Enter and Win!
Thanks to Newsweek, four of our US/Canadian 2019 Club members can win the 80th anniversary Wizard of Oz issue. To enter the contest, send a photo of yourself celebrating the 80th anniversary to [email protected]. You’ll be entered in a drawing to win a copy of this special edition. Submission deadline is midnight (central daylight time) Oct. 14; winners will be announced Oct. 15 on Facebook and here (I’ll update the blog with winner names). Winners also will be notified by email.
UPDATE 10/15/19:
Congratulations to our winners:
Andrea Ely
Louis Berrillo
Kelly Pepin
Suzi Wooldridge
Only one photo per member, please, and do include your mailing address in case you win. We’re creating an online gallery of photos from the year’s events; use your name in the file name if you’d like it to appear in the caption there. Issues will be on newsstands in US and Canada Oct. 18.
A Newsweek editor recently asked me to provide an introduction to this Wizard of Oz 80th anniversary tribute. I was as delighted by the opportunity as I was intimidated by the short turn around. But I met the deadline (and the word count) with a piece I hope represents more than just my Oz experience. As our Oz Club president, I approached it as a chance to represent all of us.
Sincerest of thanks to my two friends, Sarah Crotzer and Laura DeNooyer, who gave me the constructive criticism I asked for pretty much on demand. (As in, “Can you read this and get back to me, um, now?”) The intro is considerably better for their improvements and I am confident both women will spot their specific contributions.
For the intro I tried to capture much of what defines Oz today. Fans are sure to spot my nods to The Wiz and Wicked, All Things Oz and the Banner Elk’s Land of Oz Yellow Brick Road. I started with Frank Baum’s Oz books and the Oz Club, and ran from there. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t work in attending Todrick Hall’s Straight Outta Oz, mention Denslow Island, or spell out “The Oz Museum” in Wamego, Kansas. So much Oz, so little space on the page! But I think I met my goal to express how diverse and far-reaching Oz has become for those of us who hold it close to heart.
Collectors who pick it up, enjoy! Fingers crossed that it will lead more fans to discover that there is a thriving community of Oz fans eager to welcome them to the fold.
