A Great Oz Book, ‘OZmosis,’ Is Out in Paperback and e-book Editions.
There’s also a companion playlist on Spotify featuring Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Miranda Lambert’s “Tin Man,” Cursive’s “Dorothy at 40,” and other songs inspired by L.Frank Baum’s books and the classic MGM movie.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been inspiring artists — filmmakers, political cartoonists, poets, sculptors, songwriters — for more than 100 years.
OZmosis collects and annotates works from tin-can sculpture to movie musicals. It’s an illuminating, lively, and sometimes wickedly amusing compendium.
Ozmosis grew into a larger survey of artists inspired by The Wizard of Oz, but it began with my recognition that many songwriters have appropriated Oz tropes and characters.
Treat yourself an hour’s worth of Oz music on Spotify, from alt-country originals to obscure covers of movie songs you know by heart.
Optimistic Voices — Bette Midler
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road — Elton John (Bernie Taupin)
Magdalene Lane — Don McLean
Tin Man — America
Tin Man — Miranda Lambert
The Tin Man — Kenny Chesney
Kansas — Melanie
Come Downstairs and Say Hello — Guster
What You Wish For — Guster
Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead — Ella Fitzgerald
Cyclone — Melanie
Optimistic Voices — Bette Midler
Dorothy at Forty — Cursive
Yellow Brick Road — Kris Delmhorst
And Your Little Dog, Too — Hannah Fury
If I Were Smart — Shelby Lynne
Cowardly Lion — Lori McKenna
If I Only Had a Brain — The Flaming Lips
Here’s the link to the Spotify playlist:
Order the book:
