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August Wilson: A Life
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.
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.
544 pages, Hardcover
Published August 15, 2023
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February 12, 2025
“I have strived to live it all seamless—art and life together, inseparable and indistinguishable.” —AUGUST WILSON
This authoritative, comprehensive and beautiful biography of August Wilson describes how his life beginning in a two-room cold water flat in the Hill District of Pittsburgh led him to some of the most prestigious stages establishing him as the most important American playwright since the iconic Eugene O’Neill. The author of August Wilson: A Life, Patti Hartigan, is an award-winning journalist who began her career at the Boston Globe in 1987. It was that year she was awarded a grant to attend the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where she first met August Wilson with her last interview in 2005 before his death. Ms. Hartigan states that she spent several days interviewing him in Seattle in January 2005 for a Boston Globe Magazine profile, “One Man. Ten Plays. 100 Years.” And it is in those wide-ranging interviews that covered his entire life that the author has drawn from his words, many of the quotations throughout the book.
Over the years, we had the honor of seeing many of the plays of August Wilson on the stage leaving one in awe, one of the most memorable being “Fences.” Wilson reportedly said that he didn’t do any historical research for his plays, writing from what he called “blood’s memory” feeling the pulse of his ancestors knowing what they must have endured. No one has written more brilliantly about the trials and triumphs of African American life than August Wilson winning a Tony Award and two Pulitzer Prizes for drama. Wilson talks about how he discovered his muse that gave him secure ground in 1965 when, a frequent patron of the St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop, he bought 78 rpm records to play on his antique Victrola. One was Bessie Smith’s “Nobody in Town Can Bake a Jelly Roll Like Mine” and his world changed as her strong contralto filled the room and he discovered the blues.
“Suffice it so say it was a birth, a baptism, a resurrection, and a redemption all rolled up in one. It was the beginning of my consciousness that I was representative of a culture and the carrier of some very valuable antecedents. With the discovery of Bessie Smith and the blues I had been given a world that contained my image, a world at once rich and beautiful, and at crucial odds with the larger world that contained it and preyed and pressed it from every conceivable angle.”
Without a doubt, August Wilson was one of the greatest playwrights in the history of the American stage. His realized dream was to write a cycle of ten plays about the African American experience in the twentieth century. And so we have a decade by decade cycle of ten plays putting Black life on the stage celebrating themes and voices that had been missing telling their life history, their “blood memory.” Beginning in 1904, the Gem of the Ocean takes African Americans through the shock of freedom at the turn of the century through the cycle of his plays as they begin to struggle with the trauma of slavery, ending the cycle of plays in the 1990s with assimilation in “Radio Golf.” These plays are brimming with the soul of Black America and the haunting lyrics throughout of the blues.
And in conclusion, we have the words of August Wilson as he returned in March 2003 to the steps of St. Benedict the Moor Church, the grand, imposing Roman Catholic cathedral at the base of Pittsburgh’s Hill District to bury one of his oldest friends. He sported a black turtleneck and a brown tweed jacket, topped by a trench coat to keep away the chill and his signature Borsalino fedora.
“To arrive at this moment in my life, I have traveled many roads, some circuitous, some brambled and rough, some sharp and straight, and all of them have led as if by some grand design to the one burnished with art and small irrevocable tragedies.” —AUGUST WILSON
March 23, 2023
Comprehensive. Definitive. We are treated to a look at the theater world from the perspective of perhaps its’ greatest resident. August Wilson. An obviously well researched and meticulously compiled biography. The writing and pacing is just right. So although it’s a big book, it doesn’t feel unwieldy. The chapters flow nicely from one to the next as more of August Wilson’s journey unfolds. It pretty much moves in a linear chronological fashion but never feels boring. You feel inspiration to keep reading, to find out what happens next.
And, oh what you will find. An amazing writer. A hard worker. An opinionated speaker. A lover of Black people and culture. A man who always tried to get it right. The biographer does justice to the life of August Wilson and was careful not to fall into hagiography territory. I even sensed her holding back on stories that she didn’t have sufficient evidence of to state the happenings.
I know that may strike some as ridiculous( like how could I know, well I said I SENSED) but once you read this book you’ll have a better understanding.
I enthusiastically recommend you set aside time for this book and see how a man packed so much living in sixty short years. 5🌟 A great big thanks to Edelweiss and Simon&Schuster for an advanced DRC. Book is out August 15, 2023
And, oh what you will find. An amazing writer. A hard worker. An opinionated speaker. A lover of Black people and culture. A man who always tried to get it right. The biographer does justice to the life of August Wilson and was careful not to fall into hagiography territory. I even sensed her holding back on stories that she didn’t have sufficient evidence of to state the happenings.
I know that may strike some as ridiculous( like how could I know, well I said I SENSED) but once you read this book you’ll have a better understanding.
