michener's line: "Football is the national religion of Texas." (I may have slightly misquoted, but not by much.) He sure' got *that* right! I think I'll go read an Oz book. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 08:36:37 -0600 From: Bill Wright Subject: Ozzy Digest Received a query from someone who wanted to know when Santa Claus colors became red and white (and why they changed?). They said that originally Santa's colors were green. My knowledge of good ole St Nick's history is a little to thin to respond. Can anyone here on the digest offer anything up on this? Bill in Ozlo ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 15:02:15 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 Bear: That's "proposal," not "solution." I tend to agree with you about the possibility of irony, and that it seems there has been some pontification about what someone means. This reminds me of that Robert Frost poem... Which A&E special is this? Is it that magic one? What was the actual title? David: There are at least four versions of _The Thief of Bagdad_ (I've lost count of the number of film versions of WWoO, but I don't even know if my list is complete yet or if that 1956 one really exists), I've seen the Korda one and the one with Steve Reeves, but I haven't seen the silent with Farbanks or the 1978 TV version with MacDowall. The two I saw were INCREDIBLY different, not really even following the same story. I think the '78 one has a fox spirit resembling the monster on the cover of the Zork III novel. I remember seeing an ad for a version like this that was going to be shown an channel 59, which later became the Fox affiliate. On Thanksgiving 1985, they showed the 1964 RTO. Melody: My brother turns 26 in February and his wife is almost forty with an eighteen year old son, Sam. Sam has two kids by different girls, and has to pay 60 some dollars a week in child support, which either doubles or triples if he stops going to school. I'm quite certain I'm not destined to be married any time soon. My dad is a year older than my mom, but he got held back in eighth grade. I have no idea how my brother and I got so intelligent. We both qualify for Mensa. Ruth: Yes, there is a BoW Master Key. It has been shown in _The Oz Collector_, and Borders has it, too. I find the illustrations rather amateurish-looking. Rhino has a video called _Oz & Beyond_, but it's about surfing in Australia. Dave: On GWN, I've read a lot of complaints about MGM's casting of Billie Burke as Glinda. For Baum's Glinda, yes, she is miscast, but for an amalgam of Glinda and GWN, I don't think they could have made a better choice. It's been about three years since I last saw MGM's Wizard, and I don't remember her saying anything about a smell of S, though I've seen it enough times it should have registered. It seems to be regarded as a famous line, since the DVD edition has that as a chapter title. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 20:17:39 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-20-97 > From: sahutchi@iupui.edu > > David: The BLB is not the only published edition of _Laughing Dragon_, > BoW made it available with new illustrations a couple of years ago. > Scott: Have you actually *seen* the BoW edition of LAUGHING DRAGON? It is my belief that it was promised but never appeared because of copyright problems. > > I don't know about "signing off on," but those who have seen Neill's > original MS of _Wonder City_ say that someone at R&L made massive changes > in it. Steve Teller says that they improved the book considerably; Eric > Shanower didn't think so (although he agreed that the book needed a lot of > copyediting; Neill wasn't a writer). Not having seen the original myself, I > conclude that it's probably a matter of taste. It *is* a matter of taste. I should note that the copy I read was missing two chapters (they are listed in the table of contents). To clarify a point that has been suggested: the original *did* contain the battle of the houses, although not exactly as in the printed version, and it did contain the youthening although not the "lobotomy." The Ozlection was not in the original. > From: Ruth Berman > > Scott Hutchins: Books of Wonder hasn't so far done an edition of "The > Master Key," have they? Yes they have, and with new illustrations. They also did a YEW. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 97 01:27:29 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things _CONTACT_ AND OZ: Well, I rented the video and finally got to see _Contact_! I thought it was great, substantially better than the book, IMHO. And the Oz references were not lost on me, including the balloon with "OZ" printed on it. I also realized the Oz parallel near the end of the film...Ellie insists that the cosmic voyage she just returned from was "a really, truly live place", even though everyone else is saying to her in essence, "There, there; lie quietly -- You've just had a bad dream!" TO BOB SPARK: Thanks for you piece on BOOK -- This sounds like something that could really catch on! :) ON _WONDER CITY_: I was disappointed with _Wonder City of Oz_, not just because of its typically Neill anarchy, but also because what he did with the Ozlection I feel was a lost opportunity to really rake politics over the coals... SCENT OF AN OZZY SORCERESS???: If anyone can fill us in on what this "Smell of an S" that Scott mentioned is, I would be so grateful. :) -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 23, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 08:55:42 -0500 (EST) From: Saroz Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 "Smell of Sulphur" is what Scott is surely referring to, Dave. Of course, Billie Burke's lines are so unintelligible that it wasn't until a year ago, after watching the film at least once a year for seven or eight years, that I understood what she said. I even more recently finally figured out that she is not saying "I'm their little mother" but "I'm a little muddled", so it's not surprising Scott can't find the sulphur line... Sarah Hadley ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 17:11:02 +0000 (GMT) From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Bob Spark: Thanks for the BOOK bit. I'll share it with some friends outside the Digest. Tzvi: Apologies for not including you as one who'd certainly know what "oz" means in Hebrew; you're new enough on the Digest that I forgot we now have a second Israeli subscriber. And thanks for the info on the 77th. (In the US Army the units between company and brigade size are battalions or regiments or battle groups; don't know about the Israeli terms.) _Wonder City_ is my choice for the weakest of all the FF, though _Scalawagons_ runs it a close second. Atticus: > i take issue with your >reasoning, my dear, and chalk up the tendency to pick denmark to general >poor command of geography. It's certainly true that Denmark is known to more people than Djibouti, but one can know of the latter without thinking of it first. For the record, there are four sovereign countries that start with "d" - the other two being Dominica and Dominican Republic. All of which I know of and could point to on a map, but I still thought of Denmark first. (I'll admit that I still tend to think of Djibouti as the city that's the capital of French Somaliland rather than the country that used to be French Somaliland.) Bear: >Everyone needs some "space" in their life. When you are married it is >sometimes hard to get that. Reading a book is one socially acceptable way >to do it. Fortunately my wife likes to read at least as much as I do. We spend most of our evenings sitting in our side-by-side chairs reading and listening to music. >Did anyone catch it - The Stanford Womens Volleyball Team just won the >National Championship against Penn State. One of the best games I have >ever seen. Third time in the last four years. Yes! Nope. I'm afraid I find volleyball, like most other sports, about as interesting as watching paint dry. I enjoy football, baseball, soccer, hockey, and occasionally college basketball enough to watch at times, but other sports leave me pretty cold. Robin: Bear's wife is a clinical psychologist or something of the sort; I'm sure that's why he has access to that book. Condolences on your team not winning the state football championship, though being runner-up is better than most schools do. I remember reading that football is the most popular sport in Texas; the second most popular is spring football... (It must be aggravating that no Texas college team has been within sniffing distance of a national title in a couple of decades now.) Scott H.: >David: There are at least four versions of _The Thief of Bagdad_ (I've >lost count of the number of film versions of WWoO, but I don't even know >if my list is complete yet or if that 1956 one really exists), I've seen >the Korda one and the one with Steve Reeves, but I haven't seen the silent >with Farbanks or the 1978 TV version with MacDowall. The two I saw were >INCREDIBLY different, not really even following the same story. I think >the '78 one has a fox spirit resembling the monster on the cover of the >Zork III novel. I remember seeing an ad for a version like this that was >going to be shown an channel 59, which later became the Fox affiliate. On >Thanksgiving 1985, they showed the 1964 RTO. I've seen the silent with Fairbanks and it's completely different from the Korda version, and I believe from the Reeves version as well, though I haven't seen that one. (I do have a book that's supposed to be a novelization of that version, though, and if it's reasonably true to the script then it's nothing like either of the others.) I wasn't aware of the TV version, though. