Books Archives – Scott A. Cook

The Oz Dossier – Declassified Files from a Tornado

Opening Brief The briefcase arrived unmarked. Corners split, tape frayed, its cardboard skin bruised as though it had tumbled through more than a postal route. Inside: onion-skin pages, mimeographed reports, memos stamped with red ink, and a case number I’d never seen before – OZ-01. Someone had filed Dorothy Gale and her companions not as fictions, but as witnesses in a contested investigation. Not as bedtime characters, but as participants in a world we were never meant to see. I was eight-years old when I first held The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in my hands for the first time. The pages smelled of dust and ancient magic. When I was twelve-years old, after a multitude of reads, I realized the book felt like contraband – like instructions disguised as story. Now, decades later, here was a file suggesting that what I felt as a child might not have been imagination at all. I’ve chosen to share excerpts from this dossier. Whether they are satire, forgery, fantasy, or proof, I cannot say. All I can do is place them in order and annotate them where my own memories overlap. Exhibit A: Kansas – The Point of Departure Recovered: Document K-17: A weathered farm ledger, water-stained and singed, cataloging livestock losses during “The Great Cyclone Incident.” Marginal notes in another hand describe an untraceable roar “like something alive in the sky.” Locale: Kansas is flat, endless, and quiet. A land where horizon swallows sky, and storms build without warning. Dorothy’s home sits isolated, a small farmhouse whose shadow never touches a neighbor. Life here is plain and bound by routine: the dust, the chores, the small family circle. But it is also fragile, perched on the edge of calamity. The sudden cyclone that uproots Dorothy marks not just a natural disaster, but a rupture in her ordinary world. ✎ “Our farm is so boring. Nothing ever happens …then the whole world got ripped up. I was scared, but part of me thought …maybe this is what I was waiting for?” Analysis: Kansas is less a place than a threshold. Its emptiness magnifies both the loneliness of childhood and the sense that something larger, unseen, waits beyond the fields. The cyclone is not merely weather – it is the instrument of transition, sweeping Dorothy from the ordinary into the uncanny. Kansas thus serves as both anchor and contrast: a reminder that the “real” world is vulnerable, and that journeys into wonder often begin in silence, dust, and dread. Exhibit B: Dorothy Gale – Missing Person Kansas County Sheriff’s Notice, 1898“Subject: Gale, Dorothy. Age: 12. Missing since cyclone event, whereabouts unknown. Presumed deceased or displaced.” Amended Report, 48 hours later:“Subject returned unharmed. Claims extensive travel. No physical evidence provided. Recommend closure.” ✎ “I underlined “missing.” I knew what it felt like to be somewhere adults couldn’t follow.” Analysis: Dorothy is not the innocent farm girl we imagine. She is the perpetual wanderer, the child who vanishes into