Well so far I've managed to read one a week, at least, so I'm going to be optimistic and try to keep that going. (With my summer break coming up, I think I have a shot.) The second story by Robert Baum from the 2022 edition of Oziana is "Young Frank and His Imagination: Hot Off the Plesses". Here, Robert doesn't try to insert himself into the story, he just tells a straightforward tale of little Frank Baum's childhood, and how he would often read and daydream, much to the consternation of his parents. They try to toughen his character by sending Frank to Peekskill Military Academy, but if you know much about Baum's life you'll know how that turned out. Then, on a trip with his father in town, Frank becomes fascinated by a demonstration of novelty job printing presses, so of course his father indulges him with one. At the end of the story, the first copy of Baum's first publishing venture, The Rose Lawn Home Journal, has made its way to everyone's place settings for dinner. It's a nice summing up of Baum's youth, although there are no surprises for longtime Oz fans or Baum scholars. The story is charmingly illustrated by several drawings by Dick Martin, culled from a number of different sources.
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