Wicked’s New Story

Gregory Maguire, the author of ‘Wicked,’ is selling his new book “THe Next Qeen of Heaven,” which comes out today, for a grand total of $0.00. The third title from the Concord Free Press, is giving away 2,500 copes of the book via its website and select independent bookstores to readers who agree to make a donation ‘to a local charity, someone who needs it, or a stranger on the street.’ The paperback’s back cover says this: ‘when you’re done, pass this novel on to someone else (for free, of course) so they can give. It adds up.” Already the press has announced that with its first two released, more than $85,000 donations have been made to various causes.

“The Next Queen of Heaven” is a farcical holiday set in 1999 in a made up Upstate New York town. As much success as Maguire COULD get when publishing his novels, it might seem a bit of a shock that he is publishing for free. “I admire that the books as well as the publishing model raise questions about art’s inherent value and the commodification of content,” he said. “I like knowing that this book is out  in the world, helping to generate donations for great causes.”

If you want to see another of his causes, get Wicked tickets from StubHub.

Posted in Uncategorized on October 22, 2009

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