I had a wonderful professor back in graduate school who we affectionately called “Kenny Rainbow.” There were many reasons for this, but the main reason was that through the years, into middle and then older age, he continued to be a huge “Wizard of Oz” fan. And I mean HUGE. He went to conventions. He read and wrote papers. He’s the only person I know to have read all of L. Frank Baum’s books. And so when I was asked to review the new biography of Baum, “The Real Wizard of Oz” by Rebecca Loncraine, I jumped at the chance, both for myself, and for Prof.

2009 marks the 70th anniversary of the classic Judy Garland film and that is from where most of us know those characters which have become so iconic in our Western cultures, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, Toto, even Auntie Em. But Baum created those characters long before then, at the turn of the century, during a time of economic depression in America as well as murmurings of modernization. America seemed to straddle fantasy and reality during those years, and Loncraine proposes that it is just that volatility that spurred on his imagination. She explains how Baum’s life and creativity were directly influenced by his times. Themes within society were played out in his work: theosophy and spiritualism, infant mortality, new technology and engineering. Loncraine argues that his personal ambivalence about the meaning of home, for instance, directly impacted his creation of the land of Oz and Dorothy’s need to be there.
It is a common method of biographers to seek sources of an artist’s creations in direct links to their lives. Loncraine believes so strongly that Baum was influenced by his surroundings that her book is divided not only chronologically, but also according to where he lived when he was creating. Part I is called “In the Palm of the Finger Lakes.” Part II, “The Great Plains.” Part III, “Crossing Lake Michigan.” Part IV is “Living Between Landscapes.” And Part V finishes the book in “Hollywood.” Some may argue with the validity of seeking “reasons” within such real-life parallels, but it does create a way into Baum’s very unusual and fertile mind.
Loncraine’s work is well-written, interesting, and full of history. Loncraine herself is British, but for two years she crossed the U.S., from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., via Las Vegas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Kansas Prairies. Her research shows, and through it she has presented a complete portrayal of a complex and unusual life and talent.
For all of us who remember and adore Oz and it’s inhabitants, “The Real Wizard of Oz” is an engaging read. For those of us, like my Professor, who have loved it with an abiding lifelong passion, it is a must.