Silver Shoes for the holidays!
Order copies of Silver Shoes for your friends and family by CLICKING HERE! They’ll love you for it!
Just in time for the holidays!
On the Road: The Louisburg Public Library
Two days after my presentation, reading, and signing at the Lawrence Public Library, I was off to Louisburg, Kansas, about an hour away. It’s just thirty minutes south of Kansas City. I didn’t know much about Louisburg, truthfully, except that they were known in the region for their delicious apple cider. My dad buys it in Lawrence all the time.
A representative from the Louisburg Public Library had contacted me a few months earlier after speaking with Maria Butler, who was the coordinator for the Lawrence book event. Maria knew they were planning a month-long celebration of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” So, sure enough, they asked if I would like to have a “Silver Shoes” event there.
Hey, I was “in the neighborhood,” so I was more than happy to oblige. A chance to promote and sell more books? You bet!
I then asked a good friend from high school, Melanie Reed, if she would help manage books and issue receipts, since I was not coordinating with a local bookstore to facilitate the transactions. Such is the life of a self-published author! Such is the state of book publishing today. Melanie now lives in Kansas City, Missouri, so it wasn’t too bad of a drive for her. She agreed, and everything was set. We were both excited that it would give us a long overdue opportunity to catch up, as well.
Of course, the day of the event—Thursday, October 8, 2009—it was pouring rain. That didn’t bother me much, but I was a little concerned about a turnout. I figured most people would decide to stay all comfy-cozy in their homes on a miserable Thursday evening, rather than venture out to hear some unknown author talk about his new book.
Happily, I was mistaken. I must say, I really love “Midwestern determination.” If they plan to do something, they do it. Weather conditions notwithstanding!
Pulling into downtown Louisburg, Kansas, on a quiet and rainy late afternoon. October 8, 2009.
The city was definitely smaller than Lawrence but absolutely charming. I loved the old downtown area, even in the gloomy rain. The library was located right on their old-school “main street.” And once I walked inside, I couldn’t have been happier with what greeted me. The library was all decked out in Oz!
The Louisburg Public Library in Kansas. October 2009.
Dorothy’s silver shoes, as depicted in L. Frank Baum’s original book, were painted on a front display case in the Louisburg Public Library.
A colorful banner, running the length of one wall, announced my event for “Silver Shoes.”
The library staff was welcoming and incredibly helpful. I met Karin Stuart, who had been my primary contact prior to the event, and she was wonderful.
Then my phone suddenly rang, and it was Melanie. She didn’t sound very good.
I asked her what was wrong. She informed me that she was still in the car, only minutes away from the library … but that she had decided, just the day before, to start an intense new diet. And the powerful pill she had taken had made her nauseous to the point of … shall we say … bringing back any and all recently digested food? She “woofed her cookies” in her own car, in plainer terms! The front of her shirt was a mess, and she sounded seriously wobbly, distraught, and terribly apologetic about the whole thing.
By this point, I was comfortable and confident that I could handle the event by myself with the capable assistance of the Louisburg Library staff, but Melanie said she still wanted to try to do this anyway. I was more concerned about her health and her ability to drive! She insisted, though. In fact, she was going to pull off the road, tidy up a bit, compose herself, and then join me, twenty minutes or so later. We would reevaluate the situation, at that point. I strongly suggested she reconsider and head for home, but her “Midwestern determination” was setting in, and I was powerless to override it.
I was also praying she wouldn’t show up looking and (more importantly) smelling like she needed either medical attention or a sobriety test. The event was still well over an hour away. That’s one thing about me—I always allow plenty of time whenever I go anyplace new. I hate rushing for any reason! I’d rather be embarrassingly early than panicked, winded, confused, and unprepared. Call me crazy. Besides, Melanie and I had planned to go to dinner before the event. She had mentioned in her most recent phone call that she was still up for it, hoping that food might settle her stomach. Apparently, in addition to this nasty diet pill, she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday’s lunch. Not good, Mel!
