Monthly Archives: July 2024

CharlOz Will Soon Turn Charlotte into the Emerald City 

July 28, 2024 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and many other novels set in Oz, often referred to himself as the Royal Historian of Oz.  Well, I consider myself to be the Royal Historian of CharlOz, the upcoming Oz-themed literary and arts festival that will take place in Charlotte from September 26 through September 29.  The wizard who created this festival and spent more than a year organizing it is Dina Schiff Massachi, and I watched her work her magic throughout the entire process. 

Dina initially envisioned CharlOz as a book-launch event for her book The Characters of Oz: Essays on Their Adaptation and Transformation (McFarland, 2023), but then she started imagining a larger, more community-oriented event.  However, achieving this goal required substantial funding, so we applied for a grant from North Carolina Humanities.  When we received the grant, Dina went to work.  Dina and I would meet frequently about CharlOz, but she was the one who reached out to representatives from across the university as well as from various cultural and educational organizations in Charlotte and invited them to participate.  Often, after meeting with Dina over a cup of coffee, they signed on. She also arranged for a group of student interns from UNC Charlotte to help with the preparations.  The result is a collaborative festival involving numerous organizations from Charlotte and beyond.

I recently reached out to Dina and asked her for more information about the plans for CharlOz.  Here is what she sent to me:

CharlOz, as I’ve titled this Oz themed literary/arts festival, is a four-day event with a variety of ways to interact and explore Oz, the vast majority of which are free and accessible through Charlotte’s light rail system.

When I first began talking about CharlOz, most people had no frame of reference to understand my vision for this event. I explained that CharlOz is more than a celebration of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; it is also a celebration of how the humanities can create communities around stories. As people began to understand my larger vision for CharlOz, they began throwing their support behind this event. Now, with thanks to our sponsors–North Carolina Humanities, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Blumenthal (both the performing arts organization and the foundation), ImaginOn, the Lori and Eric Sklut Charitable Foundation, and many others, my vision is turning into an even better reality than I expected. 

CharlOz will run from the evening of September 26 through the evening of September 29. Highlights include:

  • A kickoff presentation by Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, at the Knight Theater on September 26.
  • An exhibit about the Land of Oz theme park at the Projective Eye Gallery in The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City.
  • An exhibit of student art that reimagines Oz’s characters at the Popp Martin Student Union on UNC Charlotte’s main campus.
  •  A full day of events on Friday, September 27, at UNC Charlotte’s J. Murrey Atkins Library that include discussions led by Oz experts from around the country, gaming, a virtual reality experience of the Tom John sets from Broadway’s first run of The Wiz, and hands-on creative opportunities including a puppet workshop from James Ortiz (who designed the puppets for the recent run of Into the Woods) and a drawing workshop from Marvel comic artist Janet K. Lee.
  • A full day of events on Saturday, September 28, at ImaginOn, including author talks, character appearances and many family activities.
  • The Charlotte Symphony will provide a sweeping orchestral backing of the beloved 1939 film The Wizard of Oz in Belk Theatre on both Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28.
  • Vendors at The Market at 7th Street on Saturday and Sunday.
  • A full day of events on Sunday, September 29, at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, including the premiere of a new restoration of L. Frank Baum’s silent film, His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz, with music provided by Ethan Uslan, and a presentation by Gita Dorothy Morena—L. Frank Baum’s granddaughter!
  • Opportunities throughout the festival to meet authors who write about Oz and Baum, including Gregory Maguire (Wicked), Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die), Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee (Sea Sirens & Sky Island), Angelica Shirley Carpenter (Born Criminal), Eric Shanower (Marvel’s Oz comics), Virginia Kantra (The Fairy Tale Life of Dorothy Gale), Gita Dorothy Morena (The Wisdom of Oz), Ryan Bunch (Oz and the Musical), Heather Greene (Lights, Camera, Witchcraft), Dina Massachi (The Characters of Oz & the Broadview edition of Wonderful Wizard of Oz) and Mark West (Before Oz & the Broadview edition of Wonderful Wizard of Oz). 

