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


  • Hierarchies of Modern Western Colonialism
    Dr. Kweli Nzito
    Hierarchies of Modern Western Colonialism
    10 Dec 2020
    Imperialists continue to exercise control of former colonies from the comfort of their metropolises as their former subjects appear resigned to their post-colonial fates.
  • Reckoning With Slavery: What a Revolt’s Archives Tells Us About Who Owns the Past
    Marjoleine Kars
    Reckoning With Slavery: What a Revolt’s Archives Tells Us About Who Owns the Past
    10 Dec 2020
    Writing one’s own history is an act of emancipation. “Former slaves organized a government and controlled most of the colony.”
  •  Black Agenda Radio for Week of December 7, 2020
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Black Agenda Radio for Week of December 7, 2020
    08 Dec 2020
    Beware Biden-Harris Neoliberalism
  •  Black Masses Not Yet Sold on Defunding the Police
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Black Masses Not Yet Sold on Defunding the Police
    08 Dec 2020
    Lawrence Grandpre, research director for the Baltimore-based activist organization “Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle,” agrees in principle with the demand for defunding police but d
  •  Reparations Not Yet a “Mainstream” Demand
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Reparations Not Yet a “Mainstream” Demand
    08 Dec 2020
    Reparations “hasn’t reached the point where there’s really a discussion among white politicians” on the merits of the issue, said Zuri Arman Kent-Smith, a writer and activist with
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us