Fortunately, she arrived on the scene looking (and smelling) refreshed and ready to go. Whew! And I was truly glad to see her again after many years. We finished setting up for the presentation and then ducked out for a meal at a very good Chinese restaurant just a few doors down from the library. It was so great spending time with her and catching up.
When we returned to the library, I was thrilled to see people already gathering. I wasn’t going to play to an “empty house,” after all.
Paul Miles Schneider talks about his new book “Silver Shoes” at the Louisburg Public Library. October 8, 2009.
There were even a few surprises in attendance. A childhood friend from Lawrence, David Buller, showed up to the reading. So did Mike Boring, whom I’d known since grade school as well! And another friend from high school, Gina Spain Gerken, arrived with her son Chandler. Gina is a resident of Louisburg now, with her own family.
Paul Miles Schneider signs a copy of his book “Silver Shoes” for Gina Spain Gerken and her son Chandler at the Louisburg Library. October 2009.
It was terrific to see all of them again. And it meant a great deal to me that they showed up with their enthusiasm, love, and support.
Paul Miles Schneider and Melanie Reed at the Louisburg Library event for “Silver Shoes.” October 2009.
I really enjoyed myself at this event. The people of Louisburg were warm and friendly, and the staff was so accommodating. They even baked cupcakes for all of the attendees, complete with yellow frosting and little “Silver Shoes” book covers stuck into the tops of them! I was blown away by that.
“Silver Shoes” cupcakes, courtesy of the Louisburg Library staff. October 8, 2009.
The staff of the Louisburg Library also presented me with a gift basket of locally-produced goods and treats after the signing. Yum! And we sold a lot of books here, too!
The evening turned out to be just about perfect in all respects. Even with Mel’s harrowing “car sick story,” which only added a touch of color and, in hindsight, humor to the proceedings. I’m glad she recovered quickly from it. And I hope she never tries rapid weight-loss again.
On the Road: My Hometown Book Event in Lawrence, Kansas
At the end of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, Dorothy clicks the heels of her silver shoes together three times, and she is magically transported back to her home in Kansas.
… and that’s exactly what happened to me on this trip. No foolin’!
But it was my novel in this case, “Silver Shoes,” that transported me. It whisked me away to my hometown in Kansas for an unforgettable visit, capped off by a book event that was co-sponsored by the Lawrence Public Library and the incredibly cool downtown bookstore known as The Raven.
The Raven Book Store, located just east of Massachusetts Street on Seventh, in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. My novel “Silver Shoes” was proudly displayed in their front window with a poster and a notice about the upcoming library event.
I moved to Lawrence from New York City with my family when I was about four and a half years old. I was educated from nursery school straight through college in this same wonderful town. Eighteen years of my life, all told, before I moved back to New York again for a couple of years and then settled in Los Angeles. I’ve been living in L.A. for the past twenty-two years now—longer than than any other place—yet I still consider myself a “Kansas kid” at heart.
I miss a lot of things about Lawrence. Far too many to name, actually. But I remember the Kansas sunsets with a particular fondness and clarity. I wrote about them in my book, too. I used to gaze up at them as a kid and dream of other distant places. Some imagined and some not. So, whenever I would either read or watch “The Wizard of Oz,” it always seemed as if I were standing right at “ground zero” with Dorothy Gale. The place where all possibilities began.
Sunset in Lawrence, Kansas. I took this photo on October 1, 2009, from the corner of 23rd and Iowa Street.
My trip to Lawrence was divided into two parts, this time. We first arrived and spent a fast day and a half, driving all around, looking at familiar sights, old houses, shops, restaurants, and visiting near and dear friends. We even paused for a quick photo op at the Atkinson home on Seventh and Louisiana. It’s located in a registered historical district known as Old West Lawrence, and this was the stone house where my grandmother had lived when the great tornado of 1911 swept through the city. She was fifteen years old at the time. I wrote a full recollection of her incredible “tornado story” and mine, too. You can read more about them both by CLICKING HERE.
