Finding His Voice

August Wilson is America’s foremost Black playwright and a towering voice in modern American literature. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, two Tony Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and numerous other arts, literary, and cultural awards. Several of his plays have been adapted into critically acclaimed, award-winning films.

Art (c) Alleanna Harris

In A Song for August, author Sally Denmead and illustrator Alleanna Harris tell the story of Wilson’s journey from his childhood as one of seven children raised by a single mother to becoming one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century.

Young August faces adversity from the outset. His father leaves the family when August is still very young, and he faces tremendous bigotry and prejudice at school. From an early age, his mother instilled in August the importance of education, so when the situation at school becomes untenable, he begins spending his days reading in the library and learning his own way.

Besides the library, young August also spends a lot of time listening to blues music and socializing at local community businesses. From these social experiences, he recognizes that there is a poetry in the language of Black America, and he begins to incorporate this unique dialogue into his writing. It is this ability to capture the reality of interactions between people that allows Wilson to depict the human condition so keenly. Adult readers familiar with Wilson’s work will recognize characteristics of some of the people in A Song for August as the basis for some of the most well-known characters in his plays.

This is a stirring and edifying portrait of a hugely important figure in the history of American arts and letters. More importantly, it shows young readers that when you have a song inside of you, that music will find its way out regardless of the challenges you may face along the way.
 

A Song for August I   9781646144396   I   $18.99   I   Hardcover   I   On Sale: 8/6