Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Wizard of Oz redux— …and some casting questions…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
24 Aug 2022
🖨️ Print Article
Wizard of Oz redux—  …and some casting questions…

                                                                                                                     Wizard of Oz redux—

                                                                                                            …and some casting questions…

Suppose Hollywood hits you up
‘bout this big budget redo of
The Wizard of Oz? What if they
say it’s all your call…’cept this?

They say you must shoot in Uvalde
using locals. No big name stars. Do you say
“OK” when they say, “And you must cast the
Cops?” Or, do you ask—“What as?”

Angry Apple Tree? Crows in the Corn
Field? Ozmites? Tin Polishers? Horse
of Another Color? Almira Gulch’s bi
cycle?

Lullaby League? Lollipop Guild? Scare
crow? Sleepyheads? Munchkin Fiddlers?
Munchkin Soldiers? Munchkin Barristers?
Munchkin Mayor? Munchkin Coroner?

Hunk? Uncle Henry? Hickory? Toto?
Dorthy Gale? Aunt Em? Almira Gulch?
Professor Marvel? Tin Man? Glinda?
Wizard? Wicked Witch? Ruby Slippers?

Winged Monkeys instructed: “Take your Army
to the Haunted Forest and bring me those boys
and girls! Do what you want with the others—
They'll give you no trouble I promise you that?”

Winkies chanting, “O-Ee-Yah! Eoh-Ah!” into
radios in the school hallway? Hearing, “Poppies,
poppies, poppies” instead of some shooter’s
Pop-pop-pop-pops for some 70 minutes?

Are we leaving any characters out?

© 2022. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can Vote for his work at: GoFundMe and PayPal.

Uvalde

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Biden's Marijuana Policy Frees No One
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Biden's Marijuana Policy Frees No One
    12 Oct 2022
    Biden's announcement of pardons for federal convictions of marijuana possession is meaningless. The pardons free no one from prison and don't even expunge records.
  • Trump Calls for Peace in Ukraine While Democrats Make Support for War a Midterm Campaign Issue
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    Trump Calls for Peace in Ukraine While Democrats Make Support for War a Midterm Campaign Issue
    12 Oct 2022
    Donald Trump is no peace maker, but his stance on negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is in stark contrast to that of the democrats, who fully support continuing the dangerous proxy war against…
  • TESTIMONY: Temwayaj Kout Kouto, 1937: Eyewitnesses to the Genocide
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    TESTIMONY: Temwayaj Kout Kouto, 1937: Eyewitnesses to the Genocide
    12 Oct 2022
    Rarely do we hear from the victims of the 1937 genocide of Haitians at the Haiti-Dominican border. Their memories are one of unimaginable violence.
  • Hurricane Harvey and his destructive siblings...
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Hurricane Harvey and his destructive siblings...
    12 Oct 2022
    Hurricane Harvey and his destructive siblings...
  • Red Alert...
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Red Alert...
    12 Oct 2022
    Red Alert...
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us