The Atkinson home in Lawrence, Kansas. The current owner seems to be taking care of it beautifully! October 2009.
Then we were off to Wamego and Manhattan, Kansas, for the weekend Oz Club convention (see Part One of my “On the Road” adventures), and we returned to Lawrence two days later. This time, it was for my event at the public library.
I have to tell you how special this was for me. As a kid, I used to come to this library all the time. It was in this very spot where I discovered the rest of Baum’s Oz books, after I had read the five or so vintage copies that had previously belonged to my grandfather. I remember Mrs. Paretsky very well, too. She was a wonderful lady with gray hair and glasses who was always eager to help me find what I was looking for at the children’s desk. If her last name sounds comfortably familiar in its relationship to books and reading, it’s because her daughter grew up to be a famous author—Sara Paretsky of the V.I. Warshawski detective stories.
The Lawrence Public Library was as important to me as any literary influence I’ve had in my life. It was the “magic place” where imagination ruled. And all I needed to unlock it was this wallet-sized card they gave me for free—a symbolic passport, allowing me to “depart” and go on these incredible adventures of the mind.
Flash forward, thirty-odd years later, and I suddenly find myself in this library again, giving a full reading, signing, and presentation for an Oz-themed, action-adventure/fantasy novel that I had written out of my childhood love for those books. Was it a dream come true? Actually, I’m not even sure I imagined something like this would happen, growing up.
When I first walked inside the building to check it out again, I was immediately struck by how familiar everything looked and smelled. Not old and rundown, despite the passage of time. Clean, well-kept, and colorful. This library was vibrant and bustling with activity. Then I spotted my own book poster hanging on the wall and grinned. I asked someone at the front desk if I could speak with Maria Butler. She’s the Community Relations Coordinator for the library and had been helping me arrange everything in advance for the event. I had a great, welcoming chat with her.
The event itself was a bit of a reunion, in addition to being a homecoming. I had put the word out with local friends and family. Maria had seen to it that I was mentioned on every available web calendar and in the newspaper. She even had a radio station give it a nice plug, on air, in their rotation. And I had invited people online myself to attend, where I have a Facebook group created for “Silver Shoes.” Still, there were some wonderful surprises that night. Among the deeply appreciated attendees: Brilla Highfill Scott, who had first been my assistant principal at West Junior High School, before becoming principal there. She looked terrific, and I instantly recognized her. Childhood friends, including Leslie Rose, Chris Braden, Cindi Bogard Long with her mother Sondra and son Nick, and Darla Sieg, who was my neighbor growing up and who now worked at the public library. High school friends, like Juana Simons, Lori Wray and her husband Dan, Bill Holliday, Laura Meyer Pfeifer, and Laura McCorkill. Also some parents of former classmates, like the mothers of Cristi Catt and Jacque Scribner Pietsch, and Stefani Day’s parents. A former co-worker and friend of my mom’s, Karen Heeb, who had taught elementary school with her at Sunset Hill. And my wonderful choir teacher from junior high, Pam Bushouse, who seems to have found the Fountain of Youth. It’s been “just a few years” since I sang in that junior high choir, but you never would have known it from looking at Pam. My brother John drove in from Kansas City with his girlfriend Michelle. It was great to see them there. And Pauline Harvey, bless her heart, came to hear me talk. Pauline was using a walker that night, having recently fractured her pelvis in a fall. But that wasn’t going to keep her away. Such determination! I love her so much. Pauline’s late husband, Herk Harvey, was my father’s best friend when I was growing up in Lawrence. Together, they had made several award-winning educational films, first for Centron and then on their own. Herk is pretty widely known today as the director and star of the horror cult classic movie, “Carnival of Souls.”
The reading, the presentation, and the Q&A that immediately followed were a big success, and I sold and signed a lot of books that night via The Raven Book Store.
Paul Miles Schneider signs copies of his novel “Silver Shoes” after his presentation at the Lawrence Public Library. October 6, 2009.
