Gregory Maguire
Encyclopedia
Gregory Maguire is an American
writer. He is the author
of the novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
, and many other novels for adults and children. Many of Maguire's adult novels are revisionist retellings of classic children's stories: for example, in Wicked he transformed the Wicked Witch of the West
from L. Frank Baum
's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
and its 1939 film adaption
into the misunderstood protagonist Elphaba
. Wicked was turned into a successful Broadway
musical of the same name
. One of Maguire's short stories is featured in the 2004 compilation Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales
.
, New York
. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University
. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
from 1979 to 1985. In 1987 Maguire co-founded Children's Literature New England and he continues to serve as its co-director. He is also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance
a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.
Maguire is married
to painter
Andy Newman. They have adopted three children, two from Cambodia
and one from Guatemala
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer. He is the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of the novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel published in 1995 written by Gregory Maguire and illustrated by Douglas Smith. It is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the...
, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel by Gregory Maguire, retelling the tale of Cinderella through the eyes of one of her "ugly stepsisters." In 2002, the book was adapted into a TV movie of the same name, directed by Gavin Millar.-Plot:...
, and many other novels for adults and children. Many of Maguire's adult novels are revisionist retellings of classic children's stories: for example, in Wicked he transformed the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
from L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
and its 1939 film adaption
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
into the misunderstood protagonist Elphaba
Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
. Wicked was turned into a successful Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical of the same name
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
. One of Maguire's short stories is featured in the 2004 compilation Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales
Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales
Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales is a compilation novel of horror short stories. The book is compiled by Deborah Noyes.-Background:The stories in this book are gothic. The compiler summarized what she thinks of gothic as, "It's probably more accurate to think of gothic as a room within the larger...
.
Biography
Maguire was born in AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
The Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature is an academic program at Simmons College specializing in the critical study of children's literature. The program was founded in 1977, and was the first program in the United States to offer a master's degree in the...
from 1979 to 1985. In 1987 Maguire co-founded Children's Literature New England and he continues to serve as its co-director. He is also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance
National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance
National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance is an American non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of literacy, literature, and libraries for young people...
a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.
Maguire is married
Same-sex marriage in the United States
The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
to painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Andy Newman. They have adopted three children, two from Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and one from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
For children
- The Lightning Time (1978)
- The Daughter of the Moon (1980)
- Lights on the Lake (1981)
- The Dream Stealer (1983)
- I Feel like the Morning Star (1989)
- Lucas Fishbone (1990)
- Missing Sisters (1994)
- "The Honorary Shepherds", in Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence
- Oasis (1996)
- The Good Liar (1997)
- "Beyond the Fringe", in A Glory of Unicorns
- Crabby Cratchitt (2000)
- Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales (2004)
- Hamlet Chronicles
- Seven Spiders Spinning (1994)
- Five Alien ElvesFive Alien ElvesFive Alien Elves is a children's novel by Gregory Maguire, the third in his Hamlet Chronicles series. It was first published in 1998.-Plot summary:...
(1998) - Six Haunted Hairdos (1999)
- Four Stupid Cupids (2000)
- Three Rotten Eggs (2002)
- A Couple of April Fools (2004)
- One Final Firecracker (2005)
- What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy (2007)
- Missing Sisters (2009)
For adults
- The Wicked YearsThe Wicked YearsThe Wicked Years is a series of novels by Gregory Maguire that present a revisionist take on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its 1939 film adaption, and related books. The first novel, published in 1995, was Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a book detailing...
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel published in 1995 written by Gregory Maguire and illustrated by Douglas Smith. It is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the...
(1995) - Son of a WitchSon of a WitchSon of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
(2005) - A Lion Among MenA Lion Among MenA Lion Among Men is the third novel in Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years and was released in the UK on October 2, 2008, October 8 in the US, and on October 14, 2008 in the rest of Europe....
(2008) - Out of Oz (November 1, 2011)
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
- Confessions of an Ugly StepsisterConfessions of an Ugly StepsisterConfessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel by Gregory Maguire, retelling the tale of Cinderella through the eyes of one of her "ugly stepsisters." In 2002, the book was adapted into a TV movie of the same name, directed by Gavin Millar.-Plot:...
(1999) - LostLost (novel)Lost is a novel by Gregory Maguire, based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens-Plot summary:Winifred Rudge, a writer, travels to London to visit a distant cousin, and to research a new novel about a woman haunted by the ghost of Jack the Ripper...
(2001) - Mirror, MirrorMirror, Mirror (novel)Mirror, Mirror is an American novel published in 2003. It was written by Gregory Maguire. The novel is a revisionist version of the tale of Snow White.-Plot summary:...
(2003) - The Next Queen of HeavenThe Next Queen of HeavenThe Next Queen of Heaven is a 2009 American novel by Gregory Maguire.The novel was originally published and distributed for free by Concord Free Press in 2009 then later published by HarperCollins in 2010.-Plot summary:...
(2010)
Short stories
- Scarecrow (2001), published in Half-Human edited by Bruce Coville (Note: This is the life story of the ScarecrowScarecrow (Oz)The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
from The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
, but is not a part of The Wicked Years.) - Fee, Fie, Foe et Cetera (2002), published in The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest
- The Oakthing (2004), published in The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm
- Chatterbox, published in I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes With Religion
- The Honorary Shepherds (1994), published in Am I Blue?:Coming Out From The Silence
- Beyond the Fringe (1998) published in A Glory of Unicorns
- The Seven Stage a Comeback (2000) published in A Wolf at the Door and Other Retold Fairy Tales
- Matchless: A Christmas StoryMatchless: A Christmas StoryMatchless: A Christmas Story is a short story by Gregory Maguire, published in 2009 although originally commissioned as a piece for National Public Radio in 2008...
(2009) - The Silk Road Runs Through Tupperneck, N.H. (2009), published in How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of IdentityHow Beautiful the OrdinaryHow Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity is an anthology of LGBTQ short stories for young adults edited by American author Michael Cart. It was first published in 2009...