L. Frank Baum was a Man of Letters.
Background[]
L. Frank Baum was a scholarly Man of Letters, much like many of his colleagues. According to his daughter Dorothy, he was "a glorified librarian". He was described as obsessed with his work, and remained so even after the birth of his daughter. He tried to keep his work a secret, but his curious young daughter decided to stow away on one of his cases. Frank traveled to Oz to rescue fellow Man of Letters Clive Dylan, but unknowingly left his daughter behind when he returned to Earth.
Unable to go back and retrieve her, Frank began writing a series of books based on his daughter's adventures in Oz. He altered certain details, such as his daughter's death at the hands of The Wicked Witch. According to Dorothy, the books were an attempt by Frank to undo what had happened to her, since he was "a sad, old man".
In reality, the books were guidelines intended to help Dorothy in her adventures. James Haggerty relied on Frank's books in order to solve Dorothy's case. While he never did, he was able to discover poppies, a weakness of The Wicked Witch. Dorothy would not realize this truth until 2013, when Charlie Bradbury told her.
Appearances[]
- Season 9
- Slumber Party (mentioned only)
- Bad Boys (name on book)
- Season 10
- There's No Place Like Home (mentioned only)
Trivia[]
- Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 - May 6, 1919) was an American author chiefly known for his children's books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The real Baum had four children.