absence. Her “home” exists only because she has left it behind. The official reports treat her return as a bureaucratic footnote, ignoring the truth of her journey and the magic she encountered along the way. Her journey reminds us that identity is formed in motion, not in place. Every step along the yellow brick road challenges assumptions about safety, belonging, and choice. Dorothy’s resilience is both learned and innate, teaching that home is not a location, but a state of self-awareness and agency. Exhibit C: The Scarecrow – Field Notes Botanist’s Log, Report No. 22“Specimen found upright in cornfield. Cranial cavity appears empty of seed, yet subject speaks in riddles and philosophy. Local farmers suggest fire hazard, not miracle.” ✎ “I thought he was dumb until I realized most adults just ‘sounded’ smart.” Analysis: The Scarecrow is not brainless. He is un-programmed. A blank slate who speaks truths others cannot hear because they are bound by education and ego. His “lack” is not deficit – it is liberation. He exemplifies the idea that intelligence is relational, not solitary. By observing and adapting to the world around him, the Scarecrow reveals that true understanding often arises from collaboration and attentiveness, rather than abstract knowledge alone. Exhibit D: The Tin Man – Maintenance Log Factory Recall Notice, 1931“Model T-1N Series: Subject to corrosion at chest cavity. Recommend removal of sentimental functions. Substitute metronomic regulator to prevent emotional interference.” ✎ “I remember the first time I felt hollow, and how that emptiness thudded louder than my heartbeat.” Analysis: His tragedy is not absence, but regulation. He shows that true emotion sometimes requires rebellion against what limits it, and that even the hollowest vessel can overflow with empathy. The Tin Man’s yearning illustrates how desire shapes purpose. Even in a mechanical body, longing animates choice and action. His quest for a heart is symbolic of the universal drive to connect, feel deeply, and transcend limitations imposed by circumstance or design. Exhibit E: The Cowardly Lion – Theatre Program Playbill for “Trial by Roar”“One-night only performance. A lion stands accused of cowardice. Will courage reveal itself under the lights?” ✎ “I trembled during my first school play, but the applause made me braver than I was.” Analysis: Courage is performative and internal at once. The Lion embodies the universal struggle to act despite fear, and reminds us that authenticity is its own kind of bravery. His fear also teaches that vulnerability can be instructive. By confronting his insecurities, the Lion becomes a model for embracing imperfection as a necessary step toward growth, showing that courage is inseparable from self-awareness and reflection. Exhibit F: Glinda the Good – Internal Memo Memo, marked CONFIDENTIAL“Subject Dorothy must complete journey unaided. Only at conclusion may power of return be revealed. Failure to comply risks compromise of Emerald Directive.” ✎ “Why didn’t she just tell Dorothy the truth?” Analysis: Glinda teaches that