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 11:31:40 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest J.L. Bell: It would be nice to think Baum was joking, but you're right that it doesn't look as if he was. The first example of Tip as a post-"Land" protagonist was Jack Snow's short story, "Murder in Oz." Maybe one of the reasons he's felt to be attractive as someone to bring back is that paradoxes of identity are an important theme in the Oz books generally (the Tin Woodman's identity in spite of total change of body, the mixed identities of Nick and the Tin Soldier and Chopfyte, Jack Pumpkinhead's serial heads, over in "Sky Island" the slicing machine, and so on). David Hulan: I think "Dutch courage" has pretty much dropped out of the language. Is "going Dutch" for a date still around? One of the odder examples of such terms is "French leave" -- which in French is "English leave." That one may have dropped out of the language, too? Robin Olderman: Your mention of Michener reminds me of his courtesy when I wrote to ask if he was the Hamor J. Michener who was one of the children who sent in letters often to the "For Boys and Girls" page Ruth Plumly Thompson wrote 1914-1921 for the Philadelphia "Public Ledger" -- he wrote to me that Hamor was one of his cousins, and wrote to another cousin who kept track of where relatives were to ask her to let me know Hamor's address. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 13:36:40 -0800 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Ozzy Digest [144.80.104.94] didn't use HELO protocol Steve: If the original _Wonder City_ had no Ozlection, did that also mean it had no Heelers? Also, I would be interested to know how it was wrapped up without the lobotomization of Jenny. J. L. Bell: I believe that Scott Hutchins is the author of _Tip of Oz_. Also, another example of a story (not a book) that features Tip prominently is Snow's "Murder." I don't know why so many authors want to use Tip. -- Nathan Mulac DeHoff vovat@geocities.com http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "I don't want the world. I just want your half." ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 15:16:15 -0500 (EST) From: JDMurray01 Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 I haven't got into _Wonder City_ yet (I just acquired _Wishing Horse_, the last one I needed of RPT). I also ordered Neill's first book just for the heck of it. I'm currently in _Hungry Tiger_ (this is my first trip through most of these books, and I'm going in order). I feel like I need to throw my two bits into this one. Neill may not have been much of an author, but the whole of Oz wouldn't be Oz without his 25 years+ of contributions. That is the main reason I have declined purchasing past #34. When I've read _Wonder City_, if I liked it, I'll get, what are they... _Scalawagons_ and _Lucky Bucky_ via BOW. But I'm not particularly interested in works past Neill's, because, as far as I'm concerned, I've been reading Oz since I was about 8 or so, and Neill is what I see when I think about Oz. His illustrations in my mind are half of the whole Oz tapestry, and I just can't see other illustrators doing Oz instead. He may not have been the best writer, but I wouldn't trade his valuable addition to Ozdom for anything. Granted, the truly *great* authors don't need illustrators at all, but since the pictures are there, they're part of it all, and that, dear readers, is something nobody can take away from him! Jared ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 16:20:12 -0500 (EST) From: ZMaund Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 I am by no means minimizing anyone's call for the extermination of other human beings. And there's no real harm in bringing to the attention of afficianados of Baum and Oz the fact that Baum authored the editorials we've been discussing. But if one's goal is to educate the public about the unpleasantries of various noteworthy people, there are certainly more important subjects than L. Frank Baum. Baum certainly had what we now call a racist streak, but wasn't in the position of influencing global events, being one of six or seven newspaper editors in an obscure town in the Dakotas. Now, let's talk about a contemporary: Woodrow Wilson, a notorious racist (his wife was even worse) who ~was~ in a position to substantially affect a great many people, and did so! Here is a target far worthier of our attention. (Don't forget Wilson's invasion of Russia!) Whaddya mean -- this isn't the Wilson Digest? ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 18:06:41 -0500 From: "Gary S. Dollar" Subject: Ozzy Digest Hello, to all, My personal observation is Wonder City, Scalawagons, and to a lesser degree, Lucky Bucky, all are Neill's "Oz Meets Candy Land" kind of fantasy, rather than Baum' "reality", or Thompson's continuing story-travelogue-party, based on the "reality" of Oz begun by Baum. This is why, I, as a child, first began reading the Oz books, since if I had not first read Baum's books, Thompson"s would have still been enjoyable, but I doubt my interest in Oz would have continued past my initial reading of her stories. As for Niell, I doubt I could have finished any except perhaps "Lucky Bucky" and only that one because there is a tiny bit of structure and story line. Oh, well, at least that's my opinion ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 17:07:47 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 J. L. Bell wrote: > That a call to kill Indians doesn't square with Baum's picture of Oz is >no indication that he didn't make that call. After all, the faulty logic at >the basis of racism is that one can treat this group of people differently >from that. Writing that Hoppers and Horners should be peaceable neighbors >but that Europeans and Native Americans couldn't be has just as much, or as >little, logic as was behind apartheid or Jim Crow. Hmmm.... A little weak on the logic behind this, I rather think. The editorials do not say "Indians are naturally brutish, so we must kill them all," or "Indians are naturally evil, so we must kill them all," or "Indians corrupt our precious bodily fluids, so we must kill them all." Those would be racist. What they say is "We've screwed over the Indians so many times, and in so many ways, that now the only way we can ever hope to be safe from their just vengeance is to kill them all." That is deplorable, but doesn't really meet the definition of "racist". It is, however, a pretty good example of why the Church regards Despair as a sin. As to comparing the matter to the Hoppers and Horners -- decades apart, different audience, different venue (real-world vs. fiction), different pressure (practical vs. ideal). // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 21:46:48 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Tzvi: Your comments on _Wonder City_ pretty much reflect my views on all three Neill books. _Lucky Bucky_ is, IMHO, the best of the three, although that's not saying much. All of them were fairly pooly written, though some digesters enjoy them. John Bell: I'd guess that the "Friends of Tip" write about him more for tradition than for any specific character elements. It seems, however, that most books featuring Tip do so with a specific plot tie-in to the Tip//Ozma connection (books such as _Mysterious Chronicles_ or _Seven Blue Mountains_). With most Oz stories, the main child lead could easily be any of the boys or girls that have populated the series, or even entirely new ones, since many of the child characters are interchangeable. The fact is that Tip is a Baum created character, though, and as such he will always have a special appeal, dare I say "star power"? --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 21:42:19 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman J. L. Bell >My doubt that you would actually acknowledge the reality of this racism, Bear, is based on your earlier statements that there was no legalized racial injustice in the West before 1960, and that you could disregard injustice in the South because you didn't live there. Prove my doubt wrong. OK, I will go see what I actually said. Well, with the Christmas spirit, let me politely point out that you are misquoting me. Why I don't know? On Dec 12th I replied to Stephen as follows: >Stephen >In parts of the U.S. as recently as the 1950s there were Jim Crow Laws that restricted blacks from doing some things that were legal for whites. I know YOU do not believe these laws were just, but THEY WERE THE LAW! >That is correct. Fortunately for me, I was not exposed to these "laws." At least I was never aware of them being in effect in the West. If I was I would have done everything in my power to get them changed/removed. This doesn't sound much like what you claim I said. I gather you are indicting me because as a teenager I didn't rush down South and try to do something about the racism there? There was another interchange with David: >>Sometimes. Of course, if you were white and killed a black in the South, nothing happened to you - but maybe you consider that justice? (I don't think so, but at least you'd be consistent if you did.) >I guess I have to respond to this, however, I think you know me better than this. I am wondering why you created this example? So no, I would never consider this justice. I'm