OZmosis: The Enduring Popularity & Artistic Influence of The Wizard of Oz

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.

Advance Praise for OZmosis

“As a longtime fan of both L. Frank Baum's wonderful Oz books and the beloved 1939 MGM movie, I am over the moon about this delightful (and highly detailed) guided tour over the rainbow . . . and beyond. You couldn't ask for a more knowledgeable or enthusiastic guide than Noel Holston. Every bit as engaging as it is insightful, his OZmosis is a breezy yet all-encompassing examination of all things influenced, inspired or impacted by all things Oz. Give this book a lion's share of praise for brains and heart.”

-Mark Dawidziak, author of A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe and Everything I Need to Know I Learned in The Twilight Zone

“Holston details how the ineffable magic of Oz gets inside us young, to evolve over a lifetime as our interpretations do. He explores this touchstone status in songs and musicals, TV episodes, movies from The Muppets to John Waters, cartoons and comics, poems and novels, museums and theme parks. Baum's century-old tale lives on as a springboard to probing our psyches, values, even faith and the supernatural.”

-Diane Werts, author of Christmas on Television

“A delightful hot air balloon ride revealing the slo-mo fireworks of all things Oz. Upon reading this book, you too will find the magical land where you least expect, along with lost treasures of your childhood.”

-Heidi Arneson, author of The Chalk Canoe