Author: Jane Albright
A past president of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Jane is a life-long Oz fan. She's attended Oz events around the country regularly since 1974 and amassed an Oz collection that ranges from antiquarian books, original artwork, and ephemera to children's playthings, posters, and housewares. In addition to speaking frequently about Oz, Jane has contributed to the Baum Bugle, written for Oziana, and loaned Oz material to numerous public exhibitions. She received the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award in 2000.
IWOC nominates new directors
Ballot distributed with holiday mailing Nov. 1, 2021 2021 members of the International Wizard of Oz Club will find a ballot and return envelope included in our annual holiday mailing. Members Blair Frödelius, Zoe O’Haillin-Berne, and Bill Thompson have been nominated to serve three-year terms, which will begin a the conclusion of the 2022 annual Board of Directors meeting. This will be a second consecutive term for both Blair and Bill. Our Board of Directors includes nine directors-at-large who represent Club membership. They contribute to decision-making and are expected to serve on standing or ad hoc committees of the Club. No officer positions are open this year for inclusion on the ballot. Brief backgrounds of each nominee are included in your mailing. There are three nominees and three openings so the vote is not competitive. Your votes do, however, demonstrate your agreement that these nominees’ interests and efforts are consistent with your expectations of our Oz Club. Voting is anonymous; we appreciate all those of you who participate.
Lynn Beltz receives 2021 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award
August 7, 2021 Lynn Beltz has been honored by the International Wizard of Oz Club as this year’s recipient of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award. Due to Covid restrictions, we were unable to present the award in person, however, Lynn was celebrated during our virtual convention. Eric Gjovaag, a past recipient and long-time friend of Lynn’s, appealed to her family and friends for a video tribute making the announcement. Learn more about Lynn and watch the tribute in the LFB Award pages of OzClub.org
Encore: More from Betty Ann Bruno
Betty Ann Bruno is one of the five writers included in our program about writing non-fiction. Like her book, The Munchkin Diary: My Personal Yellow Brick Road, Betty was a delight to interview. That brief ten-minute glimpse into her fascinating life, however, just doesn’t do justice to her. For those of you who’d like to hear more, here is a longer, 37-minute “director’s cut” of that interview….. Betty Ann Bruno — Encore [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstHHF8paSE[/embedyt]
The International Wizard of Oz Club
Want to know more about The Oz Club? Current Club President Jane Albright, who joined in 1971, narrates this slide show of images capturing highlights and milestones. It’s a bit more personal than some histories might be, but if you’d like a better feel for who we are, where we come from, and what we do, this might be just what you’re looking for. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVT0568hPa8[/embedyt]
Cosplay?
Meet Oz collector Billy Ferguson. A long-time member of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Billy creates and wears his own costumes. From L. Frank Baum to the MGM cast, he steps in and out of character with ease. Whether’s he’s Miss Gulch or the Cowardly Lion, Glinda the Good, or the Wizard, he draws on inspiration from his extensive collection (seriously, friends, we’re talking extensive!) to create just the right look for whomever he’s decided to be. He even puts costumes on friends and family to style wonderful photoshoots. Enjoy this chat with the man behind so many fun faces. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SCyb4eQJ6U[/embedyt]
Winners Announced
Each year, the International Wizard of Oz Club presents the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award to a person (or persons) who has made significant contributions to the work and purposes of the Club. That generally involves regional or national Oz Club convention work, creative or editorial work for Club publications, assistance with the technical work of the Club, or significant scholarship related to Oz and its creators. You can find a complete list of past winners on our website. A video prepared to share our 2021 winner is below. Our annual contests encourage creative writing, research, and art and are limited to work that is related to the world of Oz. This means entries must be about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its sequels, Oz plays, Oz movies, or any other version or aspect of Oz. All three contests offer a first-place prize of $100 and a second-place prize of $50. The Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction. The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Non-Fiction The Rob Roy MacVeigh prize for Oz Artwork You can learn more about the contests at our website. See the announcement of our 2021 winners here. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99uy6Mp7OnE[/embedyt] [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhi2Kp_jj8E[/embedyt]
Meet 5 Non-Fiction Writers
From a Munchkin’s autobiography to a book of Oz art, these are authors who tackle the facts. Oz Club President Jane Albright interviews five writers working in the non-fiction Oz genre. Betty Ann Bruno, The Munchkin Diary: My Personal Yellow Brick Road (2020) Brady Schwind, The Lost Art of Oz (TBD) Heather Greene, Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television (2021) Dina Schiff Massachi, “Somewhere on Top of a Mountain—a Real Journey to Oz” in the book Childhood Narratives and the Places They Inspire (eta 2021) Atticus Gannaway, The Men Behind the Curtain (TBD) [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqc7ogGAk9s[/embedyt]
Playing Oz: Family Game Night
Looking for an evening of Oz family fun? Check out these traditional Oz board games, all of which are “new” enough to be readily available: Emerald City Opoly and Oz Monopoly The Wizard of Oz: The Game (Fundex) Wizard of Oz Uno Wizard of Oz Game of Life Masterpieces Wizard of Oz Matching Game The Wizard of Oz Trivia Game 1999 Pressman The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Adventure Game The Wizard of Oz: The Yellow Brick Road Game The Wizard of Oz Scrabble Wizard of Oz Memory Challenge Yellow Brick Road game (by Cadaco) and the 100th Anniversary Wizard of Oz Family Board Game have been on the market longer, but are popular enough that they aren’t hard to find on the collector’s market. Don’t forget to look for Oz playing cards, too. And Oz chess sets are also available with a heftier price tag. Can you recommend additional Oz games? Please comment!