RIP August Wilson

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 7:53 pm

One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century is dead at 60 from liver cancer. He wrote a staggering cycle of plays that covered each decade of the black experience in the 20th century, the most popular of which are Fences, Joe Turner's Come And Gone and The Piano Lesson. We lost him too soon.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:55 pm

Aww, crap. I agree, way too soon for this guy. I saw his picture earlier on my Yahoo page and didn't even think why. I should've known mainstream media could give a flying fuck about him if he weren't dead.

SoLikeCandy · Post by **SoLikeCandy** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:14 pm

I met him when I was in the second grade, at a Young Author's Conference--he signed a copy of a children's book he'd written. I remember being awed by the big, booming voice and the seriousness in his face, and I remember knowing that he was a very important man, without really knowing why. When I got to middle school and started reading his plays, I kicked myself for my shortsightedness.

The theatre world lost a giant today.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:20 pm

His plays were always the highlight of any dramatic literature class and I remember reading Fences and thinking "This play is changing my life as I am reading it."

Lucky you for getting to meet the great man, SLC. I wish I could have but I don't think I'd have gotten much out except for "Thank you." Losing Wilson is on par with the death of a Picasso or Chaplin where you really are left with this gigantic hole that will never be filled again.