August Wilson’s group of 10 plays, often referred to as the Pittsburgh Cycle or the Century Cycle, established his reputation as one of the nation’s most important, prolific, and honored playwrights. A two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Wilson wrote often tragicomic works, including
Fences ,
Two Trains Running , and
The Piano Lesson , that spoke not only to the African-American experience but to the social changes and upheavals that gripped the United States in the 20th century. This collection of critical essays features notes on the contributors, a chronology, a bibliography, and an introductory essay from master literary scholar Harold Bloom.