Oz, Labor Day Tribute and Rhapsody in Blue

76th Anniversary of the movie Wizard of Oz

The popular movie version of The Wizard of Oz was released 76 years ago in 1939.  Author L. Frank Baum created many stories and tales for his children, enjoyed writing, and had been a reporter and editor in Chicago and South Dakota.  He published The Wizard of Oz in 1900 and it has been reprinted many times since then.  My oldest daughter so loved Dorothy and the movie version of this story as a child, that she named her teddy bear and a neighbor’s dog, Toto.  Although many think of this book as a children’s story, the movie version, starring Judy Garland, has had a big cultural impact to this day with intriguing popular urban legends attached.  Check out more information on the Library’s database links in Biography in Context and Bloom’s Literature.   

	Biography articles about L. Frank Baum from the Library's Biography in Context Database
	All about Wizard of Oz in Library's Bloom’s Literature Database
	Susanne Kessel performs Somewhere Over the Rainbow from Library's Naxos Database
	Wizard of Oz through Warner Bros
	Wizard of Oz eBook in the Library catalog

What is Labor Day really about? 

This national holiday, celebrated the first Monday in September, acknowledges “the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

History of Labor Day

Read former U.S. Department of Labor’s historian, Linda Stinson’s perspective on Labor Day.

Gershwin Birthday in September

I love Gershwin music. The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898. George and his brother, Ira, were a very successful musical team with George composing the music and Ira as the lyricist. Popular songs, orchestral music, Broadway, George could do it all. Sadly, George died at the young age of 38 from a brain tumor. The world can only imagine what the possibilities could have continued to be from this creative genius. For more information about George Gershwin and his music, follow these links to a few of our Library databases.

	Biography of George Gershwin from Encyclopaedia Britannica
	Rhapsody in Blue song from Library's Naxos Database
	All about George Gershwin from Library's Biography in context

Check these sites out and do some exploring. The possibilities are unlimited. See you soon at the Library.