Looking for a particular New Sun essay

Lee Berman · 06 Dec 2011, 21:27 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 16:27:10 -0500
Subject: (urth) Looking for a particular New Sun essay
Message-ID: <SNT123-W60046A28366ED7F9F60D8BCFBA0 at phx.gbl>

>Daniel Peterson: 'If Ever a Wiz There Was' by Patrick O'Leary, in the book *Other Voices,
>Other Doors* and online here:
>http://web.mac.com/paddybon/Site/a_tribute_to_Gene_Wolfe.html

Thanks Daniel and Harry. That was a great article. 

The Wizard of Oz is an appropriate basis of comparison for Gene Wolfe.  It is a complex 
movie with a depth that is belied  by its child appeal. Through its exploration of the 
mental landscape of a young girl's dreams, modern (1939) themes relevant to Hollywood 
writers and actors, including drugs and the price of fame, are subtley embedded.

Surely with Gene Wolfe we have our "man behind the curtain". But we have no Toto to 
reveal him fully; he is much too cagey for that. 

I kinda think Wizard of Oz was a direct inspiration for Wolfe in regard to disguised characters. 
In addition to the three farm hands, most people do notice that the Wizard is Professor Marvel 
from the beginning of the movie. But many miss that he is also the door keeper to Oz, the horse and 
carriage driver and the armed guard to the Wizard's chambers. The varied voices and appearances of 
his six characters make him a bit tricky to spot.

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