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


  •  Zuma Imprisonment: “Riots” or “Insurrection” in South Africa?
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Zuma Imprisonment: “Riots” or “Insurrection” in South Africa?
    21 Jul 2021
    In the wake of the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma on corruption charges, two South African provinces were swept by riots that current President Cyril Ramaphosa called an attempted “insurrec
  •  US Destabilizes Planet, Blames China and Cuba
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    US Destabilizes Planet, Blames China and Cuba
    21 Jul 2021
    Despite portraying Donald Trump as representing everything they oppose, when Democratic President Joe Biden took over the White House he left Trump’s measures against Cuba and China intact, virtual
  •  Class Struggle Shapes Haiti Political Conflict
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Class Struggle Shapes Haiti Political Conflict
    21 Jul 2021
    Class conflicts between Africa-born and Haiti-born Blacks and mulattos shaped Haitian political battle lines before and after the 1804 revolution and to this day, said Haitian American author and a
  • Freedom Rider: U.S. Out of Haiti!
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR senior columnist
    Freedom Rider: U.S. Out of Haiti!
    15 Jul 2021
    The United States playing any role in Haiti’s future is akin to the fox being left in charge of the henhouse.
  • What Did We Learn from the CPC’s 100th Anniversary? Leadership Matters
    Danny Haiphong, BAR Contributing Editor
    What Did We Learn from the CPC’s 100th Anniversary? Leadership Matters
    15 Jul 2021
    There is a lesson to be learned from the differences in recent U.S. and Chinese historical celebrations.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us