This was a night I will never forget. It inspired and encouraged me on many levels and for many reasons. I thank everyone who attended, whether I’d known them previously or not, and everyone who wished me well for this occasion.
The “Silver Shoes” display in the front window of The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. October 2009.
Just two days later, I was off to Louisburg. It’s about a thirty-minute drive south of Kansas City. I had been invited by their public library to do another full presentation, reading, and book-signing. But I’ll save that recollection for Part Three of my “On the Road” blogs.
Stay tuned! My mini-book-tour in Kansas continues. I’ll have it posted in just a couple of days.
On the Road: The Oz Club’s National Convention in Wamego and Manhattan, Kansas
I was in my hometown of Lawrence for just one day before hitting the open road—with boxes of books in tow, luggage piled up in the back of our rented SUV, and my reliable still camera charged and ready to go. Off we went to Wamego on the morning of Friday, October 2, 2009. It was an eighty-minute drive west, past the state capitol of Topeka. We followed the old Oregon Trail used by the pioneers. It’s now the I-70 Highway. And it has been for quite some time as you might have guessed—complete with a toll road (for a buck) and a good taste of the expansive Kansas plains along the way.
The closer we came to our destination, we began to see several colorful billboards on the side of the road advertising the Oz Museum and the Oz Winery. Even a Mexican restaurant called Toto’s Tacoz! Call it a hunch … but I suspected we were headed in the right direction. Although there didn’t seem to be any sign of a town, scarcely a house, and very few farms, come to think of it.
On we went! Just like the pioneers … only much faster … and more comfortable … and … okay, nothing like the pioneers.
After crossing a bridge on the 99 Freeway over the Kansas River, a wonderful Mayberry-esque town suddenly sprang up in front of us. We found ourselves traveling right down the main street of Wamego. And there was the winery and the restaurant and the museum as advertised.
The Oz Museum. Downtown Wamego, Kansas.
First, we went inside the historic Columbian Theatre where the evening’s festivities would take place. I saw Jane Albright and Blair Frodelius from the Oz Club right way. Jane was chairing the 2009 national convention. She gave me a quick and happy hug, and I could practically see the million thoughts racing through her mind about everything that still needed to be done, confirmed, and checked off her list before the big dinner began.
The theatre was great! But curiously (at least to me), it was filled to the brim with Patti Page memorabilia. It surrounded us on every wall. An impressive, loving, and comprehensive tribute to the 1950’s pop singer. But other than Patti’s hit recording of “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?” and Oz’s favorite canine Toto, I couldn’t get the connection. Apparently, the theatre was multitasking with their events: Patti, our Oz Club dinner, and a live stage production of “The Wizard of Oz,” all going on at the same time. And I forgot my ringmaster hat! Dang.
I soon found Grant Hayter-Menzies on the scene, author of “Mrs. Ziegfeld: The Public and Private Lives of Billie Burke,” and Paul Bienvenue, author of “The Book Collector’s Guide to L. Frank Baum and Oz.” Paul and his wife Catherine helped us set up and test-drive our PowerPoint presentations for the after-dinner speeches. Bless them both!
Setting up at the Columbian Theatre in Wamego, Kansas. Left to right: Paul Bienvenue, Grant Hayter-Menzies, Paul Miles Schneider, and Catherine Bienvenue observe, while Jane Albright adjusts the projector.
Then we made a fast round trip to Manhattan (twenty minutes away), checked into our hotel near Kansas State University, unpacked, changed clothes for the evening, and headed back to the town of Wamego for a five o’clock cocktail reception at the Oz Museum. Exhausted? Sure! But “our little party was just beginning,” to paraphrase Margaret Hamilton’s witch.
