Book Recs: The Century Cycle by August Wilson

Earlier this year, I had the delight of seeing the premier of “Giving Voice,” a documentary about August Wilson. It followed the story of students learning monologues from Willson’s plays and competing at the August Wilson Monologue Competition in NYC.

I had walked by the August Wilson Theater on 52nd St. many times, but I didn’t know the man behind the glowing letters. I hadn’t heard the stories of his craft and life’s work.

I had heard of “Fences,” staring Viola Davis and Denzel Washington. But I didn’t know who wrote it or that it was part of a towering achievement called the Century Cycle. For those who come to this post also unaware, the Century Cycle is a collection of 10 plays documenting the hopes and struggles of African Americans. Pulling here from Fords.org to provide additional context: “All but one of the 10 plays, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, take place in the bustling Hill District of Pittsburgh, where Wilson grew up. The Century Cycle connects Hill District experiences to larger narratives of African-American history such as slavery, the Great Migration, the Jim Crow era and unchanging institutionalized racism. Wilson’s plays have contributed tremendously to the documentation of previously marginalized African-American histories, preserving the American experience while allowing it to come alive on stage.” As an artist, I don’t create alone - even when I am alone. I create alongside the voices, poets, movies, and stories I’ve heard before. So over the coming months, I am entering into Wilson’s world by reading the full Century Cycle. I hope to have many conversations about it’s beauty and truths. And, as the muses often do, I pray that Wilson’s work and voice would penetrate my mind and heart to shape my own creative imagination for years to come.