Your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel.
August WilsonRead
Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the custodians of the black experience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the historical dominance of white narratives over black experiences, emphasizing the struggle for authentic representation.
August Wilson's statement reflects on the dynamics of race and power, asserting that throughout history, white individuals have often positioned themselves as the authorities on black experiences. This perspective not only marginalizes the voices of black people but also challenges the authenticity of their narratives, underscoring the need for black individuals to reclaim their stories and define their own identities outside of white-imposed frameworks.
Themes
RaceIdentityNarrativeAuthenticityRepresentation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on racial identity, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of self-representation.
More from August Wilson
All quotes βI think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do is to mine that field, to mine those cultural ideas and attitudes and give them to my characters.
August WilsonRead
All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.
August WilsonRead
I do - very specifically, I remember Bessie Smith; I used to collect 78 records that I would buy from the St Vincent de Paul store at five cents apiece, and I did this indiscriminately. I would just take whatever was there. And I listened to Patti Page and Walter Huston, 'September Song.'
August WilsonRead
I know some things when I start. I know, let's say, that the play is going to be a 1970s or a 1930s play, and it's going to be about a piano, but that's it. I slowly discover who the characters are as I go along.
August WilsonRead
When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order to make art out of their dialogue I had to change it, make it into something different. Once I learned to value and respect my characters, I could really hear them. I let them start talking.
August WilsonRead
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