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August Wilson

By: Patti Hartigan
Narrated by: Dion Graham, Patti Hartigan
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Publisher's summary

The first authoritative biography of August Wilson, the most important and successful American playwright of the late 20th century, by a theater critic who knew him.

August Wilson wrote a series of ten plays celebrating African American life in the 20th century, one play for each decade. No other American playwright has completed such an ambitious oeuvre. Two of the plays became successful films, Fences, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis; and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Fences and The Piano Lesson won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Fences won the Tony Award for Best Play, and years after Wilson’s death in 2005, Jitney earned a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Through his brilliant use of vernacular speech, Wilson developed unforgettable characters who epitomized the trials and triumphs of the African American experience. He said that he didn’t research his plays but wrote from “the blood’s memory,” a sense of racial history that he believed African Americans shared. Author and theater critic Patti Hartigan traced his ancestry back to slavery, and his plays echo with uncanny similarities to the history of his ancestors. She interviewed Wilson many times before his death and traces his life from his childhood in Pittsburgh (where nine of the plays take place) to Broadway. She also interviewed scores of friends, theater colleagues and family members, and conducted extensive research to tell the story of a writer who left an indelible imprint on American theater and opened the door for future playwrights of color.

©2024 Patti Hartigan (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio
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What listeners say about August Wilson

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Truly inspiring...

Very informative, loaded with insight and nuances that make you appreciate this amazing Artist even more! August Wilson was truly a blessing, and with out him, many of us might have never found our song...

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Amazingly researched , amazing narration, such ambitious and creative life. August Wilson’s plays will live on and it’s great finding out the gnome about the genius behind them .

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Written by a White writer and it shows

Well read but too much of same stories. Obviously written by White privileged person. Even code switching did not work. Wonder about truth of Black community. Too bad since Mr. Wilson was so very talented to bring his community to all.

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