More familiar folks started to arrive then, including several of the Munchkins from the 1939 MGM film. I spotted Jerry Maren and his wife along with Ruth Duccini. I had met them once before at a Culver City Hotel gathering, and I have a signed group photo to mark the occasion. But I always have to stop and stare at them for a moment. Not because they’re little people at all. It’s because they are a living part of the one movie that has gone on to shape my life in such a profound way. Admittedly, I’m a tad star-struck whenever I see them. After a quick bit of internal math, I realized that these beloved entertainers are all pushing ninety and beyond now. “The Wizard of Oz” is celebrating its seventieth anniversary this year. And these surviving performers were in their late teens or early twenties when they first donned their colorful felt costumes and stepped out onto one of the most indelible film sets in cinema history. As we milled about together in the museum, I got a big kick out of seeing their matching baseball jackets made of shiny emerald green. They were the unified members of an elite team of magic-makers with precious few players left to tell the tale. It was great to see them there.
Then I met John Fricke. I had known his name for years. He is the well-known author of several definitive books on both the MGM “Oz” film and the life of Judy Garland. This was a terrific chance for me to introduce myself and gush a bit.
Authors three at the Oz Museum in Wamego: Paul Miles Schneider (“Silver Shoes”), John Fricke (respected Oz and Garland historian, and author of many definitive books on those subjects), and Grant Hayter-Menzies (author extraordinaire of “Mrs. Ziegfeld: The Public and Private Lives of Billie Burke”).
I also had the opportunity to say hello again to Robert Baum at the reception. He is a great-grandson of Oz creator L. Frank Baum. I had met Bob once before at my first book-signing in Glendale, California. Such a nice man! Bob told me he had loaned some of his extensive collection to the Wamego museum, and for me, this was the heart and soul of the entire place. The Oz Museum is much bigger and better than I thought it would be. Visitors are taken through a series of rooms, some dedicated to extensive Oz collections (the books, films, TV specials, etc.), while others are environmental recreations of scenes from the MGM movie, each one paying homage to a principle character (Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch, etc.).
Here I am, standing in front of the Tin Man exhibit at the Oz Museum in Wamego. I played this role for the Kansas Repertory Theatre, way back in 1982. Wait … why does he look like he’s sneaking up on me with that axe?!
The reception segued right into the dinner a few doors down at the theatre. The theme for this evening was “The Wonderful Witches of Oz.” Jane had each of the tables decorated with either a large glass “Glinda bubble” or a Wicked Witch’s crystal ball. They made striking centerpieces. We broke bread and shared a table of honor up front with Grant Hayter-Menzies, as well as Hamilton Meserve and his lovely wife Helen. Ham, Grant, and I were the guest speakers for the night. “Ham,” as he is known, is the son of legendary actress Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West from the MGM film. He was just three years old when his mother stepped before the cameras and created the most memorable female screen villain of all time. This was his first appearance at an Oz convention (mine, too!), and his first time delivering a full presentation about his mother (… mine, too!).
If I look a little overeager here, I was! A thrill to meet the only son of my former “second grade pen pal,” Hamilton Meserve. His mother was none other than Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.” We had a great conversation at dinner.
First up was Grant, who gave us his wonderful insight into the life of Billie Burke and the genesis of her iconic screen characterization of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. His speech was accompanied by many rare photos of Burke, aka “Mrs. Ziegfeld.” Next up at bat was yours truly, and I launched into the story of how I first met Margaret Hamilton at the age of seven and how she had become my second-grade pen pal for the entire school year, just a few months later. You can read the full account on an earlier blog entry by CLICKING HERE.
Giving my speech and PowerPoint presentation, while Margaret’s daughter-in-law Helen (Ham’s wife) looks on, sitting at our dinner table. Such a thrill for me to meet them both!
The evening was a huge success, according to those who attended, and it was capped off by the biggest laugh of the night—when Ham spontaneously rose from our table with a full carafe of water and playfully threatened to douse expert Wicked Witch impersonator Kurt Raymond with it! They both had such terrific senses of humor.
Hamilton Meserve chases after master Wicked Witch impressionist Kurt Raymond with a carafe of water as the startled crowd cheers and laughs.
