The Wonderful Hierogrammate of Oz

Mitchell A. Bailey · 05 Mar 1999, 17:36 · from urth-v0024.mbox · original

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From: "Mitchell A. Bailey" <MAB at lindau.net>
Subject: (urth) The Wonderful Hierogrammate of Oz
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 17:36:49
Message-ID: <urth-v0024-0043 at digest.urth.net>
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Hey guys. Having devoured Robert Borski=E2=80=99s _Fifth Head of Cerberus_ =
site
and communicating with him re it, he suggested I check out this list.
I=E2=80=99ve been reading the archives (..through the arch to the other end=
 of
the big room and down the back stairs into the hidden door to Master
Ultan=E2=80=99s lightless study in the nethermost stack...) and lurking aro=
und
up to now. I must say your discussions have already vastly augmented my
appreciation of Wolfe.

Anyway, to my point: There was a recent line of discussion about
allusions to =E2=80=9CThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz=E2=80=9D in _The Eyeflash =
Miracles_
(which thus far I haven=E2=80=99t read). That pricked my ears up because I =
had
thought I detected a more subtle allusion in _Urth of the New Sun_, the
chapter entitled =E2=80=9CThe Captain=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9C...we halted before great doors...These...swung slowly and pondero=
usly
open of themselves, revealing a long vista of marmoreal arches- each at
least a hundred cubits high- down which played such light as was never
before seen upon any world that circled a star, light silver, gold, and
berylline [light blue-green] by turns...
The doors shut behind us with a crash...=E2=80=9D

Isn=E2=80=99t that a pretty fair description of the entry to the Wizard=E2=
=80=99s
hallway leading to his audience chamber in the movie? The endless
marmoreal arches (some dictionary entries for =E2=80=9Cmarmoreal=E2=80=9D  =
include an
illustration very like the scene from =E2=80=9COz=E2=80=9D) and their unrea=
l lighting of
course was provided by the studio=E2=80=99s backdrop-painters.

=E2=80=9C...Gunnie and the remaining hands recoiled in fear at all this and=
 had
to be driven through the doorway...=E2=80=9D

The Cowardly Lion=E2=80=99s reluctance to enter the hall!

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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