Another Hungry Tiger in Oz

Oz and Beyond by Michael O. Riley, 1997.

How are Oz and The Prince of Tides connected? No, this isn't another game of Oz Connection--I'm going to tell you the answer. Although, if you read this online article about Carol Conroy, sister of The Prince of Tides author, you might be able to figure it out.

If you zeroed in on the names Pamami Press and Mike Riley in that article, you're on the right track. Of course, in Oz circles Michael O. Riley is known primarily for two things--as the author of Oz and Beyond, a seminal study of Baum's fantasies, and as the face of specialty publisher Pamami Press, which issues high-quality art editions of short works by L. Frank Baum.

In addition to works by Baum, Pamami Press also published the first book collection of Carol Conroy's poetry, The Jewish Furrier. Carol's brother Pat Conroy, the novelist, based the character of Savannah Wingo in his 1986 best-selling novel The Prince of Tides on Carol. Pat planned to include Carol's poem "The Jewish Furrier" in the book, but Carol objected, so Pat wrote a new version for The Prince of Tides.

Michael O. Riley of Pamami Press.

Meanwhile, Pamami Press is still producing new publications for Oz and Baum fans everywhere. The most recent book publication was L. Frank Baum's essay Fairy Tales on the Stage. And in its series of exclusive keepsakes for Winkie Con attendees, Pamami Press issued a booklet of Baum's "The Rainbow's Daughter" at the 2012 Winkie Con

Here's another article about Michael Riley and Pamami Press, which goes into detail about the painstaking process each publication takes. And if you ever wondered how to pronounce Pamami, it's like your parents--"Pa" and "Mommy." Put 'em together and you've got it!