Books, Classics, Entertainment, Reading / Scott A. Cook

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So – I Wrote a Book. What the Actual Fuck?

Yep, it’s true. I wrote a book. What? Like it’s hard? Lol! 😂 Seriously though, most of you know musical theatre has been my decades long career so why am I talking about being an author? Well, gather round gentle readers and I’ll share the story. It all began in the little town of Davenport… Stomping Ground It was an inevitable and accepted fact that one day my rare, incurable disease, CIDP, would take me down without remorse and make it impossible to walk, drive, dress or dance ever again. However, from 2013 when it first presented itself through full diagnosis in 2015 until right before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I fought against the rage that was slowly but consistently taking over my muscles, consuming my nerves, altering my speech, and dissolving my mental state of mind. Even after I lost all the nerves and feeling in both my feet, resulting in drop feet, I learned how to ‘stomp’ the ground just to know where I was spatially. This stomping method allowed me to continue to teach dance and choreograph musicals for five more years after diagnosis. And sometimes look like a drunken orangutan! Wake Up Call – Can You Hear Me Now? The pandemic and the two years that followed put a crushing blow on my career and my entire life. When our country went into pandemic lock down and I paused all my work, I finally realized just how sick I really was. To add insult to injury, not one but two spinal reconstructions happened out of nowhere in 2021 and 2022, due to long-term use of Prednisone dissolving my actual spine. These immense and dangerous surgeries would finally shut the door and twist the key in the lock to end everything I loved about my life. When you loose your life and everything you ever worked for in the way I did, the real tragedy is: you’re still alive. Now what? Standing on the Corner of Fucked and Fucked Good question. Now what? I won’t recount every last detail from 2021 to 2025 but suffice it to say, as the pandemic proceeded, I was sucked into a black storm of confusion and depression that bore down on me every day. If I wasn’t distracted by a long phone call from a loved one or spilling my beer on an ECV scooter at Universal Studios Orlando, the storm was there. It would surround everything I was trying to do to get rid of it, bashing my thoughts against the rocks, swallowing every effort down below its black waters. Yes. I entered a period where suicide became a thought more than several times. I’m not proud of that. I was such a strong, resourceful man. Until I wasn’t. My neurologist finally intervened. Don’t ever be afraid to reach out. 988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text. Unseen Wisdom So many levels of recovery must happen on the road to surviving a lifetime chronic disease. But the one that would not let go of me was purpose. We all need a purpose in life to feel we are contributing to society, to our family, to ourselves. Having no purpose is like plunging down a pitch black, bottomless hole in the ground. You swear there must be rocky earth you’re about to slam into any minute. That actually would have been great, but fuck, no. Endless falling. And falling. And falling. Supernova Then in June 2022, through the physical destruction and mental exhaustion of the last three years, a beam of light exploded, rocking my entire being. A powerful epiphany I needed more than anything materialized out of nowhere: “You are a born storyteller. You’ve told stories for decades on the stage. Why not the page?” At first, I was frightened. The kind of in-the-pit-of your stomach-I’m-gonna-puke frightened as if I were at my first theatre audition. I couldn’t do this. What was I thinking? Then Abel, my partner, nailed it in for me with his simplistic words: “If anyone can do this, you can.” A man of few words but always powerful when he does pipe up. I suddenly was filled with a determination that got me happily out of bed every morning! Commitment Thus, on July 7, 2022, I proclaimed to myself, Abel and the Universe that I was going to be an author. Just like that, my feet hit the ground, the rain halted and the clouds began to part. I haven’t stopped writing since. The road to becoming a writer, I learned, truly has no clear road map but I made one promise that I believe made all the difference: I would not put pen to my stories until I studied how to be a writer for six months. I created a daily curriculum, 8am-4pm, five days a week and stuck to it. I mostly learned how to write from the many books on the subject by the incredible author, James Scott Bell. I credit him to this day for the skills and courage he taught me that would allow me to lay pen to paper with confidence. I started by writing horror; one of my many obsessions. And I made a promise that I would do everything to not write the cookie cutter horror that has sadly permeated our entertainment industry today (Sorry. Truth.) I began with two separate novels but soon backed down to short stories. It was not so daunting and finishing a short story in a condensed time frame brought a sense of completion (until Abel started editing, lol!). As I wrote the first three short stories, I realized each story was taking place on a holiday. Unintentional but so cool! I decided to outline an anthology of dark, twisted, seasonal holiday horror tales. Eight of twelve stories are

