On this week's episode, Rachel Nelson joins AP for an in-depth and thoughtful discussion about the merry old land of Oz and the many ways the mythic realm has impacted our culture since L. Frank Baum first created it. Rachel is a researcher, a poet, and a presenter of the strange over at Ufo Sunset, a multimedia project she works on with Jeff Knox. In this conversation, Rachel discusses what ultimately led her to the UFO subject through a variety of other strange interests, where her interest in Oz began, and how these two interests often overlap. More than that, though, they discuss how ubiquitous the Oz narratives are which inform us all in some way or another.

The discussion covers a bit about Baum and his life, and his influences which include his mother-in-law, the activist Matilda Joslyn Gage. The 1985 movie Return to Oz is also discussed, with a focus on the character of Princess Ozma. The freewheeling conversation frequently alludes to concepts in the field of anomalies such as the Oz Effect, and attempts to contact ET civilizations, while also dipping into the almost subliminal qualities of tropes and narratives within the Oz cannon in the cultural subconscious. Further, there's discussions about semiotics, David Lynch, and finally, Rachel's current efforts with a large scale poetry project. Of course there's also lions and tigers and bears along the way!

Check out the awesome videos by Ufo Sunset at https://www.youtube.com/@UfoSunset1947