August Wilson

August Wilson was born on April 27, 1945 in the Hill district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Living in these slums inspired the drama that he became famous for in his works. His first two plays were Black Bart and Sacred Hills in 1981. In 1984, his name became better known after writing and publishing Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. By the 1990s, Wilson became the best known African-American playwrite. Fences was his second play in a popular collection of them and was set in the 1950s. This play earned him is first Pulitzer prize. This was the first of many more awards to come:
The New York Critics Circle Award (1985, 1987, 1988), the American Theater Critics Award (1986, 1989, 1991), the Outer Circle Award (1987), the Drama Desk Award (1987), the John Gassner Award (1987), the Tony Award (1988), and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1987, 1990).

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