"A well-written biography that will persuade Wilson’s admirers to revisit his plays and introduce his work to a new generation of fans." - Kirkus

“August Wilson’s American Century is a beautiful and moving portrait of the life and legacy of one of the most talented American playwrights of the twentieth century. Historian Laurence A. Glasco masterfully charts Wilson’s journey, demonstrating how the city of Pittsburgh fundamentally shaped his life and work. Drawing insights from an array of original research materials, including interviews with Wilson’s close friends and family, Glasco weaves a compelling narrative that captures the dynamic interplay of race, place, and identity.” 

—Keisha N. Blain, author of Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights   

“The world knows how August Wilson mythologized the Hill District of Pittsburgh, but far less about how that city shaped America’s greatest Black playwright. Drawing on decades of archival research and scores of original interviews, historian Laurence A. Glasco has now given the definitive biographical answer to that question. Glasco’s study of how Wilson’s early life in Pittsburgh shaped his outlook as an ‘outsider, warrior, race man, and poet’ is full of fascinating personal details—and sheds invaluable light on the timeless art that Wilson went on to create.” —Mark Whitaker, author of Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance 

“In this major addition to August Wilson studies, Laurence A. Glasco reveals—as no biographer has done before—the intertwined, deeply embedded yet paradoxical connections between the playwright, his art, and the sometimes-fraught relationship with Pittsburgh and its Hill District neighborhood. Glasco calls upon his decades-long expertise as a respected historian and documentarian to situate Wilson squarely within the Pittsburgh landscape that shaped him—its institutions, familiar streets, and the people. Beyond being Wilson’s birthplace or serving as the metaphorical backdrop for the narratives that unfold in nine of his American Century Cycle plays, the Pittsburgh that Glasco portrays in this important study masterfully affirms the power of its place in Wilson’s magnum opus. Amid competing biographies and a plethora of scholarship, this study provides a clearer view of August Wilson from the ground—that is, from someone who has done the work and deeply understands the Pittsburgh landscape, the man, his family, his associates and the locals who sometimes make their way into one or more of his plays.”

-Sandra Shannon, Howard University, and founder of the August Wilson Society 

“Laurence A. Glasco crafts a vivid portrait of August Wilson’s early world. Grounded in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, August Wilson’s American Century: Life as Art follows the playwright’s roots, relationships, and self-formation with clarity and depth. Centering place as catalyst, Glasco reveals how Wilson’s artistry emerged through memory, migration, ancestral currents, and everyday experience.”

- Omiyẹmi (Artisia) Green, William and Mary 

• National review coverage
• Extensive galley mailing
• National print, social media, and online marketing campaign
• academic marketing
• Feature at Winter Institute 2026 and AWP 2026