Who Tells Your Story?

A few years ago, a group of seniors in my class worked through a literary analysis of a then-new musical about one of our country's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.  In the throes of ending a busy school year, I listened to a few tracks from the original score while I looked at their work, and then the chapter of that school year closed.  Looking back today, one word comes to mind when I think about this group and their study of Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton- energy.  Each time they came together to work on their writing and discuss the text, a creative and fun energy captivated them.  They were into it.

A few days ago, I finally listened to the whole musical start to finish because my daughter recently caught onto the excitement of the music and the book Hamilton - The Revolution authored by Miranda and Jeremy McCarter; upon listening, it became very obvious to me how such creativity captivates the audience and makes them want to experience more.  

Composing the pages of the book, the authors bring the "behind the scenes" look to Hamilton to a new level, encapsulating the many genre that contribute to the whole product, diving into the historical story telling and theatrical revision, and revealing details of the process of making a master work of hip-hop genius from the life of Hamilton and the revolutionary times in which he lived.  


"What is a legacy? It's planting scenes in a garden you never get to see."   --  A great work should always leave you wanting more, and luckily for people who catch the Hamilton wave, there is no shortage of what to read next.