Peep Behind the Curtain

A great deal of travel and research is going in to the writing of my biography of L. Frank Baum. This work is a journey of its own. Readers rarely get a chance to peep behind the curtain of a book, to look into what went into the writing of it. You will find information here about why I wanted to write this book and how I am going about it.

The questions that underlie this biography are:
• Where do stories come from?
• What are fairy tales?
• Why do we like to be frightened by stories?
• Are fairy tales really for children?

	The Oak Grove of Baum's Childhood

Like a detective, I am searching for clues in Baum’s life to help me to understand where his stories came from (50 books). In addition to the facts and events of his life, I am asking unusual questions about him, looking for answers in things on the periphery of his vision. I look into:

• How the landscapes that surrounded him through his life - the forests of the Mohawk Valley, the dusty plains of South Dakota, the urban energy of Chicago, the orange groves of California - shaped his writing.
• Baum liked to write outdoors and I want to know how this affected his tales, most of which take place outside. Architectural spaces are often interiors for tricksters and hidden dangers.

Baum Writing Outdoors

• Modern magic moved into machines for Baum. He was fascinated by new inventions and by electricity but he was also anxious about their impact on human beings.
• Baum believed in reincarnation, in ghosts and in spirit mediumship. He saw himself as a medium for modern fairy tales.

You can find out more about my approach to writing, to the life of L. Frank Baum and to The Wizard of Oz on my blog.