I hope CharlOz can be a vehicle through which everyone can have an enjoyable time reexperiencing the magic of story and childhood while finding common ground that bridges the imagined divides the grownup world creates.

Because of fire codes, almost all CharlOz events will have tickets. I recommend getting tickets to anything that interests you ASAP. They are on a first come basis. 

For more information, including registration, please see https://charloz.charlotte.edu

As the self-proclaimed Royal Historian of CharlOz, I congratulate and thank Dina and all the many people who have worked so hard to bring this festival to Storied Charlotte. 

Tags: CharlOzOz Festival

J. Christopher Schutz’s New Book about the Charlotte Three Case 

July 21, 2024 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

On June 6, 2020, I wrote a Storied Charlotte blog post titled “T.J. Reddy:  Charlotte’s Own Civil Rights Activist, Poet, and Artist.”  In this post, I wrote about how the late T.J. Reddy drew on his background as a civil rights activist in both his poetry and his paintings.  I also commented on his role in the famous 1972 Charlotte Three Case, which was one of Charlotte’s most important civil rights cases.  I remember thinking at the time that I was doing the research for this blog post that somebody should write a book about the Charlotte Three Case.  Well, I am pleased to report that historian J. Christopher Schutz has done just that.  Titled Going to Hell to Get to the Devil:  The 1972 Charlotte Three Case and the Freedom Struggle in a Sunbelt City, this book was published by the Louisiana State University Press a few months ago.  For more information about the book, please click on this link: https://lsupress.org/9780807181751/going-to-hell-to-get-the-devil/

Going to Hell to Get the Devil

Schutz is currently the Chair of the History Department at Tennessee Wesleyan University, but in the 1990s he was a graduate student in the history program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  His interest in the Charlotte Three Case dates back to his years at UNC Charlotte.  I recently contacted him and asked how he came to write a book about the Charlotte Three Case.  Here is what he sent to me:

I first moved to Charlotte in 1992 with my wife and one-year-old son, leaving behind seven years of work in non-profit agencies in California– the last five as a lay chaplain to the Juvenile Halls of Oakland.  That work had kindled my interest in the later fate of the African America Freedom Struggle as I had been witnessing the disproportionate number of kids of color wedging their increasingly hopeless lives into the dead end of poverty and the drug trade.  I became increasingly desperate to understand why they seemed so tragically left behind by the advancements of the prior decades, and thus appeared unable to channel their energies and anger against the economic and racial injustices they so obviously confronted. 

Having pondered those questions in my work, I was now interested in pursuing that subject by returning to formal education as a Master’s student in History at UNCC.  Two professors became key in exploring the subject of my book, Going to Hell to Get the Devil: The 1972 Charlotte Three Case and the Freedom Struggle in a Sunbelt City.  My first semester included a seminar on the Civil Rights Movement with David Goldfield.  He became a key adviser for me quickly in exploring the issue.  Secondly, Lyman Johnson, a specialist in Latin American history and the graduate program coordinator at the time– knowing my interest in pursuing a Freedom Struggle subject for my master’s thesis– mentioned to me the local Charlotte Three case with which he was familiar.  The conversation sent me to UNC Charlotte’s Special Collections where I found a collection associated with the case.  That master’s thesis became the root of this now published book a number of years late

As I looked into the case, two aspects particularly intrigued me.  First, it provided a window to explore the seeming stalling out of the profound promise of the Civil Rights Movement in the decades after the 1960s.  Secondly, the city of Charlotte offered an especially interesting template as a prideful Sunbelt city which had enjoyed explosive economic growth while simultaneously eschewing the call of its 1960s activists to share those fruits with its poorer populations of color.  My book, in fact, highlights the ways that Charlotte’s civic leadership in tandem with its business leaders, sought to carefully control the trajectory of its growth by constraining local Black Power and New Left activists from playing a role in charting the city’s development.  The Charlotte Three case provides a fascinating prism to view those issues.

Schutz’s book deals with an important court case in Charlotte history, but that is not the book’s only connection to Charlotte.  The book is part of Louisiana State University’s Making the Modern South series, which is edited by David Goldfield, the Robert Lee Bailey Professor of History at UNC Charlotte.  As Schutz mentions above, he studied with Goldfield during his years as a graduate student at UNC Charlotte.  It seems fitting to me that the editor of Schutz’s new book is his former professor.  In a sense, the long-standing connections between Schutz and Goldfield are like threads in a web—a Storied Charlotte web.

Tags: Civil Rights Movement

Saying Farewell to Charlotte Readers Podcast

July 13, 2024 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

I have heard it said that all good things must come to an end.  These words of wisdom came to mind when I heard the news that the six-year history of the Charlotte Readers Podcast will come to a close on July 16 with the airing of its 400thepisode.

Landis Wade launched the Charlotte Readers Podcast in 2018 after working for 35 years as a trial lawyer in Charlotte.  He set out to create an interview-based podcast to help “authors give voice to their written words.”  He initially envisioned podcast as a “great way to connect authors to listeners who enjoy good stories.”  For the first four years, Landis served as the podcast’s primary host, but in 2022 he brought in Sarah Archer and Hannah Larrew as co-hosts. 

During its six-year run, Charlotte Readers Podcast featured interviews with 450 authors, clocked in 160,000 downloads, published 50 community blog posts, and brought out nine books tied to the podcast.  Although they do not plan to release any new episodes, they are committed to keeping the podcast website active as well as the podcast’s RSS feeds so that people can continue to listen to the authors who appeared on the show and access the community blog.  Here is the link to their website: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com

I first heard about the end of the Charlotte Readers Podcast a few weeks ago when Landis sent me an email with the following re message: “Big Podcast News : Our 400th will be our last.” I responded by inviting Landis, Sarah, and Hannah to send me a few paragraphs with their parting words about the podcast as well as their plans for the future.

Here is what Landis sent to me:

Community may be at the heart of enjoying and surviving any creative endeavor, and if it’s not, it should be, because my Charlotte Readers Podcast experience was all about community. By taking on podcasting–something I knew nothing about–I met and became friends with hundreds of interesting and creative people, read engaging books, and got to spend time talking with talented authors from all over the country about two things I enjoy, reading and writing. 

When I reflect on how we reached 400 episodes, three things come to mind. First, there was the creative spark–the idea that got me excited to try something out of my comfort zone. The second was the creative fuel–the in-the-trenches-perseverance that kept me going, driven by the enjoyment I received by hanging out with my new community. And the third was what I call creative evolution, my willingness to try new things to keep the energy alive, which led me to team up with Sarah and Hannah, whose talents, contributions, and good humor made the podcast experience even more fun.  

My parting thought is gratitude to everyone who supported and joined us along the way. Next up is writing, travel, grandson time, and figuring out what creative idea to try next, and if I am lucky, Sarah and Hannah will be involved with that.

Here is what Sarah sent to me:

The best creative partners are the ones who inspire you to take risks. If Landis hadn’t called and asked me to come on as a co-host, I probably would never have tried podcasting. But I knew he already had a well-oiled machine running, and it seemed like a fun opportunity to meet other writers. 

It turned out to be that, and so much more. Every layer of community I’ve built with Charlotte Readers Podcast has been meaningful and rewarding: Landis and Hannah, with whom I’ve loved talking shop and recording bloopers; our listeners, whose enthusiasm warms my heart, and who always impress and educate me when they share their own writing advice; and our guests, who have proven to be as brilliant, funny, and articulate in conversation as they are on the page, and who have also been lovely, friendly human beings (even those New York Times bestseller bigwigs). 

One thing I prize about Charlotte Readers Podcast is the variety of authors we’ve featured, from every genre, walk of life, and career stage. If there’s one message I’ve heard echoed universally by this diverse and incredible group, it’s to write to your passions. I hope to heed that advice going forward with my own fiction and screenwriting projects in progress, and also to continue to share that message with other readers and writers as Landis and Hannah and I collaborate in the future. 

