I just finished reading "Wicked". This book was so good to me that I stopped reading it for a week or so because I felt my life would permanently change upon completion of the book.
1. I would have some kind of profound enlightenment forever changing the way I interact with humanity.
2. I would have to search for another book that would grab me so intensely.
3. We all know about the demise of the Wicked Witch...but I was hoping for something else..... so.....I dragged it out.
The book didn't change me, per se, but it reminded me of life lessons I already knew. I could always go for a reminder. It also sparked my need to create a few really good novels. If this guy, Gregory Macguire, is teaching a class somewhere I must attend. Wherever (except Georgia).
In the beginning I feared "Wicked" might be to easy of a read. I'm not into extra-complicated reads but I'm really not into easy, simple in your face..1,2,3 reads. Or drama filled book sans the substance or reflective meanings. I keep abandoning my own novel for fear of creating a drama filled trashy novel just for the sake of ooooohhhhs and aaaaahhhs and giirrrrlllllll!!!!!
I strive to create a work that contains the juicy drama we love so but hidden in the lines are profound life lessons. This plagues me. I'm not hating on the ooooohh and aaaaahhhhhh's drama fiction writers (not knocking the hustle)... I refuse to give one example. You know who you are and readers know what they have read and why. I just don't strive to be one. Though it's so much easier to fill pages with pointless drama for the sake of drama, I'm not the one and I'll shred my words and never write again if that's what my writing sounds like...again....I'll read a drama drama novel. One that has a "Star" magazine effect on me, but I prefer jaw-dropping profound lines and realizations. In other words I want to be "quotable" and re-readable. I don't want to waste paper and kill trees for the sake of hype.
I am proud to say Mr. Macguire, writer of Wicked did not waste paper or kill trees in vain. What he has attempted with giving back story on stories which are staples in American History ie....Wizard of Oz, Cinderella....amazing feat. Hats and shoes off to you sir. I haven't read "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" yet. It will be a long while. "Son of a Witch" the continuation of "Wicked" is in the bookstore right now.
So....the story of the Wicked Witch....my new motto "Everything I need to know I learned in "Wicked".
Two sides to every story
Don't judge a book by it's cover
Racism and Prejudice will always be around as long as we're different in appearance.
Fools really do have a false sense of superiority.
People will drive you plum crazy if you allow them to and then look at you like "I don't know what's wrong with you."
Politics suck.
and
I also came to a peaceful understanding of home and what it means.
When someone does something devastating to you "sorry" doesn't fix it (Dorothy)
The biggest switch for me is that I am ready to watch "The Wizard of Oz" a movie I've long had a bad relationship with. Being a young black girl...of course I loved the everloving hell out of "The Wiz". Perfect as a musical movie made for entertaining. Love it.....FOREVER. You go Diana Ross, you're the best (black) Dorothy ever. Don't let anyone tell you different.
"The Wizard of Oz" is a whole other show Oprah. I always felt it was a very demonic movie that sent some kind of subliminal message to it's viewers. I, up until the reading of "Wicked" was completely horrified by the Green Wicked Witch of the West....she was awful....Thanks to backstory and the obvious...two sides to a story...I love the Wicked Witch and am completely intrigued with her (imaginary) plight. It's all about a bad wrap, delusional thoughts and people not leaving you to your own vices when you need to be left to them. And allowing your own guilt and issues to engulf your soul and destroy you. Craziness. Sad and Crazy yet wonderful and exciting.
The book drew me in and kept me, didn't bore me with mountains of descriptions (an issue I have in my writing, I haven't mastered the ability to slip descriptions in without making it obvious...so I'm not really describing much for fear of killing myself and my readers with a book load of words on the way the tree swayed in the wind. MacGuire layed out the description of Oz and it's surrounding territory with superior grace...he makes it seem easy (but I know better). He reminds me of my discovery so many years ago of one of my favorite writers, Wally Lamb. It's great to discover a writer whose style you really love.
Thanks to my friend Sarah for insisting I read it because it would've never happened otherwise. I've found a friend in Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west...that's right. So much so that one day I was reading the book sitting on a step outside of a Catholic school in Silverlake....All of a sudden (and I swear I'm not making this up) I hear a a group of kids with piano accompaniment singing...Ding, Dong the witch is dead......I stood up and peeked through the stained glass windows...a group of children, no more than 8 or 9 years old being led by their Choir teacher....a very flamboyant black man who was doing the damn thing on the piano....He could have just as easily have been rehearsing for a broadway play.....and as I started to cry, yes cry because of the bad wrap of the Wicked Witch, this brother switches the whole mode for me and has these little kids (all of Mexican decent) break out to "Ease on down the road"....with little dance moves and all. Tears of sadness turned into tears of joy and I started clapping and then realized I probably looked a little scandalous dancing outside the window of a Catholic church so I put the book away and got back to work. It was the cutest thing and I was seriously sitting there in silence reading my "Wicked" book. I couldn't make that up (I don't think).
Wicked's got it all.....blood, sweat, tears, death, politics, racism, sexism and so on and so forth and shoobeee, dooooobeee, doooobeee!!!!!
And as soon as I properly recover from "Wicked" coming to the end I knew it would...I will pickup "Son of a Witch".
