When The Wizard of Oz graced the silver screen in 1939, it changed cinema and popular culture forever. But the true story began decades earlier with the young composer who risked everything to bring it to the Broadway stage.
At the turn of the century, twenty-three-year-old Paul Tietjens is a gifted classical pianist with dreams of greatness and a non-refundable ticket to Europe to study with the master composers of his time.
But when the bank calls in the debt on his family’s Missouri farm, Paul forgoes his dream to save them from financial ruin. Desperate to find a new road to success, he moves to up-and-coming Chicago, where he persuades author L. Frank Baum to collaborate on a comic opera of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, setting the stage for the defining cultural touchstone that we know today.
Paul embarks on his opera with high hopes, but scandal threatens his soaring ambition when he falls in love with his best friend’s beautiful but married sister, and his fears grow as the Wizard of Oz demands not only his talent but his soul.
Inspired by Paul’s 1901 diary, The Lark follows Paul as he journeys from the theaters of Chicago to the streets of Manhattan, from his family’s Missouri farm to the beaches of Michigan, fighting to hang onto the chance of a lifetime, his integrity, and the woman he loves.
Writing Interview Questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
The Lark is semi-biographical historical fiction, and I was happy that the “true story” set between 1897 and 1902, covered both the Victorian and Edwardian eras(1837-1914.) Those eras appeal to me for many reasons: societal conventions restraining emotions set up a lot of romantic tension and internal monologue; the long-lost agricultural age of horses and small farms offers charm and nostalgia; the Gilded Age and the Industrial Revolution were momentous decades of innovation and wealth that upset the equilibrium of American society; and of course the Civil War and WWI are rich in material for fiction.
Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?
Fortunately, it is recent enough that much is available in written form and public records.
The hardest part of my research was the period Paul leaves out of his diary – April 1902 to November 1902, and why he left it out. I had to rely on Wizard of Oz researchers and historians and newspaper articles from German-American newspapers to fill in those gaps.
One thing that particularly surprised me in my overall research for the book was that engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago River in January 1900, to divert the city’s sewage from emptying into Lake Michigan and instead sending it down the Mississippi River.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
Without spoilers, I can add that Paul Tietjens and L. Frank Baum collaborated on an original comic opera, The Title Trust, for many months in early 1901. Only when they could not find anyone to publish it did they instead decide to write a comic opera of The Wizard of Oz. Paul Tietjens claims in his diary that it was his idea all along, although W.W. Denslow also suggested it. Baum was reluctant at first.
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
Brilliant –Paul Tietjens’s command of English and the quality of his expressive writing in his diary; the ease with which he played extremely difficult pieces on the piano; and how quickly he mastered orchestral composition are all evidence of his prodigious talent.
Philosophical – He often pondered the big questions of life in his diary, and his musings were not religious in nature, but philosophical, often praising nature and the arts, and showing his affinity for fate and predestination and his openness to metaphysical explanations.
Tender-hearted – despite his moodiness and introspective nature, Paul enjoyed people and dearly loved his friends and family.
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
Developing Paul into a flawed and likeable character, while staying true to the spirit of the real man as revealed in his diary, while adding enough nuance to his character that he could be the driver of the plot.
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
I at one point considered exploring his sexual orientation. Paul spent less time in his diary discussing his relationship with Kate or Abby than he did discussing his male friendships…but I ultimately decided that wasn’t my story to write.
What are you currently working on?
A biographical historical romance novel set in Belle Époque France, based on the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and his model/mistress/eventual wife, Jeanne-Émilie Baheux, from the imagined year of their meeting (no historical evidence exists for it) to his well-documented time in Egypt and the Franco-Prussian War and their eventual marriage.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
Believe in yourself. If you have the desire, then put in the work to feel more confident. Take writing classes, join writers’ groups, attend writing workshops, enter your work in contests. Hone your craft. But don’t wait to write until you “feel” ready. Instead, write what you feel, when you feel it. Journal entries, short stories, first chapters or scenes of potential novels. Share some of your work with people who like you and like to read. Listen to their advice, but weigh it against your instincts. Whatever you do, don’t turn to AI or ChatGPT.
Personal Interview Questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love research, so I spend quite a bit of time on that, exploring a variety of my interests: history, science, travel, genealogy, nature, etc. I also enjoy being outside and taking walks and drives, enjoying time with friends and my daughter, playing with my cat, cooking, and binge-watching dramas on television. And of course, reading.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
It kept changing. Originally, an owner and breeder of racehorses. Then a writer. Then, a reporter, artist, advertising copywriter, or psychologist. I finally settled on teacher, then returned to writing once I retired.
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
I think tuna and mac and cheese. I’d always prefer Maine Lobster with drawn butter.
What would be a perfect day?
A leisurely morning, a picnic lunch in a meadow with my daughter, followed by a dip in a lake, ocean, or pool, and a good book with a glass of wine by the fire in the living room.
What is the best part of your day?
When I’m writing fiction and it all clicks.
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Coffee in the morning, hot tea in the late winter afternoons and iced tea in the summer.
Hot or cold: Neither. I lived most of my life in California, so I’m spoiled.
Movie or book: Book, or at least, book first.
Morning person or Night owl: Morning, as long as it’s after 8AM.
City or country: Country. I’ve been fortunate to live in two states known for their natural beauty, California and North Carolina.
Social Media or book: Book, though publicity for my books requires LOTS of social media.
Paperback or eBook: Paperback for pleasure, eBook for research.
Laura C. Rader is the award-winning author of the biographical historical novel Hatfield 1677. When she isn’t writing, you can find her conducting research, playing her 1905 antique piano, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets.
A native of Southern California, she now lives north of Raleigh, North Carolina.
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