from the West, and grew up in a time and place where the relationships between the races were quite different than what I heard about the South. I think the example you give would be unjust to anyone but a psychotic. Having never lived there, I have never been able to relate to the Southerners who found such actions acceptable. So, does this make it clear enough? Now turning to your genocide issue: >At least prove that you really are eager to read the whole record that's been made available to you. Are you referring to the material that Sahutchi sent us on the 12th? There was so much of it I didn't read it. I didn't find anything on this subject from you on the 12th? Anyway, to quote you: > For me the full record shows two things: 1) Baum clearly stated genocide was the only way to resolve the conflict between whites and Indians in America. (I could view one such call as clumsy irony, but his follow-up essay negates that possibility.) Well, I looked up the editiorials that Scott sent us. I can see how you might believe what you believe. However, I thought the second editorial was even more ironic than the first. I think it is really dangerous to decide what is in a persons heart 100 years later. I continue to think Baum was being ironic about the event. What else in his life fits with your assessment of him. You seem really eager to attribute malice to a man who gave so much to us. What are you going to do about it now? Refuse to read his books? Since Kevin Costner and "Dances With Wolves" there seems to be a need to totally demonize white men and see the Indian as an innocent and noble savage. Surely this isn't an objective view. I am not trying to justify the events at "Wounded Knee" as I have heard them. I am simply saying that we do not appreciate the context within which they took place. However, I like to think that in Baum's place I would not have been ironic, I would have condemned the government's action. I condemn a lot of them currently. I guess you will have to be satisfied with that. David >I got a new set of glasses just a couple of months ago. Things still look better to me now than my memories of the '50s. And why shouldn't it for both of us. We are retired, well-off, fairly healthy (I hope) and have beautiful women to support us. :) :) Robin - My wife is an MFCC and naturally has a DSM-IV. It is an amazing document. Have you noticed all of the new social and cultural "mental illnesses?" What next? Scott - The A&E special was "The Story of Magic." It was in two parts. Regards, Bear ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 10:44:20 -0500 From: Mark K DeJohn Subject: Ozzy Digest Sender: Mark K DeJohn From: Barbara DeJohn Hello everyone!!! I hope that you all have a very pleasant holiday. In this month's issue of American Girl magazine there is a section on how to have an Oz party and a quiz. Question 1 (answer to follow) In 1939, girls all across America packed movie theaters to see The Wizard of Oz. Many people had already... A. read about Dorothy and her friends in a book. B. heard the characters of Oz on a radio program. C. seen the characters onstage in a musical. D. all of the above Some of their party ideas are : Make red poppies for decoration. Serve Melted witch punch ( green punch with a black plate with a hat top floating in it) Technicolor Cake (each layer a different color, iced white with black toronado designs) Make the scarecrow relay (stuffed with crumpled newspaper) Watch the movie and do stunts at different scenes (ie. blow bubbles when Glinda appears or cackle whenever you see the witch) Play Heart, Brain, Courage (Have 3 bags with heart, brain and courage on them. Ask each guest to write one thing she loves, a thing she knows how to do and something they're afraid of and put them in the appropriate bag. The first person draws a slip and reads it aloud, everyone guesses who wrote it. Whoever guesses correctly gets to draw the next slip or if no one guesses the one who wrote it picks next.) Answer D. In 1900, L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz became an instant success. Radio programs, stage musicals, and silent and talking Oz films followed, as well as 39 more books-- all before the movie starring Judy Garland hit the theaters! There are 8 quiz questions. Does anyone want to know the rest? Ozzily, Barbara DeJohn 103330.323@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 22:14:27 -0500 From: International Wizard of Oz Club Subject: RE: Toto toy Cc: 'Dave Hardenbrook' Linda - You've got me stumped on that. There should be one - I know my daughter looks at certain stuffed dogs and calls them Toto if they bear any remote resemblance. I'm going to send a copy of your note to the Ozzy Digest in case anyone there knows of a source. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot Webmaster The International Wizard of Oz Club -----Original Message----- From: Linda Morrison [SMTP:lsmorris@mail.sdf.bellsouth.net] Sent: Thursday, December 11, 1997 8:49 PM Subject: Toto toy Please let me know if there are toys of Toto. I'm looking for that particular item for a friend of mine who needs it desparately for a grandchild's Christmas present. We call Warner Bros. store in our mall but they did not carry it. And they weren't sure who did carry it. If you know, I would be so appreciative if you could let me know ASAP. Thank you in advance....Linda MOrrison ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 17:23:00 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Scott H. :<< My dad is a year older than my mom, but he got held back in eighth grade. I have no idea how my brother and I got so intelligent. We both qualify for Mensa.>> Being held back in school doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of intelligence. As for Mensa, I'd be willing to bet that a rather large percentage of the DIGEST crew also qualifies. The Mensa tests aren't all that hard and we're a very intelligent group. That's why I like reading our messages! --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 97 15:40:19 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things RESURRECTING TIP: Tyler wrote: >I'd guess that the "Friends of Tip" write about him more for tradition than >for any specific character elements. It seems, however, that most books >featuring Tip do so with a specific plot tie-in to the Tip//Ozma connection >(books such as _Mysterious Chronicles_ or _Seven Blue Mountains_)... At last! Someone mentioned _Seven Blue Mountains_!!! :) For those who don't know it, this book is by Melody Grandy (a member of the Digest), and IMHO her "switcheroo" method of bringing Tip back is both more Ozzy than Snow's "Murder" scenario and more permanent than an "Ozma dresses as a boy" storyline. As for numerous stories bringing Tip back, I guess it's because he's the most established character (having practically a whole book) that gets "killed off"...Of course Ozma is "just the same Tip, only--only--" Jack P.: Only she's different! Yes, and I guess that makes folks want to bring Tip back. And I suppose the Good Witch of the North is so minor a character in the FF that no one has expressed a desire to bring *her* back, except me. -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 24, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 20:13:38 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz and Santa Sender: "J. L. Bell" Bill on Ozlo wrote: <> I've read that the red suit with white fur trim that we currently associate with Santa was popularized by the Coca-Cola company's annual Christmastime advertisements throughout the middle part of this century. Not only are red and white the Coke colors, but red was the usual second color (after black) in magazine printing. In Clement Clarke Moore's poem, in contrast, Santa wears furs. I think Thomas Nast's drawings show a transition from rough furs to a more civilized fur trim, but they have no color (at least in the reproductions I've seen). Those Coke ads also turned Santa from a short, round man ("jolly old elf") to a tall, round one. I neglected to thank Scott Hutchinson for reminding me: <> Indeed, Dorothy cries when Oz first refuses her request, when she sees the Tin Woodman injured, when the balloon gets away, and when she parts from her friends (and perhaps other places I didn't think to look). My original statement contrasted Dorothy and Ojo in PATCHWORK GIRL, so I was thinking primarily of the later books. Which leads to another topic... Do folks agree that Dorothy's self-image undergoes a big change after WIZARD? When she met Oz, she called herself, "the Small and Meek" (even though Baum describes her as acting "boldly" a number of times in the preceding chapters). But when she meets Langwidere in OZMA, she declares, "I'm a good deal of 'portance" (p. 95). Such a rise in confidence would be only natural in a person who has killed two witches, deposed three monarchs, and helped three friends attain crowns, not to mention getting a bit older. And Dorothy never cries again in Baum's books--does she? (I also stumbled across another example of Trot weeping that I'd missed, in MAGIC. As in SEA FAIRIES, she does so *after* she's out of danger. A few pages before, Dorothy just manages to keep herself from crying. Still, Ojo's record for tears and sobs outruns both girls together.) J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 22:23:51 -0500 From: Lisa Bompiani Subject: Ozzy Digest Well, it's holiday time, and I'm leaving tomorrow to visit the parents, so I'll probably be out of the ring completely