Have you ever wondered, either as a child or an adult, who is the wizard? The real wizard? Evan Schwartz, who gave a three-minute talk at TED in February, just released the book Finding Oz, which you can now purchase on Amazon among other places.
Here is a creative and fun YouTube movie with a bit of tease. You can also join the growing in popularity Facebook Group.
Finding Oz tells the remarkable tale behind one of the world’s most enduring and best-loved stories: The Wizard of Oz. Offering profound new insights into the true origins and meaning behind L. Frank Baum’s 1900 masterwork, it delves into the personal turmoil and spiritual transformation that fueled Baum’s fantastical parable of the American Dream.
Before becoming an impresario of children’s adventure tales—the JK Rowling of his age—Baum failed at a series of careers and nearly lost his soul before setting off on a journey of discovery that would lead to the Land of Oz. Drawing on original research, Evan I. Schwartz debunks once and for all popular misconceptions and reveals how the people, places and events in Baum’s life gave birth to the unforgettable images and characters, from the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to the dual view of witches–as both good and wicked–that reflected the life of Baum’s mother-in-law, the radical women’s rights leader Matilda Joslyn Gage.
Finding Oz reveals how failure and heartbreak can sometimes lead to redemption and bliss, and how one individual can ignite the imagination of the entire world.
If you are in the Bay Area, be sure not to miss the uncut version of The Wizard of Oz at San Francisco’s Roxie Theatre on April 9 (evening) and April 11 (matinee). After Evan’s introduction and insights, you will see The Wizard of Oz in a brand new light.
To order tickets in advance (which they encourage in case they sell out), you can order through Ticketweb or through Roxie’s website.
“While just about everyone knows and loves this movie,” says Bill Banning, program director at the Roxie, “very few people have seen this spectacular film the way it was originally intended, on the big screen, with no commercials and no cuts to make room for commercials.”
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