I enthusiastically recommend you set aside time for this book and see how a man packed so much living in sixty short years. 5🌟 A great big thanks to Edelweiss and Simon&Schuster for an advanced DRC. Book is out August 15, 2023
February 24, 2024
August Wilson: A Life is a comprehensive biography of America’s greatest playwright. From his childhood in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood (that he later would make famous in his Century Cycle) his struggling young manhood, washing dishes and doing odd jobs as he struggled to write poetry and be taken seriously, through his early breakthroughs in theater, and subsequent meteoric rise as a theater icon, Harigan’s biography hits all the important notes. Wilson’s self education at the Carnegie Library after dropping out of high school when outraged by its racism, his self creation as a tweed-wearing, pipe-smoking poet affecting a Welsh accented, and his ongoing self-mythologizing all are noted. His breakthrough at the O’Neill Center, his critical collaborations, and the method he developed to write and shepherd his plays, and his emergence as an important public voice, all make fascinating reading.
This is an important biography of a critically important voice in American letters. Wilson’s Century Cycle of plays — one for each decade of the 20th century, tracking the Black American experience — stands unparalleled in American theatrical history. This book reveals the enigmatic man who created these plays, and the process of their creation.
This is an important biography of a critically important voice in American letters. Wilson’s Century Cycle of plays — one for each decade of the 20th century, tracking the Black American experience — stands unparalleled in American theatrical history. This book reveals the enigmatic man who created these plays, and the process of their creation.
March 13, 2024
This book was long as hell, so my review is long as hell. Grab a snack and get comfy.
I have very mixed feelings about this biography.
On one hand, there is no other book about August Wilson’s life, so when I initially saw the promo for this, I bubbled over with excitement.
August Wilson is the playwright who made me love theater. It’s hard to put into words the way I felt the first time I saw one of his plays, Gem of the Ocean, onstage. When the curtains closed, my date and I sat in our seats in awe well after the rest of the audience filed out into the lobby. We were blown away by "Aunt Ester" especially.
After that experience, I ran to the 2006 internet to find out who this August Wilson guy was and was heartbroken to learn he had passed away six months earlier. Learning of the Pittsburgh Century Cycle drew me into his work even more, and I made it a priority to see as much of his work as I could. So of course, reading a closer examination of his life was high on my list.
But, on the other hand, Wilson was biracial, but he identified as a Black man who felt Black people were the only people who should tell Black stories. He was adamant about that, not only for us but for all cultures, including white people. Tell your own stories. It is repeatedly mentioned in this specific biography.
His insistence that his plays on stage and on-screen have Black directors is the reason it took so long for Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to make it to the screen .
Knowing all of this, why would a white theater critic who claims to have known Wilson extremely well decide to write this book and tell his story?
*scratches head*
Patti Hartigan’s writing choices in this biography boggle my mind. I immediately understood why Wilson stuck to his guns on his stance because many of Hartigan’s choices made it clear she was an outsider grasping for meaning for every little thing. It was extremely repetitive, and she spent an exorbitant amount of time on descriptions and assuming connections that were stretches of her own imagination. It drove me nuts.
It also left me with a lot of questions that need answers, like:
Why does the story of this creative and successful Black man start off by sharing that Black friends from his youth felt he was a sellout?
Why are we starting off a book about this man with a story about division from other Black people?
Did they deeply feel that way so much that it impacted Wilson’s life in any way, or was this street gossip?
Is it a recurring theme in his life? Did it spur action or change?
No and no.
So why did it stand out as important enough to be the first thing we read about in his biography?
Why set the tone for this book with inconsequential information about friendships that peaked in Wilson's 20s? The man lived to be 60 years old.
Why not include this info in the order that it happened, like everything else that was mentioned in the book?
It’s odd to me to lead his biography with perceived slights from Black people when there was example after example of white cruelty toward Wilson, including from his own father.
What bothers me the most about this book is what it doesn’t include. I imagine had this been written by someone of the background and community that Wilson grew from, his life story would have been told in the tradition that Wilson was committed to showing in his work. There is more about his relationship with Wilson’s mentee than his own siblings. Wilson’s estate did not approve of this book; none of his wives participated in it. Outside of his two daughters, his still-living family members are barely mentioned. Their absence says a lot.
Unfortunately, like I said, there are no other biographies. Despite my annoyance, this will have to do for now.
I appreciated learning about Wilson’s writing process, his inspirations, his trials and tribulations as a young brilliant boy taunted and bullied so much by racists at his parochial school for gifted students that he dropped out and went to the library every day to learn on his own instead.
The stories of Wilson’s wandering beginnings in the arts as a poor poet, his pro-black artistic social circle, how his plays came to be, his inspirations, his failed productions, his many rejections before the one YES that catapulted him, his desire to create African American mythology for our culture (I loved this so much), and his personal and professional relationship with Lloyd Richards which changed the entire industry… all of that was fascinating.
Seeing so many of our favorite talented Black actors start their careers on stage with Wilson’s work was also a treat: from Angela to Dutton to Viola to Santiago-Hudson. Wilson’s impact was not all peaches and cream , but his work still left a lasting and fulfilling mark on many of the actors who grew through his words.
It was also interesting to see the bad side, the riffs with friends, mentors, directors, producers, actors, and strangers (Wilson was known for having a temper), the cheating on his wives, the constant smoking, his procrastination habits, the sneaky business deals, his consistent failure to flesh out his female characters or give them agency, the negative impact his success had on other playwrights, and his commitment to put his writing before everything and everyone, including his daughters.
Overall, I appreciate this book as an intro to Wilson’s life, but the author's motivations felt very delulu to me.
Near the end, Hartigan addressed why she wrote the book. She believes Wilson changed his opinion about Black stories only being told by Black people and he would approve of her writing his biography. There is no evidence of that anywhere. Are we supposed to take her word for it or is this what she told herself to feel better about doing something that would cause Wilson to be livid?
As you can tell, this really bothered me, but only because his insistence that Black stories should only come from Black people was a constant theme in the book. I do not like when people go against the wishes of the dead. I would've respected her choice a tad more had she explained her reasons without inferring Wilson would approve of something that likely has him spinning double time in his grave.
The true bright side of reading this biography is that it inspired me to buy the entire Pittsburgh Century Cycle and cherish it forever.
I have very mixed feelings about this biography.
On one hand, there is no other book about August Wilson’s life, so when I initially saw the promo for this, I bubbled over with excitement.
August Wilson is the playwright who made me love theater. It’s hard to put into words the way I felt the first time I saw one of his plays, Gem of the Ocean, onstage. When the curtains closed, my date and I sat in our seats in awe well after the rest of the audience filed out into the lobby. We were blown away by "Aunt Ester" especially.
After that experience, I ran to the 2006 internet to find out who this August Wilson guy was and was heartbroken to learn he had passed away six months earlier. Learning of the Pittsburgh Century Cycle drew me into his work even more, and I made it a priority to see as much of his work as I could. So of course, reading a closer examination of his life was high on my list.
But, on the other hand, Wilson was biracial, but he identified as a Black man who felt Black people were the only people who should tell Black stories. He was adamant about that, not only for us but for all cultures, including white people. Tell your own stories. It is repeatedly mentioned in this specific biography.
"The impasse was over Wilson’s demand for a Black director. Wilson later wrote, 'I wanted to hire somebody talented, who understood the play and saw the possibilities of the film, who would approach my work with the same amount of passion and measure of respect with which I approach it, and who shared the cultural responsibilities of the characters.'”
"In his essay, Wilson laid out his case that Black Americans share their own unique culture and sensibilities. 'We are an African people who have been here since the early 17th century,” he wrote. “We have a different way of responding to the world. We have different ideas about religion, different manners of social intercourse. We have different ideas about style, about language. We have different aesthetics. Someone who does not share the specifics of a culture remains an outsider, no matter how astute a student or how well-meaning their intentions.'"
His insistence that his plays on stage and on-screen have Black directors is the reason it took so long for Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to make it to the screen .
Knowing all of this, why would a white theater critic who claims to have known Wilson extremely well decide to write this book and tell his story?
*scratches head*
Patti Hartigan’s writing choices in this biography boggle my mind. I immediately understood why Wilson stuck to his guns on his stance because many of Hartigan’s choices made it clear she was an outsider grasping for meaning for every little thing. It was extremely repetitive, and she spent an exorbitant amount of time on descriptions and assuming connections that were stretches of her own imagination. It drove me nuts.
It also left me with a lot of questions that need answers, like:
Why does the story of this creative and successful Black man start off by sharing that Black friends from his youth felt he was a sellout?
Why are we starting off a book about this man with a story about division from other Black people?
Did they deeply feel that way so much that it impacted Wilson’s life in any way, or was this street gossip?
Is it a recurring theme in his life? Did it spur action or change?
No and no.
So why did it stand out as important enough to be the first thing we read about in his biography?
Why set the tone for this book with inconsequential information about friendships that peaked in Wilson's 20s? The man lived to be 60 years old.
Why not include this info in the order that it happened, like everything else that was mentioned in the book?
It’s odd to me to lead his biography with perceived slights from Black people when there was example after example of white cruelty toward Wilson, including from his own father.
What bothers me the most about this book is what it doesn’t include. I imagine had this been written by someone of the background and community that Wilson grew from, his life story would have been told in the tradition that Wilson was committed to showing in his work. There is more about his relationship with Wilson’s mentee than his own siblings. Wilson’s estate did not approve of this book; none of his wives participated in it. Outside of his two daughters, his still-living family members are barely mentioned. Their absence says a lot.
Unfortunately, like I said, there are no other biographies. Despite my annoyance, this will have to do for now.
I appreciated learning about Wilson’s writing process, his inspirations, his trials and tribulations as a young brilliant boy taunted and bullied so much by racists at his parochial school for gifted students that he dropped out and went to the library every day to learn on his own instead.
The stories of Wilson’s wandering beginnings in the arts as a poor poet, his pro-black artistic social circle, how his plays came to be, his inspirations, his failed productions, his many rejections before the one YES that catapulted him, his desire to create African American mythology for our culture (I loved this so much), and his personal and professional relationship with Lloyd Richards which changed the entire industry… all of that was fascinating.
Seeing so many of our favorite talented Black actors start their careers on stage with Wilson’s work was also a treat: from Angela to Dutton to Viola to Santiago-Hudson. Wilson’s impact was not all peaches and cream , but his work still left a lasting and fulfilling mark on many of the actors who grew through his words.
It was also interesting to see the bad side, the riffs with friends, mentors, directors, producers, actors, and strangers (Wilson was known for having a temper), the cheating on his wives, the constant smoking, his procrastination habits, the sneaky business deals, his consistent failure to flesh out his female characters or give them agency, the negative impact his success had on other playwrights, and his commitment to put his writing before everything and everyone, including his daughters.
Overall, I appreciate this book as an intro to Wilson’s life, but the author's motivations felt very delulu to me.
Near the end, Hartigan addressed why she wrote the book. She believes Wilson changed his opinion about Black stories only being told by Black people and he would approve of her writing his biography. There is no evidence of that anywhere. Are we supposed to take her word for it or is this what she told herself to feel better about doing something that would cause Wilson to be livid?
As you can tell, this really bothered me, but only because his insistence that Black stories should only come from Black people was a constant theme in the book. I do not like when people go against the wishes of the dead. I would've respected her choice a tad more had she explained her reasons without inferring Wilson would approve of something that likely has him spinning double time in his grave.
The true bright side of reading this biography is that it inspired me to buy the entire Pittsburgh Century Cycle and cherish it forever.
August 19, 2023
We finally have a biography of the person who is arguably the most important American playwright of the late 20th century.
It follows the standard convention of chronological progression, from Wilson's grandmother's hardscrabble existence in North Carolina, through his youth growing up in Pittsburgh's Hill District, to his success in creating ten plays about the experience of Black Americans, one set in each decade of the 20th century.
For those of us familiar with Wilson's work, it clarifies why his plays read the way they do, and how his process led to continually revising them as they moved through the early productions to land on Btoadway.
This biography is a warts-and-all treatment, describing (but not dwelling on) his womanizing and his sometimes prickly (occasionally tempestuous) nature. But then, there is always drama in the world of drama, and the collaborative nature of theatre art lends itself to extremely high highs, and extremely low lows.
What is noticeable is how Wilson had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish, but how difficult it was to get it down on the page the way he wanted it. He procrastinated, revised, argued, and micro-managed the productions. But then, he was constantly forgiven by those around him because of the brilliance of his work, and the uniqueness of what he was doing for the American theatre.
The Wilson estate did not authorize this biography, and although the author is a theater critic who met Wilson in 1987 and did an extensive interview with him before he died in 2005, the story would have benefited from greater input from Wilson's widow and eldest daughter, as well as access to some of the written materials they could have provided. The author notes that the August Wilson Archive opened in March 2023 at the University of Pittsburgh while the book was in production, so she didn't get to include much of the rich material there. It is left as “a treasure trove for future researchers”.
Let us hope there will be future researchers who uncover more gems, and perhaps an authorized biography as well. In the meantime, this book will serve to honor the man who may have done more to change American theatre than any other person in history, and whose work serves to affirm and embolden Black America.
It follows the standard convention of chronological progression, from Wilson's grandmother's hardscrabble existence in North Carolina, through his youth growing up in Pittsburgh's Hill District, to his success in creating ten plays about the experience of Black Americans, one set in each decade of the 20th century.
For those of us familiar with Wilson's work, it clarifies why his plays read the way they do, and how his process led to continually revising them as they moved through the early productions to land on Btoadway.
This biography is a warts-and-all treatment, describing (but not dwelling on) his womanizing and his sometimes prickly (occasionally tempestuous) nature. But then, there is always drama in the world of drama, and the collaborative nature of theatre art lends itself to extremely high highs, and extremely low lows.
What is noticeable is how Wilson had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish, but how difficult it was to get it down on the page the way he wanted it. He procrastinated, revised, argued, and micro-managed the productions. But then, he was constantly forgiven by those around him because of the brilliance of his work, and the uniqueness of what he was doing for the American theatre.
The Wilson estate did not authorize this biography, and although the author is a theater critic who met Wilson in 1987 and did an extensive interview with him before he died in 2005, the story would have benefited from greater input from Wilson's widow and eldest daughter, as well as access to some of the written materials they could have provided. The author notes that the August Wilson Archive opened in March 2023 at the University of Pittsburgh while the book was in production, so she didn't get to include much of the rich material there. It is left as “a treasure trove for future researchers”.
Let us hope there will be future researchers who uncover more gems, and perhaps an authorized biography as well. In the meantime, this book will serve to honor the man who may have done more to change American theatre than any other person in history, and whose work serves to affirm and embolden Black America.
September 2, 2023
Exploring the expansive, creative and full throttle life of playwright, August Wilson, was a true gift.
For decades his writing, speeches, political stances, as well as plays, have challenged and cajoled me. Leading me into places I do not know, thoughts I have not thought towards greater awareness & often discomfort.
Patti Hartigan’s book details his life and message. And while I revealed in the details of Wilson’s work, goals, accomplishments and life largely lived, I did cringe at the amount of repetition by the biographer.
As the reader, who came to learn and appreciate August Wilson more fully, I felt my duty was to read and pay attention. Hartigan was thorough and candid with a definite straightforward transfer of information. However, I felt she didn’t trust me to pay attention, thus leading to a myriad of repeated events, often with nearly the same word choices.
However, I felt she didn’t trust me to pay attention, thus leading to a myriad of repeated incidents, often with nearly the same word choices.
NOTE: I know that is very silly and didactic. I use it not to be cruel but to show the level of frustration, I as a reader felt going over the same ground multiple times.
This criticism does not equal a failed biography. I would have expected an editor along the process to have suggested exorcising the repetitions.
“August Wilson: A Life” is a book for those who are looking for a deep dive into this creative genius’ struggles and triumphs. I was puzzled at first that the Wilson Estate declined authorization of this book. In the end I had some thoughts why the authorization was not granted.
I am not sorry I read it. I do regret this time was not edited and refocused. I do see the irony of me writing those words, as often A.W. faced that same arrogant criticism that I am offering. Shame on me??
For decades his writing, speeches, political stances, as well as plays, have challenged and cajoled me. Leading me into places I do not know, thoughts I have not thought towards greater awareness & often discomfort.
Patti Hartigan’s book details his life and message. And while I revealed in the details of Wilson’s work, goals, accomplishments and life largely lived, I did cringe at the amount of repetition by the biographer.
As the reader, who came to learn and appreciate August Wilson more fully, I felt my duty was to read and pay attention. Hartigan was thorough and candid with a definite straightforward transfer of information. However, I felt she didn’t trust me to pay attention, thus leading to a myriad of repeated events, often with nearly the same word choices.
However, I felt she didn’t trust me to pay attention, thus leading to a myriad of repeated incidents, often with nearly the same word choices.
NOTE: I know that is very silly and didactic. I use it not to be cruel but to show the level of frustration, I as a reader felt going over the same ground multiple times.
This criticism does not equal a failed biography. I would have expected an editor along the process to have suggested exorcising the repetitions.
“August Wilson: A Life” is a book for those who are looking for a deep dive into this creative genius’ struggles and triumphs. I was puzzled at first that the Wilson Estate declined authorization of this book. In the end I had some thoughts why the authorization was not granted.
I am not sorry I read it. I do regret this time was not edited and refocused. I do see the irony of me writing those words, as often A.W. faced that same arrogant criticism that I am offering. Shame on me??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2023
August Wilson spent his life in Pittsburgh. While living in the Hill District, he began to feel passionate about words. Now we know him as an African American Poet and Playwright. August Wilson by Patti Hartigan is a great book. It is not boring. Her style of writing leads to a desire to play with words. Maybe appear in a staged play yourself. August Wilson is so kind.. He seems too good. He allows the homeless and those with hard addictions to stay in his flat. Meeting him in a diner and watching him write his thoughts on a napkin would have been encouraging. Learning about his life gives me a new goal. I have read some of his plays but not all of them. His poems? I was not aware he wrote poetry. There is more and more to learn about his life.
December 26, 2024
I very much enjoyed learning more about August Wilson and makes me even more want to complete the Pittsburgh Cycle in live performances. I remember when the Mark Taper had the Cycle and was able to catch a few of them and Ma Rainey more recently. What a gift his plays are and they made such an indelible mark on what stories are told in the theatre. I also appreciate the opportunity his plays gave to black actors as it’s a legacy we’re all still benefitting from as it gave a spotlight for these actors to shine.
February 15, 2025
It was bittersweet to finish this one, since I enjoyed spending time with this book so much. It is a comprehensive look at Wilson's life and does not shy from his highs and lows as a person. Only quibble is that it glosses over much of his time in Seattle (local bias) and I am curious why the author did not get the authorization of his estate. That said, I highly recommend for any August Wilson fan or any fan of theatre.
September 2, 2023
We have seen and enjoyed almost all of Wilson’s plays (including “Fences,”starring James Earl Jones.) We always looked forward to every single one of them and were never disappointed. From them, we learned so much about what it is to be black in America. As I read this biography, I realized I actually knew very little about one of the great playwrights of our time. I’m happy to learn that Denzel Washington plans to makes films of all of the plays, which will create a wider audience for their important messages. My husband and I are still deeply saddened by the too-early loss of one of the truly great voices in American theater.
January 16, 2024
As I neared the end of the book I thought of the line from Hamilton, “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?” … I knew August Wilson had died young, but I didn’t realize he was writing up until his last breath.
I have been a fan of his work for a while but I am even more appreciative of him and his plays. This was a great biography and held my interest (I read it in 4 days, phew). Definitely would recommend to another reader who loves his work.
[A small criticism but very small… it was a little repetitive. It was explained several times who Aunt Ester was, that he was fired growing up for writing and not working, like yes yes we know you mentioned it several times already!]
I have been a fan of his work for a while but I am even more appreciative of him and his plays. This was a great biography and held my interest (I read it in 4 days, phew). Definitely would recommend to another reader who loves his work.
[A small criticism but very small… it was a little repetitive. It was explained several times who Aunt Ester was, that he was fired growing up for writing and not working, like yes yes we know you mentioned it several times already!]
March 26, 2024
I read a biography y’all!! I can’t even believe myself 😂 What caught my eye and made me want to pick this one up was because I was very interested in the man behind 𝑭𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, and 𝑴𝒂 𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒚’𝒔 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑩𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒎. I watched both movies but did not know they were based off of screen plays by August Wilson. I had never heard of August Wilson, but now I know quite a bit and I loved it.
I loved reading/hearing about how his writing began and so much more about him. I’ve always wondered how people come up with their stories, movies, plays, etc. To know that his first writings were instances he saw or experienced and he put it on paper.
If you’ve watch any of his plays or just interested in him period, I think Patti H. Did an amazing job of chronologically telling his story. Not only that, the book itself is beautiful.
Me not being a nonfiction girly loved this one! Dion Graham did an awesome job with the narration too. It was hands down a great listen!
Thank you Simon Books and Simon Audio for my free copies!
I loved reading/hearing about how his writing began and so much more about him. I’ve always wondered how people come up with their stories, movies, plays, etc. To know that his first writings were instances he saw or experienced and he put it on paper.
If you’ve watch any of his plays or just interested in him period, I think Patti H. Did an amazing job of chronologically telling his story. Not only that, the book itself is beautiful.
Me not being a nonfiction girly loved this one! Dion Graham did an awesome job with the narration too. It was hands down a great listen!
Thank you Simon Books and Simon Audio for my free copies!
November 16, 2023
This is a backhanded compliment: August Wilson: A Life will have to do until a better biography is written. Hartigan's work is hampered by a lack of cooperation from the Wilson estate. The results are dreary discussions of his cycle plays that tell the reader more about what Hartigan thinks of the scripts than how they actually changed as he wrote. I wanted to know more about his mental processes, but either she had no access to his manuscripts or letters or was at least hampered in their use. Instead we get rehashed plots. To be fair, they have inspired me to reread the cycle.
The book is weirdly superficial. There is no reasonable explanation for his devotion to mother Daisy Wilson. Daisy was insanely practical, with great expectations for her brilliant son (his IQ was 143, which is mentioned more than once) and Hartigan paints him as more or less a failure in her eyes until shortly before Daisy's death. His mother was disappointed when he dropped out of high school. She measured success in financial terms. Could he support himself, and a family, through writing? It is pleasant to note that she did live long enough to see him achieve that reward.
Wilson's first two marriages were unsuccessful. He was a serial philanderer, and while he loved his daughters, was far too engrossed in his work to give either his undivided attention. Hartigan frequently points out that Wilson had a hard time writing female characters with agency/independence, which strikes me as odd given the personalities of the three wives. None of them sat for interviews. She did talk to his older daughter Sakina, who knew her father as an adult woman and who now works as a community organizer. And Hartigan opens the book with descriptions of Wilson's maternal grandmother and great-grandmother, strong women who survived hardships in rural North Carolina before his grandmother headed to Pittsburgh and a new life.
The book is repetitive. Not only are some points made over and over, but the author uses identical language to make them. Wilson was famously reticent about his relationship with the white man who biologically fathered him, turning instead to his mother's last partner to fill something like that emotional relationship. He also consciously chose to define himself as Black, a choice Hartigan respects. But she never delves into some of the implications. It makes sense; his biological father was rarely around, and Wilson was bullied because he was black at the Catholic parochial schools into which his mother enrolled him. However . . . she seems to accept at face value Wilson's dismissal of his biracial identity as irrelevant. At the same time, Hartigan peppers the biography with incidents of rage when Wilson felt he was disrespected because he was black.
I am glad I read the book, and recommend it as a decent introduction to August Wilson's life and work.
The book is weirdly superficial. There is no reasonable explanation for his devotion to mother Daisy Wilson. Daisy was insanely practical, with great expectations for her brilliant son (his IQ was 143, which is mentioned more than once) and Hartigan paints him as more or less a failure in her eyes until shortly before Daisy's death. His mother was disappointed when he dropped out of high school. She measured success in financial terms. Could he support himself, and a family, through writing? It is pleasant to note that she did live long enough to see him achieve that reward.
Wilson's first two marriages were unsuccessful. He was a serial philanderer, and while he loved his daughters, was far too engrossed in his work to give either his undivided attention. Hartigan frequently points out that Wilson had a hard time writing female characters with agency/independence, which strikes me as odd given the personalities of the three wives. None of them sat for interviews. She did talk to his older daughter Sakina, who knew her father as an adult woman and who now works as a community organizer. And Hartigan opens the book with descriptions of Wilson's maternal grandmother and great-grandmother, strong women who survived hardships in rural North Carolina before his grandmother headed to Pittsburgh and a new life.
The book is repetitive. Not only are some points made over and over, but the author uses identical language to make them. Wilson was famously reticent about his relationship with the white man who biologically fathered him, turning instead to his mother's last partner to fill something like that emotional relationship. He also consciously chose to define himself as Black, a choice Hartigan respects. But she never delves into some of the implications. It makes sense; his biological father was rarely around, and Wilson was bullied because he was black at the Catholic parochial schools into which his mother enrolled him. However . . . she seems to accept at face value Wilson's dismissal of his biracial identity as irrelevant. At the same time, Hartigan peppers the biography with incidents of rage when Wilson felt he was disrespected because he was black.
I am glad I read the book, and recommend it as a decent introduction to August Wilson's life and work.
January 18, 2025
After watching the three movies that have been made so far of August Wilson’s plays, and learning about his Century or Pittsburgh Cycle of 10 plays, I became interested in learning more about the playwright. Hartigan’s book, which I mostly enjoyed through Dion Graham’s excellent narration of the audiobook, was a great way to learn about the life of a brilliant, complicated man, driven to achieve his dream of writing ten plays that cover each decade of the 1900’s, from the perspective of Black Americans centered mostly in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. He needed the help of many other creative artists along the way, and he was not always easy to work with. He did encourage and grow the careers of many people, and was devoted to his two daughters whenever he could make the time to be with them. He died too young and sadly didn’t get to spend the time he wanted to with his family. He created great characters who continue to speak eloquently about their times and beliefs as well as the influence of their ancestors, the Blood’s Memory. I recommend reading this if you’re interested in Wilson.
July 7, 2025
After watching the movie Fences with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, I became interested in August Wilson and his work. This unauthorized biography is a deep dive into August Wilson as well as his plays.
Wilson took on the insurmountable feat of writing 10 plays, one for each decade starting in 1900 "He single-handedly wrote the history of African Americans in those 10 plays"
Themes of his plays include being taken advantage of by corporations, connection to the past (bloods memory), and family. Each of the 10 plays made it to Broadway.
Fences is probably his most recognized work, but Denzel Washington has promised to bring all 10 plays to the big screen. Ma Rainey debuted on Netflix with Viola Davis and Chadwich Boseman.
I put Wilson in the category I reserve for people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. They might not be the best people, with volatile tempers and ignoring the needs of family. But their vision is beautiful, unique, and powerful.
Wilson took on the insurmountable feat of writing 10 plays, one for each decade starting in 1900 "He single-handedly wrote the history of African Americans in those 10 plays"
Themes of his plays include being taken advantage of by corporations, connection to the past (bloods memory), and family. Each of the 10 plays made it to Broadway.
Fences is probably his most recognized work, but Denzel Washington has promised to bring all 10 plays to the big screen. Ma Rainey debuted on Netflix with Viola Davis and Chadwich Boseman.
I put Wilson in the category I reserve for people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. They might not be the best people, with volatile tempers and ignoring the needs of family. But their vision is beautiful, unique, and powerful.
October 11, 2023
Wilson should be pleased. Hartigan paints a picture of the man in full. Everything I was hoping for from a Wilson biography. I have so many memories of seeing Wilson plays, from the original production of Ma Rainey to Charles Dutton's bursting onto the stage delivering his Piano Lesson watermelon monologue (I can still see it/hear it vividly) to leaving the Second Stage's Jitney in uncontrollable tears. I sat third row house left at the Broadway production of Joe Turner's Come and Gone and recall being confounded by it. Hartigan declares it Wilson's masterpiece, so it's next on my night table.
Patti Hartigan's "August Wilson: A Life" now stands beside Meryle Secrest's "Sondheim: A Life" on my bookcase. Sondheim/Wilson: two lives that, in their (very different) ways, changed the American theater forever, and for the better.
Patti Hartigan's "August Wilson: A Life" now stands beside Meryle Secrest's "Sondheim: A Life" on my bookcase. Sondheim/Wilson: two lives that, in their (very different) ways, changed the American theater forever, and for the better.
