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


  • Letters from Our Readers 
    Jahan Choudhry BAR Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers 
    04 Mar 2020
    This week you had Joe Biden’s electability, Russiagate, and the challenges of building a new peace movement on your minds.
  • BAR Book Forum: Joshua Myers’s “We Are Worth Fighting For”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Joshua Myers’s “We Are Worth Fighting For”
    04 Mar 2020
    The students imagined a new kind of university and a radical transformation of the world.
  • BAR Book Forum: Elizabeth Foster’s book, “African Catholic”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Elizabeth Foster’s book, “African Catholic”
    04 Mar 2020
    The decolonization of Africa, and the determined activism of prominent African Catholics, played an important role in diversifying the church.
  • Former UN Rapporteur on Human Rights: US Sanctions Have Killed More Than 100 Thousand Venezuelans
    Orinoco Tribune
    Former UN Rapporteur on Human Rights: US Sanctions Have Killed More Than 100 Thousand Venezuelans
    04 Mar 2020
    Catastrophic death and massive emigration are due to Washington’s financial suffocation and blockade of the socialist-governed country.
  • Lawyers for the Left: A Review
    Flint Taylor
    Lawyers for the Left: A Review
    04 Mar 2020
    This lawyers’ story inspires us to march forward against the forces of repression, oppression, and white supremacy.”
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us