There’s something special about Matthew Rettenmund‘s relationship with Madonna. I first wrote about that moving connection here, and to this day Matthew will always remind me of Madonna, and often vice versa. Far beyond that of fandom, Rettenmund has long connected on a deeper level with the iconic goddess, bringing a sharp and erudite reading to all of her work, calling her out when she’s faltered but mostly praising her work in an intelligent and scrupulous manner.
Almost two decades ago, he wrote ‘The Encyclopedia Madonnica’ – a book that more than lived up to its epic name, and one that remains a definitive record of Madonna’s life and career until that time. Of course, Madonna has gone on to do a great many more things since the publication date of that seminal tome, and Matthew Rettenmund is making moves to update that in this brilliant Kickstarter pitch.
Forget ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ or ‘The Godfather 2’ – this one looks to be the definitive sequel that surpasses the original. Much of Madonna’s richest work has come after 1995 (witness ‘Ray of Light‘ and ‘Music‘ and ‘Confessions on a Dancefloor.’) The best has yet to be written, and Mr. Rettenmund is the ideal man to flesh it out in print. While it’s an ambitious undertaking, Matthew (not unlike another certain ‘M’-monikered icon) has the drive, determination, skill, and talent to pull it off. Support his noble efforts here – there are a number of nifty rewards at every donation level, including some very special Madonna items.
