L. Frank Baum

Biography

Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919) was an American author best known as the creator of the Land of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) became an instant classic and spawned 13 sequels by Baum himself, plus the iconic 1939 film. Born in Chittenango, New York, Baum worked as a journalist, playwright, and shopkeeper before finding his calling in children’s literature. His Oz books created one of the richest fictional worlds in American literature, populated by memorable characters and governed by Baum’s gentle, democratic imagination.