Here is what Hannah sent to me:

Faculty | North Carolina Writers' Network

Being a part of the Charlotte Readers Podcast team has been one of the most joyful experiences I’ve had in my professional life. The main reason for that is the collaboration with Sarah and Landis about one of the best topics ever: books. When book people connect with other book people, the conversation seems to flow so naturally, and creativity simply blossoms. I met Landis several years ago and began working with him on publicity for the podcast, which was a ton of fun because it was a world I wasn’t familiar with. I learned so much about both the back and front ends of running a podcast and really, how much work it takes to do something like this. Landis put his heart and soul into creating a platform for writers to share their stories – and by that I mean, both their books and their personal journeys. It’s something that not a whole lot of people have the drive or patience to do, but he did it and he did it well. I’m grateful to him for that.

Fast forward to when Landis asked me to join him on air as a co-host alongside Sarah Archer, who I’d admired for a long time as a witty, smart, and whimsical writer (both in her novel/short stories and on Twitter). It wasn’t even a question for me, it was just a YES. The most rewarding part of this entire experience has been getting to talk about meaningful stories with these two incredibly talented people. And as a result of these conversations with each other as well as writers we’ve had on the show, we got to connect books with readers. 

I’m sad that Charlotte Readers Podcast is coming to an end, but the good news for me is that it’s not the end of my collaboration with Landis and Sarah. They’re my creative family and I don’t see a time in the future when we won’t be connected/pursuing new adventures together. So, I’m excited for that! In the meantime, my family and I recently relocated to Indianapolis, IN, so I’m officially a Midwesterner, and I think I like it! After taking much of the summer off to be with my family, I’m looking forward to diving headfirst back into the book world in mid-August. I’m in the middle of planning holiday campaigns, book launches, and drum roll… some of my own writing projects. 

I thank Landis, Sarah, and Hannah for sharing their reflections on the history of the Charlotte Readers Podcast and for their many valuable contributions to Storied Charlotte.  

Tags: Charlotte Readers Podcast

Travelling Down the Yellow Brick Road with Dina Schiff Massachi 

July 06, 2024 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

I first met Dina Schiff Massachi about ten years ago while she was pursuing her M.A. degree in English at UNC Charlotte.  In addition to taking several graduate courses from me, she worked with me on a directed reading project dealing with feminist utopias in American literature. As part of this project, she studied the feminist themes that run through several of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books.  In the years since then, Dina has gone from being one of my graduate students to becoming a professional colleague of mine, but our shared interest in Baum’s Oz series has continued unabated.  

About a year and a half ago, Dina and I began working on a scholarly edition of Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for Broadview Press’s English Studies series.  As described on their website, the Broadview editions feature the work itself as well as “an introduction, explanatory notes, chronology, bibliography, and various appendices; the series has been particularly acclaimed for the inclusion in each volume of a wide range of background contextual materials contemporaneous with the work.” I am happy to report that our edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is scheduled to be released on August 23, 2024.  For more information about this edition, please click on the following link:  https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz/#tab-description

Dina and I are especially pleased with the primary source documents that we provide in the appendices.  These include related texts by Baum, such as an essay he wrote titled “Modern Fairy Tales.” We provide a selection of writings that influenced Baum, including a substantial excerpt on “Witchcraft” from Matilda Joslyn Gage’s Woman, Church and State. Gage was Baum’s mother-in-law, and her writings influenced Baum’s feminist values and his portrayal of witches in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Our edition also includes several of the contemporary reviews of Baum’s book.

Given the prominent role that illustrations play in the original version of the book, Dina and I are thrilled that our edition includes all of W. W. Denslow’s in-text illustrations.  Denslow’s original color plates are also included in a separate section.  Marcus Mebes helped us with the illustrations. 

The process of co-editing the Broadview edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was completely collaborative from writing the initial proposal to proofreading the final pages. We met on a regular basis and made all of the editorial decisions together, but we divvied up some of the work—I wrote the introduction while Dina took charge of writing the annotations.  

As a professor, I take great pleasure and satisfaction when my former students become scholars in their own right.  Such is the case with Dina. Over the past decade, she has achieved recognition as an authority on Baum and his Oz series.  We worked together as equals on this scholarly edition.  In a sense, editing this edition has been our own Storied Charlotte journey down our own yellow brick road.  

Tags: Broadview PressL. Frank BaumWonderful Wizard of Oz