Books, Chronic Illness, Rare Diseases, Reading, Transformation / Scott A. Cook

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Festival of Words 2025 – “Pantera”

The word “pantera” primarily translates to “panther” in English. Who knew? It’s the Spanish and Italian word for the ‘large cat’; often used to refer to a black leopard. I choose to use pantera during my very own Festival of Words, coming up from Sept 24-30, 2025. This seven-day celebration is an authorship reflection of myself and my part in the state of the human condition. During this time, pantera will be treated as an ‘acrostic’; each letter of the word stands for a value, mindset, or action that can elevate someone’s life. Pantera also ties into my health diagnosis of the rare, incurable disease, CIDP, and my survival journey of the last twelve years. Power and strength, courage and fearlessness, mystery and spirituality. When I look back, I was a panther in every sense of the word. I still am. Allow me to share the entire acrostic meaning of pantera from my Festival of Words, in case you don’t catch it on social media. As you read and reflect, please realize, with this knowledge, comes the responsibility of sharing it. My Acrostic Meaning of ‘Pantera’ P = Perspective A = Authenticity N = Nurture T = Truth E = Empathy R = Resilience A = Attitude Day 1: Perspective Every single thing we touch, taste, smell, experience and SAY is guided by Perspective. Look around you. Words. Too many words, pictures, desires, falsehoods. Sensory overload. Plastic existences. A world suffocating under its own human inventions. Perspective can change all that. Silence the overload. Remember why it all is. * Temporary is inevitable for everyone. * Perspective is ingenious. * It’s not too late. Day 2: Authenticity Authenticity isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real. That’s where the magic happens in our daily lives – if you’re brave enough. When we stop trying to be who we think others want us to be, even who we want ourselves to be, and start embracing our genuine selves, something beautiful shifts. Our relationships deepen because people connect with our truth, not our ‘performance’. Our stress levels drop because we’re not constantly managing a facade. We make decisions that actually align with what matters to us, leading to a life that feels genuinely fulfilling rather than exhaustingly curated. To cultivate authenticity is to embark on the most rewarding journey possible: the journey home to ourselves, where we discover that our greatest gift to the world isn’t our perfection, but our willingness to show up as we truly are, inspiring others to do the same. * Embrace the imperfect you. * No apologies. * You know who you are. Day 3: Nurture Your soul needs a big, warm hug and you didn’t even know it! Nurturing is the gentle art of tending to what matters. A friendship, a dream, your own well-being, or even that little plant on your windowsill. It’s the sacred alchemy of conscious cultivation, transforming the raw materials of human potential into extraordinary realities through deliberate acts of care and attention. When we actively nurture the good stuff in our lives, everything starts to bloom in ways we never expected. That friend you check in on regularly becomes your biggest cheerleader. The skills you patiently develop become your superpowers. The kindness you show yourself on rough days becomes your unshakeable resilience. * It’s so simple. * Don’t water the plant, the plant dies. * We can be dead on so many levels. Day 4: Truth I grew up in a household that would not tolerate even the tiniest mistruth. If you did make the mistake of telling a lie, it was time for Dad’s belt. There is something to say about a bit of parental fear but that’s a whole other article. Truth is fucking messy, uncomfortable, and absolutely liberating all at the same time. We spend so much energy dancing around it, sugarcoating it, or hiding from it, but here’s what I’ve learned: living in truth is like finally exhaling after holding your breath for years. To live in truth is to choose radical freedom over comfortable delusion, knowing that while honesty may initially challenge us, it ultimately becomes the foundation upon which we build a life of profound meaning, connection, and purpose. When you commit to truth, you attract people and opportunities that align with who you actually are, not who you might be pretending to be. * The truth will set you free. * You don’t have to like it. * Don’t wait for your death bed. Day 5: Empathy How often do you say, “I see you. I hear you. I understand you.” Do you really mean it? That’s Empathy. It emerges all around us as the essential thread that weaves humanity together, yet we are witnessing first hand its gradual erosion in an age of digital disconnect and polarized discourse. In our rush to be right, to defend our corner of the internet, or just to get through our packed schedules, we’re losing the beautiful art of truly seeing each other. When we pause to really listen, when we try to understand someone else’s story before jumping to conclusions, something shifts. Our relationships get deeper, our communities get stronger, and we feel less alone. * Nobody’s that busy. * Be an architect of Empathy. * “Hey, what’s that like for you?” Day 6: Resilience Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back from rough times. It’s about learning to bend over backward without breaking. Some people are masters at this without even realizing it. Think about those living with chronic illness who wake up each day not knowing what their bodies will throw at them, yet still find ways to laugh, love, and contribute to the world. They show us that strength isn’t about never falling down; it’s about getting creative with how you keep moving forward.

Books, Health, Human Condition, Transformation, Truth / Scott A. Cook

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Remembering The Horror Classics

