Blogging About Books (Again!)

When I can't figure out what to blog about, I find it's best if I blog about books.  Right now I'm reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire.  And, yes, I've read it before.  I'm waiting for my husband to go to the Portland Library to pick up something else for me, but in the meantime, I thought I'd re-read Wicked for something to do.

When I first read Wicked, it was after I had gone to a reading of it and after I had unknowingly met the author.  My friend and I decided to check out "Longfellow Shorts," which was a theatrical reading presented by Longfellow Books.  For this reading, they would be doing selections from Wicked and the readings would be done by some of the actors from Portland Stage Company.  It was even held at Portland Stage Company.  While we had never read the book, my friend and I decided it sounded like something fun to check out.  That afternoon, before the reading, I was working at the Cookie Shop in the Old Port and I had a man, his wife and two very active young children (read obnoxious) come into the shop and sit down and enjoy a few cookies.  They stuck out that day, possibly because the children were loud and possibly because the wife was a very interesting character (read bitchy).  I was shocked when later that night we arrived at Portland Stage and saw the woman and children running around the theater and then the man on stage as the author, Gregory Maguire.

The reading was AMAZING.  I hadn't read the book, but I went out the next day and bought it and absolutely loved it.  When Mr. Maguire spoke, after the actors had read, he talked about how Wicked was being worked on to eventually become a Broadway Musical.  Really? I thought, A musical?  I guess it was a good idea.  (Wicked is currently a huge success on Broadway for those of you living under a rock.)

Now, as I'm re-reading the book, I wish I had read the book prior to Mr. Maguire's visit to my cookie shop.  I wish that I had had a copy for him to sign while he was there.  I wish that I'd been able to ask him questions, tell him how much I enjoyed the book, how impressed I was with his details.  I wish that I could have done something other than roll my eyes at his annoying kids and try to sell him more cookies.