The Cambridge Companion to August Wilson

OneofAmerica'smostpowerfulandoriginaldramatists,AugustWilsonofferedanalternativehistoryofthetwentiethcentury,asseenfromtheperspectiveofblackAmericans.Hecelebratedthelivesofthoseseeminglypushedtothemarginsofnationallife,butwhoweresimultaneouslyprotagonistsoftheirowndramaandevidenceofavitalandcompellingcommunity.Decadebydecade,hetoldthestoryofapeoplewithadistinctivehistorywhoforgedtheirownfuture,awareoftheirrootsinanothertimeandplace,butdoingsomethingmorethanjustsurvive.WilsondeliberatelyaddressedblackAmerica,butindoingsodiscoveredaninternationalaudience.AlongsidechaptersaddressingWilson'slifeandcareer,andthewidercontextofhisplays,thisCompaniondedicatesindividualchapterstoeachplayinhisten-playcycle,whichareorderedchronologically,demonstratingWilson'snotionofanunfoldinghistoryofthetwentiethcentury.