Suzanne Ross has shared some of her energy and excitement in the previous episode and now we get deep with a musical! She is an author, educator, and one of the founders of The Raven Foundation.

The Deep Conversation

In her book, The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things, Suzanne has offered a deep analysis and “exegesis” of the popular musical, Wicked.” She looks at the idea of making someone “evil,” making that person the other, and then hating that person. In her analysis, Suzanne does not only see the narrative as showing how someone can start “good” and find themselves in a very different place, but the ways that we, as a people, tend to look for scapegoats, people to blame and people to distrust.

Using her work as a launching off point, Jonathan and Suzanne discuss the act of doing a deep analysis of symbols of popular culture, the idea of pacifism and non-violence, and the ways in which violence can be found in so many aspects of life.

We could view and experience Wicked on a surface level, enjoying the music and such and that would be nice. Or, we could engage on a deeper level, letting the symbolism and subtext shape and guide how we view our society and the ways that we live in society. Of course, Suzanne is highly influenced by Girard.

As always, thanks for listening. Check out the website: www.twelveenough.com Send your comments and questions to twelveenough@gmail.com, and don’t forget to rate the show on iTunes.

Next Episode – Brent Newberry – a Southerner in a Northern Context and a box of books