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


  • Black Agenda Radio April 15, 2022
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio April 15, 2022
    15 Apr 2022
    The Ujima People's Progress Party Conference, Eritrea continues its fight for sovereignty, and the book Manufacturing Hate: How Africa was Demonized in Western Media.
  • Ujima People's Progress Party Conference
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Ujima People's Progress Party Conference
    15 Apr 2022
    Gus Griffin, a member of Black Alliance for Peace Africa Team and the Membership Committee of the Ujima People’s Progress Party, discusses their upcoming statewide conference taking place in Landover…
  • Eritrea Continues Its Fight for Sovereignty
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Eritrea Continues Its Fight for Sovereignty
    15 Apr 2022
    Elias Amare is an editor and journalist at Horn of Africa TV. US policy towards Eritrea has always been hostile. Recent events have been no different as the US continues to target that nation with…
  • Manufacturing Hate: How Africa was Demonized in Western Media
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Manufacturing Hate: How Africa was Demonized in Western Media
    15 Apr 2022
    Milton Allimadi is publisher of Black Star News, an adjunct professor of history at John Jay College, and an adjunct professor in the graduate school of journalism at Columbia University. He is…
  • Liberal Russophobia and War Propaganda
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Liberal Russophobia and War Propaganda
    13 Apr 2022
    U.S. liberals are the worst perpetrators of Russophobic behavior. They are most likely to follow the dictates of corporate media and the democratic party and proudly take part in discriminatory acts…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us