Procrastadabbler

I desperately wanted something totally unrelated to work to read. I have a stack of books next to my favorite chair. One is Patricia Williamses book, The Alchemy of Race and Rights, one is Reed-Danahay’s Auto/Ethnography, and one is Barton & Hamilton’s Local Literacies. All good reads, but all are related to my research. And my brain was tired. I wanted something less than taxing. And being the lazy cuss that I am, I didn’t want to hie myself to the library to find something light to read. And being cheap, I didn’t want to buy something. So I dug around in one of my many bookshelves and found Wicked.

I had read it before. Didn’t really care for it. Didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. Now, I admit, I haven’t seen the Broadway version, but I also have to admit I’m not a big fan of musicals. Yeah, they’re fun, but I can think of other things I’d drop a sizable sum on before dropping it on a Broadway musical. However, serendipity also lead me to an interview with Gregory McGuire and it piqued my interest. He seemed like a genuinely interesting person.

So I reread the book. And I fell in love with it. And damn it all, I found themes in it that connect to my research and theoretical interests. Now I have to reread his other re-imaginings of classic tales. And I have to read Son of a Witch. Dammit. I was ready to write McGuire off as a pop culture hack, and I discover I like what he has to say.

I’m not going to ramble on about the things in Wicked that I found compelling. There’s a lot. If you haven’t read it, read it. Twice. Once for the story and to allow yourself the task of comparing it to your childhood memories of Oz. Then read it again to really see and think about the nature of society and humanity. And ache for what could be and what is.