Autumn is coming. So is Samhain. Are you ready? I can suddenly smell Autumn in the air and that can only mean one thing …Halloween! I’m not talking about the Halloween with cute ghosts and clowns running through the streets trick ‘r treating, holding out pails to collect treasures of sweets. No. I’m talking about the Halloween with diabolical monsters hiding in the dark, blending in with the clothes in the closet, just waiting for you. I grew up obsessed with horror classics. Their indelible mark now drives my own horror stories on the page. These vintage monsters make their way into your head, under your bed and into your nightmares. You might be thinking Freddy Kruger from “Nightmare on Elm Street” or Jason Voorhees from “Friday the 13th”. All well and frightening, but where did these iconic demons of death originate from? The answer takes us back in time to a moment when films weren’t as accessible and books were a terrifying portal into a dimension of fear. Authors. Authors of the mysterious and the macabre, the scientific and the mythical. Authors who never knew their work would resonate throughout history and fuel the imagination of hundreds of other stories that chill us and make us keep the hall light on at night. Why They Did What They Did Authors of classic horror literature had motivations behind their timeless tales of terror. They intertwined their fears, curiosities and societal concerns into narratives that deeply resonated with their readers. Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker for instance ventured into realms of science and morality through “Frankenstein” and “Dracula.” In these works, they questioned the boundaries between life and death. These authors skillfully delved into their anxieties crafting stories that revealed humanity’s insatiable thirst for knowledge and the unforeseen repercussions of meddling with nature. Their narratives not only offered entertainment but also explored the darker aspects of human nature provoking readers to contemplate the ethical implications of their own actions. In today’s world, classic horror stories continue to captivate us for reasons beyond thrills. These tales tap into our instincts and deepest fears, creating a connection to our shared vulnerability in the face of the unknown. While times have changed significantly what unsettles us remains timeless. It is this enduring essence that allows classic horror narratives to transcend generations. As we navigate a changing world, these stories offer an exploration of fear, morality and the limits of comprehension – a journey that provides a cathartic experience. They serve as a reminder that our shared, shadowy intrigue of life is not just a passing fad but an ongoing exploration, into the unexplored territories of our own inner selves. Frankenstein and The Mummy Bringing Home The Monsters This year, to celebrate Autumn and the coming of Samhain, take a step into the enthralling realm of classic monsters from the golden age of literature and cinema, where mythical beings and imaginative creations have held our fascination for decades. This exploration invites us to unveil the origins that birthed these iconic figures, some rooted in folklore and mythology while others sprung from the depths of creative minds. The allure of these monsters lies not just in their frightful appearances but in the narratives that brought them to life. Among the captivating figures, vampires and werewolves stand as timeless symbols of both horror and intrigue. Vampires, often tracing their origins to legends of blood-sucking creatures, have undergone numerous transformations in books and film. One of the most notable sources is Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” a novel that laid the foundation for the modern vampire archetype. Moving from page to screen, the character has been portrayed by actors such as Bela Lugosi, embodying the enigmatic allure of the undead. Similarly, the werewolf legend, intertwined with stories of humans transformed under the full moon’s glow, has held a place in cultural narratives worldwide. Lon Chaney Jr.’s portrayal of “The Wolf Man” helped cement this creature’s status in classic horror cinema. The werewolf’s inner conflict between humanity and savagery has continued to captivate audiences over the years. Shifting our focus to mummies and Frankenstein’s monster, we uncover stories of reanimation and resurrection. Mummies, rooted in ancient Egyptian mythology, found their way into films like “The Mummy” series, often characterized by cursed tombs and vengeful spirits. On the other hand, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” explored the implications of playing god by reanimating life, an ethical dilemma that resonates to this day. This tale inspired an array of adaptations, the most iconic of which features Boris Karloff as the misunderstood monster. If these narratives beckon you, don’t miss the opportunity to delve into the original literary works that paved the way for these cinematic treasures. Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” (circa 1897) and Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (circa 1818) provide an immersive experience into the minds that conceived these monsters, allowing readers to uncover the nuanced layers that often get lost in adaptation. Nosferatu and The Bride of Frankenstein Embrace The Dark As you embark on your journey through the eerie ambiance of Autumn, what better time to indulge in a cinematic journey through the classic monsters? Whether it’s immersing yourself in the chilling portrayal of Dracula by Bela Lugosi or witnessing Lon Chaney Jr.’s transformation into The Wolf Man, these movies transport us to a bygone era of horror that remains captivating even in the modern age. If you’re curious about where to catch these classic films, various avenues await. Many local cinemas and theaters host special screenings, offering an opportunity to relive the thrill on the big screen. Additionally, streaming platforms often curate selections of classic movies, making it easier than ever to revisit or discover these gems from the comfort of your own home. So, grab your popcorn, dim the lights and prepare for an evening of spine-tingling delight as you traverse the golden age of classic monster cinema. These legends continue to enthrall and terrify, reminding

Books, Classics, Film, Horror, Reading / Scott A. Cook

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