Listen to my Easter Sunday thoughts—including on Easter’s themes, such as fertility—and introduction to a new series for Autonomia’s paid subscriber.

In this episode, I discuss forthcoming reviews of various books—as well as the previously reviewed album by Taylor Swift (read my 31-song review here) on romantic grief and loss—focused on resilience from grief. I refer to my grief over America’s rejection of a boy who’d escaped dictatorship to live free (listen to my episode on the 25th anniversary of Elian being forced into slavery at U.S.-sponsored gunpoint).

I also discuss the image included herewith, courtesy of Kansas City, Missouri artist Jackie Grawe. Jackie told me that her painting “is pastel on toned paper” adding that “the actor did a Facebook Live in 2020 after watching police brutality against a young black man.” Jackie tells me she took a screenshot before painting the portrait by hand.

Finally, Classic Chicago magazine published my new, in-depth profile of writer L Frank Baum as the lead story on this Easter Sunday. It’s a tale I titled: “From Failure to Fiction: L. Frank Baum in Chicago.” You can read the article (for free) here. I discuss the article and its meaning and relevance to Easter in this episode.

This is part of my series, Industrial Revolutions, for the Chicago publication, which previously published my profiles of Walt Disney, Charles Ingalls and the Standard Oil Building. The website recently started publishing short fiction, debuting with my winter-themed short stories. My newest short story, a mythical, science fiction tale about an old woman born in a log cabin, debuts next month.

The article about Mr. Baum has been among my writing projects for over a year. I’ve been interested in this author, and the role Chicago played in the development of his children’s stories, since I first read and reviewed his first book about Oz. Chicago deserves more credit than I’d realized. Born in New York, with adventures from east to American West as a printer, newspaper publisher, oil salesman, opera house manager, journalist, businessman, husband, father and, ultimately, curious Chicago capitalist who lived and died in Hollywood, I trace Baum’s amazing literary life. I hope you enjoy reading the article.

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