Gregory Maguire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Maguire
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Maguire in 2007
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| Born | June 9, 1954 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Education | University at Albany (BA) Simmons University (MA) Tufts University (PhD) |
| Genre | Fantasy, children's literature |
| Spouse |
Andy Newman
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 3 |
Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954) is an American writer. He is famous for his novels for both adults and children. Many of his adult books are new versions of classic children's stories.
Maguire's first novel, The Lightning Time, came out in 1978. His book Wicked, published in 1995, became very popular. It was turned into a famous Broadway musical in 2003. This musical was then made into a two-part movie series. The first movie was released in 2024, and the second movie was released in 2025.
Maguire is married to American painter Andy Newman. Their marriage was one of the first of its kind in the state of Massachusetts.
Contents
About Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire was born on June 9, 1954, in Albany, New York. He was the youngest of four children. Sadly, his mother passed away shortly after he was born. He lived with an aunt for a short time. Later, he stayed in a local orphanage until he was two years old. His father remarried and brought him home. Gregory has three half-siblings from his father's second marriage.
His Education and Early Career
Maguire went to Catholic schools through high school. He earned a BA degree in English in 1976 from the State University of New York at Albany. He then studied children's literature. He received a MA degree from Simmons College in 1978. Later, he earned a PhD in English and American literature from Tufts University in 1990. His PhD work focused on fantasy books for children.
In 1978, when he was 24, Maguire published his first novel, The Lightning Time. From 1979 to 1986, he was a professor at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature. In 1987, Maguire helped start a group called Children's Literature New England, Inc. This group is a non-profit organization that helps with education. He was a co-director for 25 years. He has lived in places like Dublin, London, and near Boston.
The Success of Wicked
In 1995, Maguire released his first novel for adults, Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. This book became very popular through word of mouth. By 2003, when the Broadway musical opened, the book had sold 500,000 copies. In 2005, ten years after it was first published, Wicked was on the New York Times bestseller list for 26 weeks.
Family Life
Gregory Maguire met American painter Andy Newman in 1997. They met at a special place for artists and writers called the Blue Mountain Center. They have three adopted children. Two of their children are from Cambodia, and one is from Guatemala. Since 1999, they have lived in Concord, Massachusetts. On April 13, 2009, Maguire and his family were featured on the Oprah show.
Maguire is a practicing Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Maguire para niños
