In the winter of 1882, L. Frank Baum visited Kansas. He said it was the worst place he'd ever been and vowed never to return. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he described Kansas as completely gray: prairie, house, Uncle Henry. What a dreary contrast to technicolor Oz and the Emerald City.

This clever collection of persona poems shows the Midwest in full color and beauty, giving voice to familiar characters and to unexpected entities. Hidden aspects of their lives are revealed, showing Kansas as a place worthy of imagination, one that demands our attention.

"[Anara's] world of Kansas (and of Oz) comes filling in with a heavy, gravitational physicality. I so enjoyed reading them."

-Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

"With clever wordplay and subtle rhyme, Guard reveals surprising motives, resentments, and points of pride that enliven our understanding of Dorothy and those around her. With these engaging poems, Guard invites us to try on the ruby slippers, allowing us to slide / effortlessly across time."

-Linda Jackson Collins, author of Painting Trees

"The poems are connected in taste and tincture. And it will be remembered for bringing us back to a new Kansas."

-Indigo Moor, former Poet Laureate of Sacramento, author of Everybody's Jonesin' for Something

"Poetry rich with images and characters that will stay with you long after you have closed the volume's covers."

-Carol Koss, author of Camera Obscura