Mowed Lawns of Oz

[vovat]

I went to bed around 9 AM, but I only managed to sleep for around four hours before waking up and being unable to fall asleep again. So I spent some time on the Internet and playing The Sims before going back to bed, and it wasn't until after 9 PM that I got up for good. It sometimes seems like I waste the weekends, although I guess that's kind of what they're for. I did make the trip to the grocery store that I mentioned in my previous post. It was around 11 PM that I finally got around to going, so thank the Grocery Gods [1] for all-night stores, I guess. I ended up having to check out twice, since I was alone and had to buy some big bags of salt for the water conditioner. I guess that's what I get for moving to a place without a municipal water supply. We never had to get such things back at my mom's house. I do remember hearing that there might have been lead in the pipes [2], though, so I guess you can't win when it comes to plumbing.

I got my latest Baum Bugle a few days ago. It has some articles on Sherwood Smith and William Stout, the author and illustrator of The Emerald Wand of Oz and Trouble Under Oz. According to the Smith article, the publishers were originally aiming "to scrap everything that had been established over the years and create a 'new' Oz," which would include "the Witch driving a Rolls Royce." Thankfully, we ended up with two more traditional and consistent Oz books, although there's some question as to whether the other two in the series (one of which has already been written) will be published.

There have a been a lot of re-imaginings of Oz over the years, which is cool in a way, since The Wizard of Oz has become somewhat of an archetypal fairy tale. On the other hand, I'd really rather see new stories set in the "real" Oz than another alternate take on the original story. ("In this version, Dorothy is a go-go dancing waitress, the Cowardly Lion is a baseball card dealer, the Witch is Condoleezza Rice, and the Emerald City is Butte, Montana!") While part of this is due to the "it's been done before" factor, I think another part might have to do with the fact that I generally prefer to look at works of fiction I enjoy in a "What if this were real?" kind of way, rather than the "let's find the theme and the hidden meanings" way that English classes favor. Although I suppose a well-written piece of fiction can be looked at in both of these ways. On the Oz mailing lists that I've been on, people often refer to "Oz as history" and "Oz as literature" as different ways of looking at what's in the stories.

[1] If we're going by the Greek pantheon, perhaps grocery stores would fall into Demeter's jurisdiction?
[2] That would explain a lot, wouldn't it? :P

Comments

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

As to grocery stores, I think they fall under the jurisdiction of Anthracitus, who also happens to be the god of theme park queues and horse-drawn carts with a rebellious fourth wheel. Offerings may be made to him in the form of buy-one-get-one-free coupons between the hours of 11pm and 5am. His sigil is the wilted rutabaga.

As to the title of this post, I wonder if Ozites ever mow the grass. Or perhaps Ozma has deemed that no domesticated lawn plants may ever grow above six inches. Lawn ornaments must be polished on Tuesdays.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

As to grocery stores, I think they fall under the jurisdiction of Anthracitus, who also happens to be the god of theme park queues and horse-drawn carts with a rebellious fourth wheel.

Well, at least it isn't Nuggan. I'm sure he'd consider a good deal of what's in the store to be Abominations.

As you may or may not know, the title was actually a joke from Smith. Both of her earlier Oz books had their titles changed by the publishers (the first was originally supposed to be The Winged Monkeys of Oz, and the latter The Nome Prince in Oz), and she was talking about how they probably wouldn't like The Sky Pyrates of Oz either, and she'd have to change it to something like Mowed Lawns.

I wonder if Ozites ever mow the grass.

Well, Ozma employs a gardener, who's probably responsible for the palace lawns. When I was a kid, I received a cut-out book called Cut and Assemble the Emerald City of Oz, and one of the stores included was a blacksmith's shop advertising "lawnmowers sharpened while you wait," or something like that. So I suppose that Dick Martin, at least, thinks that Ozites mow their lawns.

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

Grocery stores aren't efficient enough to be part of Nuggan's reign. Not enough paperwork and too many choices of fresh vegetables.

I never knew that about Smith or about the cut-out book. Is the cut-out book similar to the one produced by Neill? If lawnmowers are sharpened by a blacksmith, I wonder if they're anything like hand-drawn ploughs. You know, the small ones used before ox-drawn ploughs were popular.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Here (http://www.amazon.com/Assemble-Emerald-City-Models-Toys/dp/0486240533/sr=1-1/qid=1172375697/ref=sr_1_1/105-9468305-5546855?ie=UTF8&s=books) is the Amazon listing for the cut-out book. It's different from Neill's Oz-Toy Book in that, well, the pieces are supposed to be assembled into models. Also because the publishers didn't put it out without Baum's permission while he was still alive and writing. {g}