December 15, 2023
Excellent bio of the famed playwright, and it feels like a comprehensive look at his life and work. Hartigan, a theater critic, knew Wilson personally for a couple decades, which obviously informs the book, and she did a lot of legwork on his early years in Pittsburgh. Some of the more interesting material includes the look at how his career helped change theater nationally, not only by elevating Black voices but by boosting the importance of regional theater as a proving ground for new plays. Also stuff about how Wilson's work, during his life, was subject to allegations that his plays attenuated support for other Black voices. But also, perhaps most basically, it provides a real sense of how a bright and sensitive high school dropout went from being a lyric poet manque to being one of the world's best-known playwrights.
December 30, 2023
Bennett: Wilson should be pleased. Hartigan paints a picture of the man in full. Everything I was hoping for from a Wilson biography. I have so many memories of seeing Wilson plays, from the original production of Ma Rainey to Charles Dutton's bursting onto the stage delivering his Piano Lesson watermelon monologue, to leaving the Second Stage's production of Jitney in uncontrollable tears. I sat third row, house left, at the Broadway production of Joe Turner's Come and Gone and recall being confounded by it. Hartigan declares it Wilson's masterpiece, so it sits next up on my night table.
Patti Hartigan's "August Wilson: A Life" now stands beside Merle Secrest's "Sondheim: A Life" on my bookcase. Sondheim/Wilson: two lives that, together, in their (very different) ways, changed the American theater forever, and for the better.
Patti Hartigan's "August Wilson: A Life" now stands beside Merle Secrest's "Sondheim: A Life" on my bookcase. Sondheim/Wilson: two lives that, together, in their (very different) ways, changed the American theater forever, and for the better.
October 1, 2023
If you know me well; you know August Wilson is, hands down, my artistic hero. I’ve seen and read every play of the cycle and (some multiple times). I preordered this the moment I knew it existed and dove in the moment I could (it took me some time because I’m getting used to a new school year). If you have the slightest interest or curiosity about Wilson—check it out! I’ve read a lot about him over the years and still learned a ton from this book. What I liked most was reading about all of the strife, in-fighting, and struggle each play of the 10-play cycle experienced making its way to Broadway. Finally, I find it appropriate I finished today, as tomorrow (October 2) marks the 18-year anniversary of his death.
September 29, 2023
Took me a while to finish this biography I was really looking forward to. I’ve read all ten plays in his Centennial Cycle, and have seen many of them onstage as well.
I did email the author, however, through Simon and Schuster about three factual errors in the book that editors did not catch ==> all concerning Tony Award information that was not accurate. I noted them with bright Post-it notes while reading so I wouldn’t forget!
I did email the author, however, through Simon and Schuster about three factual errors in the book that editors did not catch ==> all concerning Tony Award information that was not accurate. I noted them with bright Post-it notes while reading so I wouldn’t forget!
October 27, 2023
I don't give many books five stars, and I debated it for this book because of my reverence for August Wilson. I think this is a must read for theater folk, no matter the discipline. I enjoyed the book a lot. I learned a lot about August and what he went through to create his plays and ultimately what it cost him.
November 20, 2023
An education about the man and theater . This exceeded most theater biographies and autobiographies in detailing the playwright’s process and showing the communal nature of creation in the theater As good as John Lahr’s biographies of Williams and Miller It’s discussion of the business of theater alone makes this a fascinating read
August 11, 2024
DNF. I love August Wilson and have seen 9 of his plays from Pittsburgh to New York City. I really wanted to dive in and enjoy this book as I love true stories about amazing people and August was amazing. I think my problem with this super researched book was it didn't hold my attention almost as if it was too comprehensive. The journalist surely did her homework, but in all the information, the story became slightly boring... and August's story is not boring.
September 7, 2023
Great biography of the poet and playwright August Wilson. I did not know much about this playwright (I have seen Fences but none of Mr. Wilson's other works) but after reading this biography I really want to explore his works.
September 22, 2023
An engaging and well researched biography of one of America's most gifted Playwrights. Although it contains flaws, it is a good attempt at revealing Wilson's approach to writing and his family life and relationships with friends. The book contains lots of information and more than a few surprises.
Read
March 17, 2024What an extraordinary life he led,. All of the rejections and tragedies but yet he endured them and kept following his dream to be a playwright
The author did a remarkable job of telling the story of a distinguished man
The author did a remarkable job of telling the story of a distinguished man
April 28, 2024
A remarkable life, a remarkable playwright. When one thinks of the canon of theater, Wilson's plays are exemplary of Black life and history. How he came to write these masterpieces, is worth the time to read this biography.
Read
May 29, 2024A long but ultimately pretty breezy listen. As a person that’s much more familiar with August’s legacy than his work (I’ve watched the Ma Rainey movie, but that’s all), this book got me very excited to actually dig into his plays
December 31, 2025
DNF at 73%. Some reviews have said “comprehensive.” I say too long and too many extraneous details. Stayed with it longer than I might have, and gave it an extra star, for the excellent narration of Dion Graham.
August 26, 2023
Incredibly detailed and researched, this book is an illuminating look at Wilson. It may night be right for a casual reader, but it will reward a fan of Wilson.
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