L Frank Baum – Journey to Imagination

Tag: L Frank Baum

Angelica Shirley Carpenter, Part 1—-A Garden Party of Children’s Literature

Posted on August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 by Laura

Many of us have the experience of being so immersed in a book that we don’t want to stop reading. Late at night, we’re willing to throw off our circadian rhythms, whether it’s a thrilling page-turner murder mystery, a historical saga, or a sweet love story. Just one more chapter---then...Read More

My Journey to Oz & Kansas—Part 5: Why so much Oz?

Posted on September 9, 2019May 9, 2020 by Laura

Why are so many people captivated by the world of Oz? I wrote about the impact of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz earlier. Children were charmed by the Land of Oz decades before the MGM movie came along. The film heightened the intrigue---for children and adults alike. If...Read More

My Journey to Oz & Kansas—Part 4: The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

Posted on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 by Laura

Anticipating a road trip to Kansas while bombarded with weather reports about tornadoes is disconcerting. Especially when you’re planning to visit the Oz Museum. Yup, that’s how it was in May. Every morning the week before my trip, I turned on the news to more flooding and tornadoes across Oklahoma,...Read More

My Journey to Oz & Kansas—Part 3: The International Wizard of Oz Club

Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by Laura

When I casually mention The International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC) to the average person, I get a range of responses, but most fall into these two categories: giggles and astonishment. Most folks don’t know about all the dedicated Oz fans out there. Most folks never heard of the scholarly...Read More

My Journey to Oz & Kansas—Part 2: Meet Jane

Posted on August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 by Laura

Today---August 12---is the 80th anniversary of MGM’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz premiere. A big day in the world of Oz fans. Including Jane Albright, president of the International Wizard of Oz Club. After Jane read my blog posts about L. Frank Baum and my visit to the All Things...Read More

My Journey to Oz & Kansas—Part 1: The Real Dorothy

Posted on August 5, 2019September 3, 2019 by Laura

August 2019 is the 80th anniversary of the MGM movie premiere of The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Little known fact---about a half hour from my house in Wisconsin, the movie premiered in the tiny town of Oconomowoc on August 12, 1939, three days before Hollywood’s Graumann Theater showing. Oconomowoc...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #6: It’s So Cold

Posted on March 11, 2019March 7, 2019 by Laura

Here’s my gripe about Florida people. If you’re one of them, take this with a grain of salt. Literally--sidewalk salt for ice. Or with a few snowflakes . . . Up here in frigid Wisconsin, my husband Tim and I send texts about the weather to our Florida relatives. Something...Read More

Sing a Song of Sixpence: an Ode to Mother Goose

Posted on February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 by Laura

How many of these nursery rhymes do you know? Can you finish any of them? • Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall . . . • Sing a song of sixpence . . . • Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater . . . [caption id="attachment_1728" align="aligncenter" width="411"] Via the Greenwich Workshop.[/caption]...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 4: The Man Behind the Curtain, continued

Posted on October 22, 2018February 20, 2019 by Laura

Do you recall the resume in my last post? We left off with L. Frank Baum leaving Aberdeen--broke, disappointed, and disillusioned---with a wife and four kids to feed. Chicago---The Lean Years and New Beginnings (1890s) The Baums arrived in Chicago in time for the 1893 Columbian Exposition, a time of...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 3: The Man Behind the Curtain

Posted on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 by Laura

Would you hire this guy? So....is this guy a wizard or a humbug? Would you hire him? I suppose it depends on what you need. And how you measure success. The thing that L. Frank Baum is best known for---writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz---didn’t occur until he was 44...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 2: The Road to All Things Oz

Posted on October 8, 2018October 5, 2018 by Laura

The small town of Chittenango, New York is proud to embrace their hometown boy, L. Frank Baum. He spent his first five years in Chittenango, his birthplace. Later, he grew accustomed to seeing the yellowed hemlock plank road that carried salt barrels to Salina, possibly the inspiration for Oz’s Yellow...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 1: The Wizard of Chittenango & the Magic of Oz

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by Laura

Recognize any of these phrases? • “Some people without brains do any awful lot of talking.” • “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” • “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” • “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” • “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” •...Read More

Why was Einstein so brilliant?

Posted on March 26, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Albert Einstein? The theory of relativity? The atomic bomb? An image of a wild-haired genius? How about fairy tales? Seriously. He was a huge fan. Here’s what he said . . . ************************** "If you want your children...Read More

The Ruby Slippers

Posted on March 22, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

“Today the ruby slippers went on auction,” I wrote to my college-aged daughter in November, 2011. “They’re expected to be sold for 2 or 3 million dollars!” [caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Photo credit: twm1340 on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA[/caption] Audrey and I share a love of old movies, including The...Read More