for a few weeks on and off. I'm visiting friends in VA and Delaware, too. I get to hold my neice for the first time Christmas Eve which is the best present I could receive. :-) David: I don't have a husband to read with, but my cat loves it when I read, b/c that gives him time to curl up on my lap . . . of course, if he wants a treat or something, I MUST get up . . .and, if I'm at the computer it's time to curl up again, or try to type. He thinks it's a game when I'm typing, and tries to "catch" my fingers. Ruth: Yes, "going Dutch" is still around. But what's a date? :-)) Barbara: The idea about blowing bubbles during the movie reminds me of Rocky Horror. Jared: Your comments about Neill were very interesting. When I was doing some illustration research, I read a lot of info concerning the "classics" and how the certain illustrations became so sysnonymous with the tales/stories, that later efforts to illustrate for all intents and purposes failed. For example, Shepard and Pooh, Teneill and Alice. Then, I began wondering if this is what happened to Neill and Oz, since I truley admire some of the art of later Oz illustrators, there seems to be a weakness in my mind that always causes me to think Neill when I think Oz art. Anyone else? I wish everyone a great holiday season. Peace and Love, Bompi ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 20:05:15 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-23-97 Hope you all are having a great holiday season, > "Smell of Sulphur" is what Scott is surely referring to, > Dave. Of course, Billie Burke's lines are so unintelligible > that it wasn't until a year ago, after watching the film at > least once a year for seven or eight years, that I > understood what she said. I even more recently finally > figured out that she is not saying "I'm their little > mother" but "I'm a little muddled", so it's not surprising > Scott can't find the sulphur line... That was one of the things that I enjoyed about "The Wizard of Oz in Concert" that was on TV a few weeks ago. Natalie Cole played Glinda and was perfectly intelligible, along with being perfectly delightful. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 20:39:53 -0800 From: Robert Schroeder Subject: Ozzy Wishes!! Just a note to wish all Ozzy Digesters a happy Hannukah, a Merry Christmas and a Happy Kwanzaa!! My brightest wishes to all! Robert ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 00:37:58 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz: Tip and Tippecanoe Sender: "J. L. Bell" Thanks to all who told me Snow's MURDER IN OZ also uses Tip as a protagonist. I ordered the Snow collection from Hungry Tiger Press that includes this story, but it was out of stock. Please don't tell me whodunnit! Thanks to Nathan DeHoff (and apologies to Scott Hutchins) for correcting my reference to the author of TIP IN OZ as "Hutchinson." I was extrapolating from Scott's e-mail address, and went too far. As to Tip's popularity, Dave Hardenbrook theorized: <> Ruth Berman opined: <> And Tyler Jones suggested: <> So the link to Ozma seems to be an important aspect of Tip's appeal for new writers--while it makes for tougher plotting, it makes the story more important to Oz. And perhaps the feeling that Tip got an unfair deal in being "written off" at the end of LAND is another; I still remember the pang I felt (especially as a boy) when Ozma rose from that couch. Have people written about Woot in the same numbers? He's also a Baum hero, also granted a whole book, *and* he's still alive already and can easily be made to wander into any adventure one might choose. But he doesn't embody the theme of identity-confusion Ruth talked about. ZMaund wrote: <> Quite so. Indeed, the argument of my essay about the background of his editorials is that he was feeling *especially* powerless at the time he wrote them: his party out of office, his business failing, his wife pregnant. One of the goals of the Web site whose contents started this topic is to rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to US soldiers at Wounded Knee. It's hard to imagine a more trivial, time-consuming, unproductive good cause. Learning more about Baum, on the other hand, is a goal we all support. And that was the complete and sole goal of my long posting on this topic. John W. Kennedy wrote: <> I think these passages from Baum's first editorial do meet the definition of racism: "the nobility of the Redskin is extinguished, and what few are left are a pack of whining curs who lick the hand that smites them. . . . Why not annihilation? Their glory has fled, their spirit broken, their manhood effaced; better that they die than live the miserable wretches that they are. History would forget these latter despicable beings..." Baum wasn't worried about vengeance here (that's the argument he used in his second editorial), simply deploring what he saw as the Indians' state. Yes, Baum blamed whites for driving Indians to that state--but he didn't allow the possibility that better treatment would improve them. He saw them all as a body to be inferior from now on. Baum definitely ascribed good qualities to the Indians of yore. We must remember that racism can involve ascribing any sort of unfounded stereotype to a group, not just biological inferiority. In this case, the myth of a noble savage doomed to die out was common in the 19th century, and was used to justify white expansion: even the title THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS embodies this myth. Bear claimed: <> In the 12/2 digest you wrote, <> After several people pointed out how you'd overlooked the Jim Crow laws, among other legalized injustice, you wrote in the 12/14 digest, <> You thus claimed that you could describe "this country" while excluding "the South" as irrelevant to you. Then David Hulan and Bob Spark listed several examples of racial discrimination in the West: the Japanese-American internment, zoot suit riots, lynchings, etc. You'd overlooked these historic facts (and others) in your picture of "this country," and you didn't incorporate them into that picture after they'd been pointed out. So I submit that my characterization is well supported by what you wrote: "My doubt that you would actually acknowledge the reality of this racism, Bear, is based on your earlier statements that there was no legalized racial injustice in the West before 1960, and that you could disregard injustice in the South because you didn't live there." I'm pleased that you've now read the texts by Baum that were under discussion. You've also proven my doubt was well founded by concluding: <> I believe that convincing you otherwise, especially now that you've stated your initial conclusion, would be like a piano player trying to respond to criticism of his technique from a person who's spent the afternoon demonstrating that she's tone-deaf. That's why I wrote, "Believe what you want." But here's one last try: Imagine Baum's editorials with "Redskin" and similar terms replaced with labels of a group that you support or are part of--Stanford volleyball players, for instance, or people who read Oz books. Then put that comment in the context of Baum's Aberdeen: imagine there are actually armed men training to fight that group, and reports of murders and battles. Add a long and bloody history of hostility with that group. Now how much irony pops out of "...better that [Oz fans] die than live the miserable wretches that they are"? All the tidings of the season to each and every Oz fan! J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 06:27:15 -0500 From: Richard Randolph Subject: Ozzy Digest - Happy Holidays Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah to everyone on the Ozzy Digest! I've been, primarily, a lurker for the past several months, and hope to become more active as a participant in '98. Thanks, Dave for a great two years plus of producing this forum for us. Dick Randolph ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 18:29:28 +0000 (GMT) From: David Hulan Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-23-97 Ruth: I still hear "going Dutch" used to mean each party at a meal pays his/her own way - less for dates (though this may be because I haven't had a date for 25 years or so) than for couples going out together, or other group meals involving more than one fiscal unit. I haven't run across "French leave" in a long time, but then I haven't been involved with the Army in a long time either. I think "French kiss" is still in use, and "Welsh rabbit", but most of the old ethnic adjectives that are sort of pejorative seem to have dropped out of use since Bear's Golden Age. (This excludes actual descriptive adjectives based on a product's origin, like German chocolate cake, Scotch or Irish whisky, Danish pastry, etc.) Jared: Even if you don't like _Wonder City_ you should probably get _Lucky Bucky_, which is a vastly better book. _Scalawagons_ is a tougher call; I like it better than _Wonder City_, but have to agree with its critics that it has almost nothing in the way of a unified plot; it's just a succession of episodes strung together. And I couldn't agree with you more about Neill's shaping how I envision Oz. There have been other good illustrators of Oz - Denslow, of course, and Dick Martin in the FF, and Martin and Eric Shanower and Melody Grandy and maybe George O'Connor and Donald Abbott in post-FF books (and possibly others; I haven't seen all the post-FF books by any means). But when I visualize Oz characters I still see Neill's version of them. Patrick: There are certainly a lot of people whose impact on history was a lot worse than Baum's. His advocacy of genocide, however misguided, had no results. But that's a topic for other Digests or newsgroups or what-have-you. Gary: Interesting observations about the three main Oz authors. I think _Lucky Bucky_ has more than a "tiny bit" of structure and story line; I thought it was pretty good, though it's true that even in it Neill's tone is very different from either Baum's or Thompson's. But as a book I like it better than _DotWiz_ or _Road_ or _Cowardly Lion_ or _Ozoplaning_, to mention a few of the weaker efforts of the other two authors. All: Unless Dave gets a Digest out by 8:30 or so Central Time today, this will be my last contribution to the Digest for a while. I leave tomorrow morning for California and won't be back until New Year's Eve. Even then I probably won't be able to catch up, since I have to leave again the morning of 1/2 for Tennessee and won't be back till late on 1/4. But after that I should be settled in for some time. