Books By L. Frank Baum, Jack Zipes - Author

Born in Chittenango in upstate New York in 1856, Lyman Frank Baum was the son of wealthy parents. After unsuccessful attempts at careers in acting, sales and journalism, Baum finally started writing when his mother-in-law encouraged him to write down the fanciful tales he'd been telling his sons for years. Although he had trouble finding a publisher, his works eventually caught the fancy of the public and he was able to make a decent living. He died in 1919.