Judy Bieber is a Professor of History at the University of New Mexico. Her day job consists of teaching and research about the history of Spanish America and Brazil. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the history, meaning, and wonder of the Oz books and the life and era of L. Frank Baum.
This presentation extends her fascination with the depiction of gender roles and magical states of being in Baum’s Oz books. The Tin Woodman identifies with his formerly human self, which motivates his quest to regain a heart. He considers himself to be alive. Tik Tok is resolutely mechanical, animated rather than living, with no desire to be 
anything else, or so he says. Both, however, demonstrate qualities of human kindness and gentle masculinity that are more similar than they are different. Baum eventually would feature each as protagonist in Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) and The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918). Do metal men possess special characteristics that flesh-and-blood Ozians lack? This question and more will be answered in this deep dive about two of Baum’s most beloved, enduring creations.
Judy has been active in the Oz Club since childhood, having joined the International Wizard of Oz Club in 1977. She has served on the IWOC board of directors, and has published articles and book reviews in the Baum Bugle. At IWOC conventions, she has delivered presentations about Baum’s pseudonymous works, gender representations in the Oz books, among others. Judy enjoys learning how to use old things, from vintage cameras to treadle sewing machines. She is excited to attend her first Teslacon.