Author Gregory Maguire has long been celebrated for his ability to reimagine classic tales, transforming familiar characters into deeply complex and nuanced figures. 

Best known for “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” Maguire has reshaped the landscape of contemporary fantasy literature, offering readers alternative perspectives on well-known stories. His work challenges traditional fairy tale narratives, bringing themes of identity, morality, and social justice to the forefront.

The Broadway adaptation of “Wicked,” based on Maguire’s novel, became a cultural phenomenon, running for over two decades and captivating audiences worldwide. The recently released “Wicked” movie, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, was met with enthusiasm from theatergoers, who praised its stunning visuals and heartfelt performances. 

With fans eagerly anticipating Part Two, Maguire’s exploration of Elphaba’s origins in Elphie offers an exciting new perspective on the beloved character.

In this exclusive Q&A with OutSFL, Maguire discusses his inspirations, the timelessness of Elphaba’s story, and how Elphie continues his tradition of storytelling that both honors and reinvents the classics.

What inspired you to revisit Elphaba’s story with “Elphie,” and how does it feel to finally give readers a glimpse into her younger years? Did you find any surprises in exploring this earlier chapter of her life?

The renewed interest in the character of Elphaba, once Jon M. Chu began to train his lenses upon her, had its effect upon me as well as on so many others. I could sense that the movie would likely bring the story of Elphaba to millions more viewers.  
 
Before I step over the rainbow myself into the next world, I thought I would go back and fill in details of Elphie that I knew that had not been referenced in the original book, "Wicked.” Or to be clearer, had been suggested, but those brief passages had been eliminated in editing.

So, there was story in my head that had not made it to print form, and I thought, I might as well do this before I die and someone else takes a crack at it.

Your novels often challenge traditional fairy tale narratives. How does “Elphie” continue that tradition, and what new perspectives or themes do you explore in this book?

I have always thought that there are two ages of childhood in which character vests or settles. One is at the age of about 7, when the sense of a functional conscience begins to be reliable in a child. Right and wrong is of crucial importance in childhood. 

The second period is just before pubescence sets in, when children are at the height of their intellects before they’ve been taken hostage by hormones. (For American kids this is about in fourth and fifth grade.) I wanted to show Elphie at these pivot points, how aspects of her we have come to identify in her adult character began to vest. 

So, Elphie is in part a bildungsroman — the education of an innocent. She’s a little bit Harriet the Spy, a little bit Holden Caulfield — comically ignorant at times, but canny as feral cat.

Elphaba has become an iconic literary figure, resonating with readers who see themselves in her struggles and defiance. What do you think makes her story so timeless, and how do you see her impact evolving with this new book?

No one is more startled than I that Elphaba has become iconic. But I didn’t invent the times in which her story would grow in popularity. 

I thought she’d be rather scorned as a joke, as might happen if someone did a spin-off of the receptionist in “Monsters, Inc.” Elphaba however is still an innocent, though she has more power than some. She sees things in black-and-white, a common ailment of all humans and especially of the young. 

Coming to understand first her strength and then her weakness is a human story. We wish we had her strength, and we fear how much weakness we exhibit.

Your works have always championed complex, multi-dimensional characters who don’t fit into simple archetypes. How does Elphie contribute to the conversation about representation and diversity in modern literature?

One thing I tried to do is make sure that Elphie surprised me as well as any other reader. That’s the fun of writing: planting a seed and watching the story develop organically. 

While I edit my work like most writers, I don’t plan out ahead much of what is going to happen, but write in a kind of séance mood, to look and see what my subconscious drags to the keyboard and the screen. 

About representation and diversity, though, I think that I don’t have a particular agenda. Each of us has several jobs in our youth. The first is to individuate from our parents and our surroundings. The second is to fit in. The third is to stand out. 

Diversity, it seems to me, isn’t a personal ambition but a societal one. I’m not myself (a gay man at the age of 70) to increase the world’s diversity or to represent anything. But merely by being, I do mix-up the social order a little. That’s a downstream effect of being an individual and being a citizen whose vote remains anonymous.

Given the success of “Wicked” as both a novel and a Broadway phenomenon, what are your hopes for Elphie? Do you see it as a new chapter in the “Wicked” universe, or as a standalone piece that offers fresh insights?

I like to think that every book can stand alone. Certainly, except in my series called “Another Day” (the three Maracoor books), every book I’ve written has had a single ambition and I have tried to fulfill it so readers would feel consoled and fulfilled by the end and not left hanging. 

But I recognize very few will read “Elphie” without knowing who Elphaba is. So, this is a new experiment for me.

Your presentation at the Miami Book Fair in 2024 was both hilarious and heartfelt, especially with the way you shared childhood photos and stories. For young readers who love creativity and storytelling, what advice would you give them about embracing their imagination and developing their own voices?

Don’t listen to a bleeding soul, however beloved your teacher or librarian or muse is. Write to satisfy yourself. Write the kind of book that you would most love to have found in the library today.  Put in it the things that delight you to find in books — suspense, mystery, tension, magic, love, food, weather, anger, horses, repartee, descriptions of wallpaper — whatever it is. 

If you can’t satisfy yourself, you have no hope of satisfying another reader. That’s my belief, anyway.

Your books have redefined how readers perceive classic characters and stories. Looking at today’s landscape of literature and adaptations, what do you think is the key to keeping classic stories relevant while still making space for new, diverse voices?

Classic stories always betray their origins — either in the deep pre-printed storytelling traditions of ancient times, or in the time-hammered ways that certain stories have been regularized. 

We all know Snow White, but she can show up in almost every context and if there is beauty, a mirror, and an apple, we know where we are. But classic stories, being of their times, also leave useful loopholes that we can play with without betraying the original.

For me, not betraying the original is a sacred charge. I want to add to someone’s reading experience, not detonate it. Honor the personal heart and use the juice of your own passion to consider a traditional tale.

You’ll find yourself asking questions about what was left out, for any reason, and you’ll find your typing fingers itching to construct a version in which you can replace or restore or reimagine how to insert what the story clearly has the bones and strength to support. 

For more information on Elphie and to know where to purchase the novel, visit harpercollins.com. 

For more information on author Gregory Maguire, visit gregorymaguire.com.