Exploring The Definition of “Evil” with Wicked Author Gregory Maguire

Meditations goes a little green as Gregory Maguire, the New York Times Bestselling author of Wicked, joins Ryan for Episode 36. Gregory is most known for the origin story he developed for the Wicked Witch of the West in his books that eventually inspired  the Wicked Broadway musical and feature film. He gave the Wicked Witch the name Elphaba that has now transcended literature and made its way into cultural vernacular and even Starbucks beverages. But Gregory’s origin is just as interesting as Elphaba’s story. In this conversation, Gregory sheds light onto his dark fairy tale start in Albany, NY, growing up in a family who loved reading, and becoming enamored with books like Harriet The Spy. He details his life’s work in the form of daily journaling, deciding to study literature all the way to his Tufts University PhD., and eventually distancing himself from Higher Education to focus on writing. Gregory shares his inspiration leading up to writing Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West and the process of overcoming intense emotions through making art. He sheds light onto his decision to grant rights to Stephen Schwartz to write the Wicked musical and talks about other works he has coming to further explore the lore of the Elphaba. Gregory is an engaging storyteller in conversation and further proves himself to be a gentleman, scholar, and advocate for learning. For more information on the work of Gregory Maguire you can find online at https://gregorymaguire.com/. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email [email protected].