The next morning began for us bright and early at Kansas State University in Manhattan. The academic convention, with a theme of “Re-Creating Oz,” was being sponsored by the university’s English Department and featured a variety of panels and presentations throughout the day. I had submitted my speech months earlier, along with others, in a traditional “call for papers,” and had been invited to give my presentation on Re-Imagining the World of Oz For Contemporary Audiences: An In-Depth Analysis of the Creative Process for the Novel “Silver Shoes.”
Paul Miles Schneider reads from his novel “Silver Shoes” at the historic Columbian Theatre in Wamego, Kansas, as part of their annual OZtoberFest celebration. A near life-sized cutout of L. Frank Baum, as he appeared in a nineteenth-century theatrical production, looks on.
This event was unfortunately a bust, however. Once again, multitasking was the word du jour at the theatre. And the stars of the day, the lovable Munchkins from the 1939 movie, were holding a highly-publicized autograph session upstairs in the main theatre. There was a long line of people waiting outside, and it stretched several blocks down the main street of town. I was very impressed! But as a result, the front doors to the theatre were barred and closely guarded by T-shirted security personnel. They didn’t seem to know about or even care that another event was going on simultaneously in the same theatre downstairs. In other words, about fifteen minutes before Grant and I started our signing sessions, nobody else was allowed to come inside the theatre to see us! Nice. The theatre and, in particular, the Wamego festival were the actual hosts of our event that day, not the Oz Club. Yet no one in charge was around. We had a small and literally captive audience of early-birds in there with us. And I did my best to entertain them with a book reading—shouting whenever necessary over the chattering crowds in the front lobby as they trudged steadily upstairs to meet the Munchkins with their crying babies in tow.
Such a shame this hadn’t been better managed, promoted, and clarified for the attendees of the festival!
After I finished my “highly secretive” reading and signing, most of our captive and appreciative audience left the theatre quickly. The security personnel would let them exit the theatre, sure, but not enter again. And with no one else allowed to come inside unless they had Munchkins on their minds and were standing patiently in the velvet-roped queue to go upstairs, Grant made an executive decision to throw in the towel and call it a day. No “Mrs. Ziegfeld” reading. Can’t say I blame him one bit. I quickly followed suit myself, and I bid a fond farewell to Grant. It was such a pleasure to meet him, get to know him a bit, and spend some time with him. I definitely gained a good friend at this convention.
So we packed up our boxes, right along with our confusion, frustration, and our pride, and we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon in town checking out the festival with my visiting cousins who had driven all the way from Denver to see me. We had a blast with them, and we went out later for a nice dinner and drinks on our own. It was the perfect way to brush off any remnants of disappointment.
That’s me, in front of a huge Tin Man head, in the gift shop of the Oz Museum, with my visiting cousins: Courtney Cowgill, Shelley Burger, and her good friend McKenna.
All in all, this three-parter convention was a terrific experience, highlighted by the Friday night Oz Club gathering and the appreciative audience at Kansas State University. I look forward to attending future Oz conventions and getting to know the club members better, although I will be leery of any simultaneously scheduled events. Oh, sure, I was most understandably overshadowed by those legendary MGM Munchkins in Wamego. I just wish I hadn’t been put in that position to begin with.
Ah, well … we live, and we learn.
Sunday morning, we were up again bright and early heading back east on the I-70 Highway to Lawrence, Kansas. This time, I was preparing for an event in my old hometown. But that’s for a forthcoming blog entry—all about the Lawrence Public Library gig. Look for Part Two of my “On the Road” recollections in the coming days.
Cheers!
A brief mention in the Topeka Capital-Journal …
There was a nice promotional article in Sunday’s edition of the Topeka Capital-Journal yesterday that included a mention of my forthcoming appearance at the Oz Convention, specifically in regards to speaking about the Wicked Witch of the West, Friday evening. It’s just one of the events coming up, all tied together a mini book tour for SILVER SHOES.
Author Paul Miles Schneider, who grew up in Lawrence, but now lives in Southern California, will also offer his insight about Hamilton. Schneider met the “Wicked Witch” as a child and the two became pen pals.
Click here to read the full article.
Hope to see you at this event and others, if you can make it! Can’t wait!