Center for the literary arts in New York State
(Photo credit: Andy Newman)
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Author of Wicked
Gregory Maguire
7:30 p.m. Thursday October 20, 2022
Page Hall, University at Albany Downtown campus
135 Western Avenue
Albany NY 12203
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Free and open to the public.
Gregory Maguire is the beloved author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (the basis of the hit Broadway musical), a multimillion-copy bestselling writer, and a proud University at Albany alum (Class of 1976).
The talk will be moderated by Jo Page, writer and columnist for the Albany Times Union.
Maguire will discuss his writing and his new Wicked spinoff, The Oracle of Maracoor (Oct. 2022), the second installment in his new trilogy, Another Day, which follows the adventures of Elphaba’s green-skinned granddaughter, Rain, in the strange land of Maracoor, across the ocean from Oz. The first installment, The Brides of Maracoor, appeared in 2021. People magazine called it, “exquisitely crafted,” and Buzzfeed said, “this latest Oz tale is as satisfying a read as the Wicked Years quartet.”
Read an interview with Gregory Maguire published in the AlbanyTimes Union on Sunday, Oct. 16
Cosponsored by the UAlbany Honors College, Young Writers Project and World of Writing LLC.
About Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the University at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England. He still serves as co-director of CLNE, although that organization has announced its intention to close after its 2006 institute.
The bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. Wicked, now a beloved classic, is the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad.He has three adopted children and is married to painter Andy Newman. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2018, Gregory established The Maguire Family Endowment at the NYS Writers Institute to provide financial support to host authors throughout the year. The $500,000 endowment is in honor of his family and, in particular, his parents John Maguire, Helen Gregory Maguire, and Marie McAuliff Maguire.
More about The Oracle of Maracoor
The Oracle of Maracoor, the second in the trilogy called Another Day, continues the story of Elphaba’s green-skinned granddaughter, Rain. That strange land, Maracoor—across the ocean from Oz—is beset by an invading army. In the mayhem, Rain and Cossy, a child felon, break out of prison. Helped by a few flying monkeys, they struggle to escape the city before it falls under siege. Their arresting officer, Lucikles, also retreats with his family to a highland redoubt. But safety eludes them all. Chaos thunders upon them in the form of warriors, refugees, and brigands. The very fabric of reality loosens, liberating creatures of myth and legend—huge blue wolves, harpies, and giants made of the very landscape.
Cued in by secrets known only to the most highly placed members of the royal court, Rain and her companions hunt the fabled Oracle of Maracoor for guidance and soothsaying. Rain has to recover her forgotten past if she is to consider returning home. Cossy, the ten-year-old convicted of murder, must become invisible to avoid being taken into custody again. Meanwhile, the Fist of Mara, an arcane artifact that renders all around it barren, hammers against human lives. If the reclusive Oracle should spin a prophecy, might the desperate wicked years promise another day, one less perilous?
Reviews for The Brides of Maracoor, the first book in the Another Day series
“A decade after she flew Out of Oz in Maguire’s Wicked series, Elphaba’s granddaughter crash-lands on an island inhabited by seven sacrificial virgins. The arrival of the green-skinned teen (and her talking goose) upends their enclave. An exquisitely crafted introduction to a new fantasy trilogy.” — People
“Fans will look forward to reading more about the interaction of Oz, Rain and the strange society of Maracoor.” — Wall Street Journal
