The Wicked Truth is Here!
I am delighted to finally be able to share what I’ve been working on for the past 2 years – a revised edition of The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things!
The ebook is now available on Amazon, and the print version will be available soon!
The Wicked Truth is my introduction to mimetic theory using the story, plot and characters of the Broadway musical, Wicked.
From the time I first saw it in 2003, I realized that Wicked was not like any show I had seen before! It struck me that following the plot, characters, and songs of the show would be a fun way to talk about difficult things we face today, things like bullying, polarized politics, scapegoating and cynical political leaders. I published the first edition in 2007, and even got to discuss all these themes and nuances with Stephen Schwartz himself!
The idea for a revised edition came to me when the movie version was released in two parts in 2024 and 2025. So much had happened since the first edition was published that in many places what I’d written felt dated. Back when I wrote the first edition, we were living in the shadow of 9/11, and the “extremes” around me included the escalating violence of the Iraq War, the search for Osama bin Laden, the death of Saddam Hussein, the very beginnings of the social media boom, and the shock of the subprime mortgage crisis that would lead to a global recession.
Since then, the extremes have become more extreme: sparked off in many ways by the growth of social media and the fallout of the 2008 recession, political polarization has split our nation in two, each side convinced of its own goodness and the wickedness on the other side. Ukraine is under threat from Russia, we are again at war in the Middle East, and the American government is boldly scapegoating its own citizens. And let’s not even get into the feared social and economic disruption that AI has already caused, let alone could cause in the future!
Throughout the new edition, I have worked to reflect the present challenges, the hopes and fears that are part of our current climate. And I’m very proud of how contemporary and relevant the new edition feels.
I am especially proud of the opportunities for personal and group reflection that I created for this edition. I included Stop and Reflect questions after every third chapter, and created a separate downloadable study guide for small groups. My hope is that the new edition becomes a valuable resource for individuals and communities seeking to heal divides and create the conditions for justpeace for all people.
Every Copy Funds the Work of Peace with Justice
My inspiration for the study guide comes from Dr. David Anderson Hooker and his process for community transformation. To honor Dr. Hooker, when you purchase either the ebook or print version between now and the end of 2026, all proceeds will go to support a Chicago nonprofit, the Chicago Torture Justice Center. Dr. Hooker is a founding board member, and I encourage you to learn more about their valuable work seeking justice and healing for survivors of racialized police violence in Chicago.
Till next time, please remember to always mourn the wicked; it’s what good people do.