A conversation with Patti Hartigan, author of "August Wilson: A Life"

American Writers Museum presents a discussion with author and theater critic Patti Hartigan about her book "August Wilson: A Life," the first authoritative biography of August Wilson, the most important and successful American playwright of the late 20th century. Hartigan is joined in conversation by actor and playwright J. Nicole Brooks. This conversation originally took place October 30, 2023 and was recorded live via Zoom. For a full list of upcoming programs and events with the American Writers Museum, click here: americanwriter...
About "August Wilson: A Life"
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.
Order your copy of "August Wilson: A Life" here: bookshop.org/a...
PATTI HARTIGAN is an award-winning theater critic and arts reporter who spent many years on the staff of The Boston Globe. She divides her time between the Boston area and Charlottesville, VA.
J. NICOLE BROOKS is an actor, author and director. Selected acting credits include "Lottery Day" (Goodman Theatre, New Stages Festival), "Beyond Caring, Death Tax, and RACE" (Lookingglass Theatre Company), "Immediate Family" (Center Theatre Group) and "House Home" (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, China). Directing credits include "Mr. Rickey Calls A Meeting," "Thaddeus & Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure" and "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten." Brooks is author of "HeLa," "Fedra Queen of Haiti," "Black Diamond," and "3 Weeks With Her Honor Jane Byrne." Television credits including recurring roles on Showtime’s "The Chi" and Comedy Central’s "South Side." She is a mutli-award winning artist honored by 3Arts, TCG Fox Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Black Ensemble Theatre Playwright of the Year, LA Ovation and Black Theatre Alliance. She is an ensemble member of Lookingglass Theatre Company.

[@ReneeWilson-qr1jy]

I am watching this and yes the family history is very wonderful and sad I have researched ours for over 25 years I am pleased that the story of our grandmother is being told I am happy that pattie came to Spear with me