About this episode
Gregory Maguire expresses himself with extreme precision. While many of us may grasp for words to communicate a specific emotion or to describe a series of events, Gregory seemingly has words and turns of phrase on command. What a delight it is to listen to Gregory talk about his journey, his writing, and his thoughts on a wide variety of topics.
"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory Maguire
Close to Gregory’s heart is the belief that everyone has a backstory, a context—even our enemies. And no matter how difficult the task may seem, he believes it is our duty to understand that story and find it within ourselves to empathize with them—not to excuse them but to simply see them as humans.
Gregory has built his career around telling the stories of antiheroes, most notably through the reimagining's of classic fairytales in novels such as "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and "Mirror Mirror." That ability to find empathy and a curiosity to understand even the most seemingly undeserving characters emerges in his other children's and young adult books and is deeply rooted in experiences from Gregory’s early life.
In this episode, Gregory shares those early life experiences (which can honestly be described as “Dickensian”) and how his relationships with his father and siblings have impacted his writing and life choices. He tells us about his love of the “arresting strangeness” of literary worlds and how this sensation inspired him to become a writer. He also shares why he believes in the children's stories he writes, not always getting a “happily ever after.”
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In his reading challenge, Arresting Strangeness (a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien), Gregory has compiled a list of his favorite books that envelop you completely and force you to look at the world around you anew. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/gregory-maguire
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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us about a fun reading program she set up in her school inspired by a hit reality TV show.
Contents
- Chapter 1 - Travel of the Mind
- Chapter 2 - Home, the Orphanage, and back again
- Chapter 3 - The Children of Green Knowe
- Chapter 4 - Harriet the Recorder
- Chapter 5 - Origins of Empathy
- Chapter 6 - The Absence of a Happily Ever After
- Chapter 7 - Arresting Strangeness
- Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Author Reading Challenge
Download the free reading challenge worksheet, or view the challenge materials on our helpdesk.
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Links:
- Gregory Maguire
- Gregory (@gregorymaguire) • Instagram photos and videos
- WICKED Official Trailer (2024)
- by JRR Tolkien - On Fairy-Stories
- The Children of Green Knowe (Green Knowe, #1) by Lucy M. Boston | Goodreads
- The Reading Culture
- The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
- The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
- Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture