The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Frank Baum's original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) with the W.W. Denslow illustrations represented a real breakthrough in children's literature and paved the way for what Walt Disney would master. While the 1939 film is terrific, the original novel offers the superior tale, rich with social and political commentary oozing between the lines.

Unlike earlier children's tales, which featured European themes of princes, princesses, nobility, castles, and dragons, Oz is a truly American story. The characters discover their virtues, qualities they seek, not nobility. Free of the Wicked Witch of the East (Europe), equipped with her silver shoes (Locke, etc.) Dorothy has lost her way and found herself in a new world (modern America). She is desperate to return to her home as it was (early America - Kansas). With her we have the Scarecrow (farmer) without any brains, the Tin Woodsman (industrialist) without a heart, and the Lion (politician) without any courage. All will follow the road of yellow brick ($$) to find the Wizard of Oz (God).

Book: The road of yellow brick
Film: The yellow brick road
Book: Silver shoes
Film: Ruby slippers
Book: The Tin Woodman
Film: The Tin Man
Book: Oz meets with them separately, one at a time, appearing as a different image to each. All are given the same task – kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
Film: Oz meets all four. The task is to obtain the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The difference I found most interesting involved Dorothy herself. In the book, she is a small pre-pubescent girl (12) yet the leader of the group, the focal point around which the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and Lion rally. In the film, Dorothy is a sexually viable 16 year old damsel in distress, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"

I highly recommend the 100th Anniversary Edition which can be had at Amazon for $18.

Anyone dismissing the work as trifling story for kids has no clue. Those who appreciate writing that operates on multiple levels will find it an intriguing read. Some notable quotes:

Scarecrow: It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.
Dorothy: You may come with me if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains you will be no worse off than you are now.
The Tin Woodman: I shall take the heart, for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.

They shock Oz by killing the Wicked Witch, and then find themselves shocked to learn the wizard is nothing but a frail, old man. Consider what's below in the context of religion.

"I thought Oz was a great head," said Dorothy.
"And I thought Oz was a lovely lady," said the Scarecrow.
"And I thought Oz was a terrible beast," said the Tin Woodman.
"And I thought Oz was a ball of fire," exclaimed the Lion.
"No; You are all wrong," said the little man, meekly. "I have been playing make believe."

"I think you are a very bad man," said Dorothy.
"Oh, no, my dear; I'm really a very good man; but I'm a very bad wizard."

Rich. Like all classics, the ideas are as pertinent today as they were 110 years ago. Any ideas on the Wicked Witch of the West? What did she want? How did she get it? What brought her down?

Baum's novel is a magnificent addition to the best works of American fiction.

That's All, Folks!

While new posts will arrive occasionally, comments on a particularly worthwhile film, book, or thoughts on an interesting development, for practical purposes one can regard this as the final post in what has been a remarkably rewarding, interesting, and challenging experience.

I became a blogger in the spring of 2006, nervously submitting my first comments at Art Jacobson's The Data Port, Michael Bryan's Blog for Arizona, Stacy's Arizona Congresswatch, and at those free for all exchanges at Daily Kos. That fall, in the context of the AZ CD-8 and LD-26/30 elections, peppered with outrage at the Bush administration, I started this blog. It had nothing to do with my employment as Executive Director of a customized training institute.

Like many non-profits, the institute (SAIAT) relied on a public subsidy to allow it to offer services a for-profit school could never provide, but since we actually trained real people in real companies, we infuriated the local do nothing non-profits. Outside a cigar shop, I was warned we would be destroyed. I started taking classes towards a PhD. The warning proved accurate when another non-profit, TREO, stole SAIAT's funding. Instead of resigning at once, I chose to tie up loose ends and manage a six month “controlled burn” while researching and writing the SAIAT story. I dodged saboteur bullets, returned fire, and in May 2007, I resigned to devote full time to my dissertation. Something Else went live on 7/7/7.

For the do nothing money pits like TREO the story coined the expression "Cloth" which caught on in the local blogosphere. When TREO learned of the blog and the story, they considered hiring armed guards. I saw attorneys searching the material and wrote a post addressing them directly. The lawyers correctly surmised that the drama of legal action would reinforce my efforts, knowing that I had thorough and exhaustive documentation behind my facts.

The results exceeded my expectations. Local awareness of the Cloth, its lack of results, and the money squandered has reached targeted levels. On safe turf city council members fully acknowledge, "We know TREO stole funding," and people are now beginning to speak of substantive change regarding economic development. They have chosen to address leadership at the Chamber first, but make no mistake, with the Chamber they seek to have, the other money pits would have no place and no support.

I completed the dissertation, graduated with a PhD, and left Arizona for cloth free employment.

I would like to thank some of those who have posted comments. Their contributions have been invaluable.

Sirocco doesn't post often, but his remarks always contribute to the conversation. He's an extremely sharp software engineer with extraordinary depth and breadth. He's read shelves of books you haven't heard of. For reasons unknown he is super concerned that his anonymity remains intact. Maybe he's one of those genius cryptographer code breaker types that works for a secret acronym housed ten stories underneath DM Air Force Base.

Liza is a delightful human being with a real soul, one of those who truly understand that the one who dies with the most money may have in fact missed all that life is about. I've spoken with her, exchanged emails, and one of my regrets regarding how I left Tucson is that I did so without meeting her face to face over a cup of coffee. I will never forget Liza or the short story that she wrote and sent to me. Best Wishes, Liza.

Navigator was too frightened to meet with me personally. I think my border material spooked him. Nav has a thing for Liza and all but admits it. Some of his insights have been remarkable.

Observer always comes up with stuff I hadn't thought about, in particular good links to material on YouTube or elsewhere. I still cringe over his posting of people being interviewed outside of a Sarah Palin book signing. OMG.

Robish – Robish is a well meaning and terrific person truly committed to making a difference for the community. He probably understands Tucson as well as anyone here and definitely knows what it is to deal with the self-serving, do nothing goons of the Cloth.

Travis – Travis only very rarely submitted comments back in the days when I was fuming about Rio Neuvo and the Club/Cloth/Superclub, etc.. He has submitted some of the most insightful writing I have seen regarding the screwed up nature of the Tucson community.

Framer – Like myself, Framer started blogging in the context of the 2006 AZ CD-8 election, calling his blog Arizona Eighth. His blog gained quite a bit of momentum and has since merged with Gila Courier. He's now quite actively engaged in the Tucson tea party efforts. Framer, Liza, Sirocco, and I go way back to the TDP days.

Casey - I met Casey during the SAIAT days. He uses his real name and now lives in San Diego. He knows blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and all this stuff at a level I can barely imagine. He calls it "social media." Casey can probably Twitter to his Facebook page and blog at the same time from his cell phone.

Texpatriot – I bet Texpat, a friend of Sirocco's, is hot. She's a sharp example of what Republicans can be when they don't jettison intellect, education, and facts. She's what the GOP could be if it didn't drink the Dobson kool-aid and start kneeling before the likes of Limbaugh and Palin. We need more people like her. I would like someone like her with me, right now.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to All. I honestly don't know what is next, but the time has come to make it official that this place is dropping back to a far less active status. Let's face it. How do you engage someone howling about death panels and birth certificates, thinks socialism and fascism are the same thing, and wants the world to end next year?

I'd like to extend a huge "Thank you!" to all readers. Folks are most welcome to check in now and then, for I will continue to post commentary about a particularly good film or book, or a compelling development. For example, if you can stomach it, consider this documentary about PNAC and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.