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 97 13:45:16 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things DATES??: Bompi wrote: > ... But what's a date? :-) I too am very vague on this concept...Could someone explain it to us? :) NEILL: David wrote: >And I couldn't agree with you more about Neill's shaping how I envision Oz. >There have been other good illustrators of Oz - Denslow, of course, and >Dick Martin in the FF, and Martin and Eric Shanower and Melody Grandy and >maybe George O'Connor and Donald Abbott in post-FF books (and possibly >others; I haven't seen all the post-FF books by any means). But when I >visualize Oz characters I still see Neill's version of them. And of course, everyone else follows Neill's visions of Oz for the most part, or else we'd see from other authors depictions of Ozma as a poppy-less blonde and Tik-Tok resembling C-3P0. :) BAH, WOGGLEBUG!: I was just thinking, with the endless versions of _A Christmas Carol_ out there (BTW, has anyone seen _The Christmas Carol Trivia Book_?), has anyone ever considered doing "An Ozzy Christmas Carol"? I was thinking you could have Ruggedo as Scrooge, who is visited by the Ghost of the Wicked Witch of the West, followed by the Scarecrow as Christmas Past, and the Shaggy Man as Christmas Present. The cast could also include Uncle Henry and Aunt Em as the Cratchets, The Scarecrow and Scraps as Fred and his wife, the Lion and Tin Man as the charity men, and Button-Bright as Tiny Tim. Well, it's an idea anyway... :) MY YEAR-END FATIGUE?: Has the discussion of _Patchwork Girl of Oz_ petered out now, or is it just me? :) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!! -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 25 - 27, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 20:26:17 -0500 From: David Levitan Subject: Ozzy Digest J.L. Bell: > Such a rise in confidence would be only natural in a person who has > killed two witches, deposed three monarchs, and helped three friends > attain crowns, not to mention getting a bit older. Who did she depose? I know she deposed the two Wicked Witchs, but I don't think that the Wizard's leaving of Oz can be called a deposal. Also, who was the third friend she helped to gain a crown? The two I know are Nick Chopper and the Scarecrow. Who else? -- David Levitan wizardofoz@iname.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 20:27:45 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Subject: "A Murder in Oz" J. L., I can't stop myself from saying this. The murderer in "A Murder in Oz" is-- Aaron Solomon (ben Saul Joseph) Adelman adelman@ymail.yu.edu North Antozian Systems and The Martian Empire ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 02:28:35 +0000 (GMT) From: Richard Tuerk Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-24-97 In the Digest for 12-24-97 J. L. Bell wrote in part: > Do folks agree that Dorothy's self-image undergoes a big change after >WIZARD? Actually, her self-image undergoes a big change in _Wizard_ itself, as do the self-images of the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Woodman. They become much more assertive, among other things. Compare the way they act on their first trip to the Emerald City and on their return trip after the Wicked Witch of the West is dead. They are no longer willing to sit idly by and put up with the delays of the Wizard, for one thing. Rich Tuerk (Richard_Tuerk@tamu-commerce.edu) ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 09:31:29 -0500 (EST) From: Saroz Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-24-97 Ok, people, a Xmas gift question for you all: This morning (Xmas Day) I recieved as perhaps my most prized gift of the holiday, a box of Return to Oz TOPPS trading cards. There are 36 wrapped packs in a pictorial box (the front of which has the logo and the novelisation's cover artwork...the rest of the box is predominantly green with the orange logo). These packs fit evenly inside the box, and the wrappers come in four designs (yes, also evenly distributed - each design appears on 1/4 of the wrappers) - The Scarecrow, Dorothy & Billina, Jack Pumpkinhead and Tik-Tok. Now, for one thing, the Winter '92 Bugle doesn't list this box, or that the wrapped ones ever came together. Did I simply get a complete 'for-sale' box, which fans normally would not have bought in '85? Also, should I open up the wrapped cards? The bubble gum is stale for sure, but... ;-) Or should I leave them wrapped. My tendency is to leave them wrapped. Sarah Hadley ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 12:09:31 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: OZ Date: Wed, 24 Dec 97 13:45:16 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things DATES??: Bompi wrote: > ... But what's a date? :-) I too am very vague on this concept...Could someone explain it to us? :) A date is a kind of very sweet fruit that grows on certain palm trees, usually eaten dried (at least in non-palm-growing countries). It is a frequent ingrediant in fruit cakes. Another type of date is the way of identifying a short period of time as: February 15, 1940 is the date of my birth. The word was found in certain motion picture titles such as: A DATE WITH JUDY (but Scott H. would know more about that than I). It could also be a false singular for "data," which is the name of a Star Trek Next Generation android. (He needs a singular because he might be mistaken for Lore). The phone lines will be down at my office until December 30, so this will be the last message I will get out for awhile. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannucah, Good Kwanzii, Sleep well Ramadan, fine Winter Solstice, Riotous Saturnalia, gut Yule. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 20:13:07 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman J. L. Bell - Believe what YOU want - I for one am tired of your carping at Baum and distorting my posts. Go back to your group trying to take medals away from dead men and leave us to Oz. I hope your Christmas is merrier than your thoughts. So to everyone, including J.L., a Merry Christmas. Regards, Bear ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 14:06:00 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 J.L.: My centennial manuscript was called _Tip of Oz_. Did Nathan write one with that title, too? David: I listen to Limbaugh, and believe what he says. Not that I necessarily agree with his opinions, but I have not known him to lie. Dave: S is the symbol for sulfur. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 15:15:08 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-23-97 Nathan: _Tip of Oz_ is, in fact a follow-up to "A Murder in Oz," though set a good many years later. I chose to write about Tip for a multitude of reasons. It was his differences from the other Oz kids, particularly with the events of "Murder" that I felt I could really express myself through. www.uno.edu/~drif/silent/OSL41.html has several phots of Juanita Hansen; however, none of them are of her as Queen Zixi. www.uno.edu/~drcom/Silent/annex/MaryCarr.jpg shows the 1925 Aunt Em, out of character. They also have Virginia Lee Corbin and Wanda Hawley (who allegedly appeared uncredited in 1925 Wizard) Dave: Have you been to the Oz Kids site (www.munchkinland.com)? In the five I saw, they never said who Glinda's husband is, so you might want to e-mail Andrea (yes, you can do that) and ask if Zim is her father. I found out that Neddie's dad is Zeb Hugson, so Dorothy married her second cousin, according to Willard. In PG, Baum refers to Nick as "something of a dandy." I thought this was a euphemism for a homosexual back in the nineteen-teens, which Nick has made clear that he is not. I read this all the way through yesterday, reliving the ancient Christmas tradition as I listened to my new Georges Delerue _Music From the Films of Francois Truffaut_ CD, albeit in my old Del Rey paperback, so I a not certain about the pictures and the chapter openings someone mentioned, as it does not seem to matter in this edition which leaf the chapter starts on. (I previously read this in fifth grade in a white edition.) I think the frustration theme seems an important one, which is why the Foolish Owl and Wise Donkey segment seems important. They don't learn anything, they are just given a torrent of useless advice. I think the fact that Ojo was told multiple times about the six-leaved clover and the fact that he never bothered to say what he was questing for, and the lack of need for these items, knowledge of the law against magic, and the like, make the Wizard doing everything seem important. This is also to show the advances that the Wizard has made from being a humbug, that he was now becoming what he had claimed to be. The horners mining Ra seems like an early attempt at SF. My dad was telling me that during the war, women would wet radium needles with their mouths and get cancer. These people eat with Ra silverware, so they must be severely affected by it, which may account for their strange appearances, before it was relize that all nuclear materials can do is cause cancer, certainly a less exciting result than early SF writers would have hoped for, especially with their dry brown skin and Kool-Aid colored hair. Also, I think the racism of the song is appropriate to the contaxt of the horribleness of what is being played. Some music in the book is treated postively, and other music, more prominantly, negatively. The fact that Scraps awakes to a march (the main title from _Jules et Jim_ for me, despite the anachronism. If you've seen it, you'll understand.) That wolf coming to the door three times seemed to be one of those things where the writer is wanting you to think, but has no particular meaning in mind, but probably understands several possible interpretations. I say this because I have done the same thing. I always wonder if that makes me a hack. The Patchwork Girl himself (Pierre Couderc) directed a film called _La piste des giants_ in 1931. It was remade in Germany as _Die Grosse Fahrt_ by Lewis Seiler, the same year, by Fox, as one of those shooting it a different time for each language deals. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 15:38:37 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-24-97 J.L.: In _Tip of Oz_, Woot gets hit by a car, but this part of the story is told by a rather unreliable narrator, so I do not know if this is even true. At any rate, save possibly some bruises, he was unharmed. Where in Oz, you may ask, was Woot hit by a car (not a Scalawagon, but not just because they are not public domain)? Well, you'll have to read it (supposing it comes out) but, it's a very unusual situation, parodying _The Terminator_ (and of course _The Wizard of Oz_ (1991/I)) and _Wild at Heart_. He does not have a major role in the story, however. Dave: Considering that I just now read PG, I would say no. I'm not sure I'll ever know what a date is. There have been several likenesses of both Ozma and Tik-Tok. There are the hideous Ozma likenesses in the Octopus MLoO and _Ozma and the Wayward Wand_. While most animated Tik-Toks and even Disney's Tik-Tok look roughly similar to Neill's conception the 1987 _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ TV series, and the 1936 film _Oz University_ include vastly different likenesses. Tik-Tok has a bell-head in the animation, and in _Oz University_, he is a girl snapped into a cardboard pocketwatch, with pocketwatches hanging down the legs. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 23:48:05 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones John Bell: As far as I can remember, nobody has ever written about Woot as yet. Dave: I guess _Patchwork_ has about finished, except that I'll say it's the first of the Oz books that took place entirely in Oz. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 27 Dec 97 09:47:45 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things JUST DANDY: Scott wrote: >In PG, Baum refers to Nick as "something of a dandy." I thought this was >a euphemism for a homosexual... I don't think so...In Louisa May Alcott's _Eight Cousins_, Cousin Steve is referred to as a "Dandy", but that only refers to his spiffy clothing, including gloves and high top-knot. Like all LMA heroes, Steve likes girls. Jellia: Alcott's heroes like girls so much that they even think that they should be allowed to vote! :) NEILL'S OZ: Scott wrote: >While most animated Tik-Toks and even Disney's Tik-Tok look >roughly similar to Neill's conception... This includes _Dorothy in the Land of Oz_, in which everyone looks Neill-esque...Even Dorothy looks like Neill's Dorothy in _DOTWIZ_... BCF: Tyler wrote: >I guess _Patchwork_ has about finished... What should be our next BCF? _Tik-Tok_ seems logical, but I was thinking that I wouldn't mind a discussion _Little Wizard Stories of Oz_...How does everyone feel about that? -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 28 - 29, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 14:58:19 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Dave - I like your Little Wizard Stories idea. We're such a bookish bunch I'll bet most of us have lots of new books from Christmas to attract us now. Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 18:08:31 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmama Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-27-97 Dorothy's self-image: Rich T. has pretty well said it for me. Dorothy undergoes major growth during _Wizard_. In that sense, the book is an early example of American bildungsroman...very early, in fact, since my on-line Webster's says that "bildungsroman" didn't appear in the language until 1910. But, just because the word didn't exist, that doesn't mean that the form wasn't around. Baum clearly showed her coming of age...her growth...as a major theme. She's really a remarkably confident little girl after this book. People forget how focused _Wizard_ is and how good a writer Baum could be. Perhaps we take Baum too much for granted because so much of his later writing was cranked out in a hurry and was (forgive me, but it's the correct term) hack work. _Wizard_, for all its faults, was not hack work. It was, and still is, a terrific piece of juvenile fiction. I prefer to remember L.F.B. for this piece of writing more than for his anti-Amerindian stuff. Yes, it exists, and yes, it reflects an uncomfortable aspect or "our hero," but it doesn't represent the whole man and his contribution to literature. Sorry for the lecture. Didn't know I was gonna do that, but I think I'll let it stand. I'm kinda weary of all the flap about the Aberdeen stuff, and just want to keep a balance, y'know? Steve: Date?! LOL! Thanks. Bear: I've always been very fond of curmudgeons. Totally tangential query: How many Digesters *do* find Rush L. a truth-teller and/or a man of wisdom? FWIW, I think he plays on people's fears and is a very, very dangerous teller of half-truths. I find him frightening because he can sound so plausible and can appeal to a cross-section of Americana. I do *not* want to start a fuss or any arguments. Just statements of opinion, which may be an unrealistic request. [Just to insure that there are no infights on the Digest, please respond to Robin privately... -- Dave] Scott H.: Tik-tok's a girl snapped into a pocketwatch? Ugh! And thanks for the URL to OzKids. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 20:17:02 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones David Levitan: I think that I'd call the actions of the Wizard at the end of his namesake book a deposal. Certainly, he never would have left the throne and Dorothy and company not arrived. While they did not defeat him in the sense that the witches were defeated, perhaps we can say that the Wizard was forced into early retirement. Also, the Cowardly Lion became a king, much like the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. He was invited to rule the forest in the Quadling Country where he killed the Forest Monster. BTW, that "IS" a plug for Buckethead's book _The Forest Monster of Oz_. :-) Scott Hutchins: I think that "dandy" referred to a high-society playboy, somebody (male) who enjoyed dressing up, took great pains in his appearance and social standing, going to the right parties and basically "being rich". Woot in Oz: Of course, Woot has only been in public domain for four years, which may partly explain the lack of written material about him, except for unpubliched ms like _Tip of Oz_. For that matter, Kiki Aru has been public for only three. Dave: _Little Wizard Stories_ is a good idea. Even though there are six of them, they are short enough that we could probably take them all on at once. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 10:57:26 -0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-24-97 J. L. Bell wrote: >I've read that the red suit with white fur trim that we currently associate >with Santa was popularized by the Coca-Cola company's annual Christmastime >advertisements throughout the middle part of this century. I find it hard to believe that this would have influenced (English) Father Christmas as early as the 20's, by which time I believe he was red and white. J. L. Bell wrote: >I think "French kiss" is still in use, and "Welsh rabbit" No question on the former, but the latter is usually genteelized to "Welsh rarebit". // John W Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:06:09 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Bob Spark: You ought to see my BOOK collection. :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:14:36 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-27-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" David Levitan: >Also, who was the third friend she helped to gain a crown? The two I know are Nick Chopper and the Scarecrow. Who else?