The Yellow Brick Road. That is pretty much all you have to say to evoke an incomparable world of adventure, terror, friendship, victory and mystery. Most of us have traveled that road with Dorothy, have longed to own magic slippers, have wished for a fairy god-mother. Have most of us sung “ding-dong the witch is dead” at some time or other when we have escaped the clutches of someone who has been miserable to us?
Soul Lessons From the Wizard of Oz; How to Follow Your Yellow Brick Road, is a wonderful gift from author Michael Shevack to all of us who have danced precariously and bravely down the road with Dorothy and the needy crew she has picked up along the way.
That image is one of our culture’s most powerful images. But who are all those people, those characters she picks up along the way? Why is Toto continually yapping? Oh, and how our hearts take a thud at the sight of those witches and monkeys! How in the world did the wizard get such power?
Do you feel you know everyone in this story well? I certainly did. Aha! You will never see these characters the same once you have seem through Michael Shevack’s eyes. For a taste of what he brings to light (there is more but you need to get the book for it all), do yourself a favor and listen. As an extra treat to see the joy in his face, you can take a look at his Youtube episode.
As an aside here, Michael is famous for something else, and he will tell you about it. Not to be a total spoiler, but I will tell you it was a commercial that became world-famous and whose message progressed to serve the critical needs of the me-too movement. Okay, ‘nuff said.
