Novelist Regales Students

Gregory Maguire, author of “Wicked,” discussed his career since writing the best-selling novel at a dinner discussion in Lowell House Junior Common Room last night.

The event was organized by Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters (BGLTS) tutors in the House.

Maguire, a gay novelist, has written a number of revisionist retellings of children’s stories. “Wicked” is a take on the L. Frank Baum classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

Some of the initial reviews of “Wicked,” were “dreadful,” he said.

“I thought my life was over,” he said of a New York Times review that trashed his book. Yet shortly after, The Los Angeles Times published a glowing article, Maguire said. Maguire said he was immediately flooded with movie offers.

“No one in L.A. reads fiction but they do read newspapers,” he said.

Maguire went on to describe the process by which the novel was adapted from an unsuccessful cinematic project to a wildly successful Broadway play.

He admitted to recently rereading the work for the first time in 11 years, noting the disparity between the characters in his book and their on-stage depiction.

Comparing the two, Maguire said that the book has certain elements that would not translate well to the theater.

“Some things are made for the page, not the stage,” he said.

When asked about the ambiguity in his works, the author said that he purposely strives for a level of uncertainty regarding his main characters because “we are all made up of contradictory strands.”

Maguire added that he, like his fans, was not sure about the sexual orientation of his characters.

The sponsoring tutors said they were pleased with Maguire’s visit.

Juan Jaime de Zengotita, a BGLTS tutor, said he invited Maguire to give a lecture two years ago and that he was happy to have the author back.

Ari Lipman, a BGLTS tutors, said he found tea and dinner with Maguire “charming.”

Tonight marked the thousandth showing of “Wicked” on Broadway, Maguire said. Noting that much of the book occurs while the main characters are in college, Maguire quipped that he could very well imagine them in Lowell House—specifically in the Junior Common Room.