< Probably the Cowardly Lion. :-) To JoBell: One main reason I "discovered" Tip was a real boy after all is that Ozma's behavior after her transformation is so different that it's like Baum "killed" Tip and replaced him with another character. The "Switcheroo Spell" explanation was the best one for this situation. Besides, a lot of Oz fans, including me, missed the little fellow, so why not bring him back? Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:07:46 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Scott: >It's been about three years since I last saw MGM's Wizard, and I don't remember her saying anything about a smell of S, though I've seen it enough times it should have registered. < She says: "What a smell of sulphur." after Hamilton disappears in a puff of smoke. For years, I could not make out what she said either until I saw it written out. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:06:55 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Tzvi: >Just finished _Wonder City_ and was sorey disappointed, the book is a cyclone of events, people and magic, mixed together in a weird way.< You're not alone in that opinion. It's exactly what I thought of "Wonder City" when I first read it. :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:07:23 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-22-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Scott: >We both qualify for Mensa.< According to an IQ test, & Mensa charts, so do I. Had an uncle who was put in second grade ahead of my mother even though she was 6 and he was 5. He was intelligent enough so my maternal grandmother (a schoolteacher) got away with it. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 22:09:56 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-23-97 Sender: "Melody G. Keller" Dave: >Yes, and I guess that makes folks want to bring Tip back. And I suppose the Good Witch of the North is so minor a character in the FF that no one has expressed a desire to bring *her* back, except me.< Actually, it's more fitting for a young guy like you to bring back Locasta, since young guys supposedly have more scorn for wrinkled old ladies than most. (At least the young guys in the Hite Report on Male Sexuality seemed to have more ageist and look-ist problems than the older men who responded-the older the respondent males were, the more they emphasized love and caring over physical appearance. :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 10:12:12 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Jared Murray: You may well find when you get to Neill's first Oz book, no matter how weak the writing seems to you, that you still want to get his other two -- because his artwork continued to be as effective as ever. Lisa Bompiani: Neill can't very well be as much "the" Oz illustrator as Tenniel and Shepard are the Alice and the Winnie-the-Pooh ones, because he didn't illustrate the first book, and Denslow's illustrations are about equally good. (Some prefer one over the other, but I don't think there's a majority with a preference, and the most of those who have preferences still like the other one, in addition.) I suspect that Oz fans "see" Oz as Neill drew it, if only because he drew so much more of it, and the general public "see" it first in terms of the movie, but secondarily as Denslow drew it, because so many of them aren't aware that the sequels exist. It's a pity that it didn't occur to Reilly & Lee when Thompson retired and Neill started writing the series that it would have been a good investment to pay him (c. 1940) to do a set of "Wizard" illustrations they could stockpile until 1956, when the copyright ran out. As it was, they had a new illustrator do them a "Wizard" in 1956, but that version naturally dropped out of sight, unable to compete with Denslow. (And, as David Hulan pointed out, Dick Martin's illustrations were also excellent in the main line of the 40 books. Coming at the end of the group, though, he didn't shape how fans see the stories to anything like the same extent.) J.L. Bell: In the Dorothy weepstakes -- in "Ozma," when she finds herself lost in a strange country, she "didn't cry, but only wept a little." If the Hungry Tiger Press collection of Snow's stories is out of print -- you could also find a copy of "Murder in Oz" in the relevant volume of "Best of the Baum Bugle" (Best #1, I think). Steve Teller: Your explanation of dates -- "We thank you very sweetly for doing it so neatly." Dave Hardenbrook: I don't think anyone has done an "Ozzy Christmas Carol" (although Michael Patrick Hearn did an "Annotated Christmas Carol") -- kind of an appealing (and/or appalling) idea. Yes, "Patchwork Girl" discussion seems to have run out -- good time to set a start-date for discussion of "Tik-Tok." (I'd prefer to skip "Little Wizard Stories" in discussion line, unless there are a number of people who feel like including them.) Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Dec 97 12:27:47 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things TO TYLER: >Of course, Woot has only been in public domain for four years, which may >partly explain the lack of written material about him, except for >unpubliched ms like _Tip of Oz_. For that matter, Kiki Aru has been public >for only three. Er, um, the Adepts are PD now, aren't they?? >_Little Wizard Stories_ is a good idea. Even though there are six of them, >they are short enough that we could probably take them all on at once. Since Books of Wonder has reprinted all the _Little Wizard Stories_ in one volume, I'm counting them as one book. LOCASTA: Melody wrote: >One main reason I "discovered" Tip was a real boy after all is that >Ozma's behavior after her transformation is so different that it's like >Baum "killed" Tip and replaced him with another character. The "Switcheroo >Spell" explanation was the best one for this situation. And as for Locasta, I was actually planning to write a story about the Good Witch of the North long before I knew about Ruth Plumly Thompson's _The Giant Horse of Oz_, and indeed reading that book was a major foil to my plans...But the "Switcheroo Spell" gave me an out and allowed me to bring her back "from the dead" as Melody did with Tip. Anyway, I really didn't like what I saw as Thompson sentencing the Good Witch of the North to "death" for not being young and beautiful. >Actually, it's more fitting for a young guy like you to bring back Locasta, >since young guys supposedly have more scorn for wrinkled old ladies than >most. Let's face it, I'm an exceptional guy. :) Audah: So why aren't Outside World girls as fond of Dave as we Oz girls are??? :) BCF: Are there any other votes on whether to do _Little Wizard Stories_? Unless the next couple of days produces a landslide of "no" votes, we shall start _Little Wizard Stories_ Monday the 12th. -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 30, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 17:07:48 -0500 (EST) From: sahutchi@iupui.edu Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-29-97 Dave: I didn't think Dorothy in _Dorothy in the Land of Oz_ looked very Neillish. Robin: In _Oz University_, credited only to "The Freshman Women" of the University of Michigan class of 1936, Tik Tok was played by a girl wearing a posterboard pocketwatch (front and back), and two hanging cardboard pocketwatches. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that it was an amateur production, it was shot in two-strip technicolor. About Neill: I don't think he accurately captured Baum's description of Scraps, particularly with the description of her hair. Of course, I like Bill Bryan's rendition, but that's almost totally inaccurate. Scott ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 14:35:14 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-29-97 Dave, > Are there any other votes on whether to do _Little Wizard > Stories_? Unless the next couple of days produces a > landslide of "no" votes, we shall start _Little Wizard > Stories_ Monday the 12th. I must have been looking the other way when the subject arose. At any rate, Monday the 12th is far too soon for me to procure a copy of _Little Wizard Stories_ unless I can get it from my local Barnes and Noble or Borders. If I am the only one in this fix, proceed without me and I will observe, passively, in hopes that an order from BOW will arrive shortly. Bob Spark P.S. I guess I was looking the other way when "bildungsroman" arose also, but it's a new one on me. Appreciate the enhancement of the old vocabulary. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 23:04:23 -0500 From: Tyler Jones Subject: Oz Sender: Tyler Jones Dave: Fear not, O mighty one. All of Baum's characters are PD, including the Adepts and Locasta/Orin/Tattypoo/GWN. I'll go ahead and vote "Yes" for the Little Wizard Stories. Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Dec 97 00:44:30 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things BCF: Bob S. wrote: >I must have been looking the other way when the subject arose. At >any rate, Monday the 12th is far too soon for me to procure a copy of >_Little Wizard Stories_ unless I can get it from my local Barnes and >Noble or Borders. I apologize for my seeming lack of sensitivity...I have been blessed to live in a city whose public library stocks most of the FF, and many of the Books of Wonder/Emerald City Press books, including their reprint of _Little Wizard Stories_; and sometimes I take it for granted... Maybe we should have _Tik-Tok of Oz_ as the next BCF and *then* _Little Wizard_, so as to give people time to get a hold of the book, which is probably harder to come by than the Baum 14 (though probably much easier to come by than some of the Thompson books are going to be!)