Carol Maxym, Librettist

Carol Maxym initially conceived the idea for The First Lie on her daily walks at Diamond Head beach in Honolulu shortly after learning about the [in]famous Massie Case. Fascinated by the power of a single lie to set in motion a cataclysmic cascade of events that ensnared innocent bystanders and impassioned the entire community and eventually the whole United States with its racial injustice, she wrote the libretto for The First Lie in a six-week period over the summer of 2012. Carol’s insight into the characters was informed not only by her vast knowledge of literature and her many years living in Hawaii, but also by her professional work as a psychologist and educational consultant specializing in therapeutic placement for troubled teens, many of whom have set off crises of their own that have ensnared their families and others who love them.

Carol holds an MA and PhD in Psychology, has previously published poetry and written lyrics for art songs under the pseudonym Johanna Pragh, and is also the author of Teens in Turmoil as well as a frequent blogger and public speaker on topics relating to parenting teens. This is Carol’s first opera libretto.