... LOCASTA AND THE THREE ADEPTS OF OZ: Tyler wrote: >Fear not, O mighty one. All of Baum's characters are PD, including the >Adepts and Locasta/Orin/Tattypoo/GWN. Thank you for the peace of mind, Tyler. :) -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************ ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, DECEMBER 31, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 06:07:22 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-97 Dave, I appreciate the proposed change to _Tik-Tok_ for the next book under discussion. As far as insensitivity goes that was not, nor has it ever been, my perception of you. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 09:16:41 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest J.L. Bell: The 20's Coca-Cola ads probably helped popularize the idea of Santa as dressed in red and white, but the settling down to those colors was probably end-of-the-19th-century. Martin Gardner, in his introduction to the Dover "Santa Claus," thinks the red-and-white came from Thomas Nast's Harper's Christmas covers around the 1880s (in color, unlike his earlier "Night Before Christmas" illos, which were b&w). But I think Bill's queryer was mistaken in thinking that there was previously a general belief that Santa wore green. There was quite a variety of costumes, possibly including green (probably more widespread was the all-fur outfit), but no general agreement. I wonder if the queryer was thinking of Dickens' Spririt of Christmas Present, who is described as looking like Father Christmas and as wearing a green robe -- but it doesn't follow that other people (or even Dickens, necessarily) thought Father Christmas wore green. Melody Grandy: The line that I always found confusing was the crimson-robed Munchkin's jubilant exclamation of "Tiffany!" I couldn't see what the jewelry store had to do with it. Then the publication of the screenplay came along, and it turned out that the shout was "Epiphany!" (Doesn't actually make much sense either, but comes as close as a bombastic officialdom needs to.) Tyler Jones: Er -- actually, although the Good Witch of the North (along with all of Baum's characters) is in Public Domain, Tattypoo/Orin is under copyright for a few years yet. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 15:31:28 -0500 From: Richard Bauman Subject: Today's Oz Growls Sender: Richard Bauman Bob - Copies of LWS are readily available. If not locally from Amazon. This must be the shortest Digest ever sent. Hmmmm. Maybe it has something to do with "David of the Windy City" being out of town. :) :) Happy New Year All, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 22:25:03 -0500 From: "J. L. Bell" Subject: Oz-lections and Oz-depositions Sender: "J. L. Bell" to David Levitan: As others surmised in my absence, when I wrote that Dorothy "deposed three monarchs, and helped three friends attain crowns," I was counting Oz the Great and Terrible as one deposee (choosing honorable exile once his true power was revealed), and the once-and-future Cowardly Lion as "King of Beasts." In the color plate of Dorothy meeting Glinda, the Lion even wears a crown! Dorothy follows up this performance in WIZARD by helping to put Evardo XV and his mother in power in Ev in place of Langwidere, severely weakening Roquat, and picking a new Mangaboo monarch. Given that track record, I find King Dox's welcome for her in ROAD very bold. He should be feeling his throne totter beneath his tail! Speaking of Dorothy, Rich Tuerk wrote: <> Good point. One of the mental images I have of Dorothy is standing with her hands on her hips, defying a tyrant or taking charge of an emergency. And the first time I find this pose in the books' illustrations is when she's supervising the repair of the Tin Woodman after liquidating the Wicked Witch of the West. She was always bold (witness how she chided the Lion at their first meeting), but she's starting to realize her own power. By OZMA that realization is full-blown. Scott Hutchins wrote to me: <> TIP is all yours, Scott; Nathan simply corrected my misspelling of your name before you had to do it yourself. I'm glad Woot survives TIP, and perhaps wasn't injured at all. I have a "Woot meets Yoop" short story in mind, so he needs to be wandering in good health. What's "_The Wizard of Oz_ (1991/I)" stand for? to John W. Kennedy: Twasn't I who wrote about "Welsh rabbit/rarebit"--but since my maternal grandmother's family name is Welch, I have some stake in disproving old slurs like "welsh on a debt." This holiday season I wondered if "Yankee swap" is a backhanded compliment to our thriftiness here in the Northeast. Melody Grandy wrote: <> Interesting motive for writing--thanks. For me one of Ozma's defining characteristics is how keenly she feels the responsibility of ruling Oz. Tip had no such responsibilities, of course, so it's hard to guess how he would have responded to them. For all Baum's talk about Ozma having fun like any other girl, she doesn't get to enjoy the sort of mischief Tip created. Thanks to Ruth Berman on the tip about Tip in "Murder in Oz" in a BEST OF BUGLES. Steve Teller's comment about Neill's WONDER CITY manuscript caused me to wonder: <> Earlier I wrote, "I looked in my copy to confirm that Neill did illustrate the additions." But that was when I thought the house battle and Jenny's age change were among them. Neill did *not* illustrate voters lining up for the Ozlection, and he did *not* illustrate the removal of the wasp, snake, and toad from Jenny's personality--and both subjects were quite illustrable. (He didn't illustrate the Heelers, either, but they only appear in darkness.) Jenny's expression on page 315 is a bit vacant (and I don't like the way the Wizard is looking at her!), but that's not necessarily lobotomized. In other words, Neill-the-illustrator didn't work to support the editorial additions to Neill-the-writer's manuscript. That undercuts their reliability as Oz-history. On the quality of WONDER CITY, I want to make one point in its favor. Most Oz books with American heroines or heroes track them over many chapters to the Emerald City. Once they get to that heavenly metropolis, there's a rescue and/or a party, and soon after the children are either given a home or sent home. (DOROTHY & WIZARD, with the trial of Eureka, is an exception.) In WONDER CITY Neill tried something new: bringing Jenny Jump to the Emerald City early and then writing about the ensuing complications. The book shows that coming to Oz is *not* a cure for what bothers you, and that daily life in the Emerald City *can* be challenging. Those were novel themes that potentially expanded the series's depth. Too bad Neill wasn't a better story-teller. Finally, Bear, you chose an odd way to air your complaint about <>: you not only didn't quote a word of mine (as I quoted many of yours), but you assigned me to a <> when I'd belittled that aim. Now *that's* ironic! However delicious it is, however, a man can't live by irony alone. I'm off to my birthday cake. To all collectors: Yesterday I knocked on the door of a book dealer in Mendenhall, PA, who in August had a Geo. M. Hill edition of WIZARD on his shelves. I couldn't justify buying that copy, but I did want to finger it again. Alas, this store was closed for the holidays; another dealer told me the proprietor is sailing the Caribbean. So as my present to myself, I must be content with P. G. Wodehouse's COMING OF BILL (an unusual serio-comic effort). At least I could afford to bring that volume home! J. L. Bell JnoLBell@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 31 Dec 97 10:57:56 (PST) From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things BCF: The verdict is in: Given the time people are obviously going to need to secure a copy of _Little Wizard Stories of Oz_, _Tik-Tok of Oz_ will be our next BCF, starting Monday the 12th. _Little Wizard_ will be the next one after _Tik-Tok_... EX-PRESIDENTS IN OZ: Last night, I got to see _My Fellow American_ with Jack Lemmon and James Garner. It was a funny movie if only for being so refreshingly non-partisan. But I mention the film because it had an Oz reference -- On their way to Jack Lemmon's Presidential Library in Ohio, with the current president's goons on their tail, Lemmon and Garner get stuck in a "gay pride" parade with the marchers dressed as Dorothy and playing, "Over the Rainbow". Says one of the marchers when he recognizes the former leaders of the Free World, "Is there anything I can do for you?" Lemmon replies, "Only if your Ruby Slippers can get us to Cleveland!" Jellia: But can someone please explain to me again, slowly and carefully, preferably with diagrams, what Dorothy has to do with homosexuality?? Well, this is the last Digest of the year, and not much else I feel moved to say, except HAPPY NEW YEAR! -- Dave ====================================================================== -- Dave ************************************************************ Dave Hardenbrook, E-Mail: DaveH47@delphi.com URL: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Computer Programmer, Honorary Citizen of the Land of Oz, and Editor of "The Ozzy Digest" (The _Wizard of Oz_ online fan club) "When we are young we read and believe The most Fantastic Things... When we grow older and wiser We learn, with perhaps a little regret, That these things can never be... WE ARE QUITE, QUITE *** WRONG ***!!!" -- Noel Coward, "Blithe Spirit" ************************************************************