A speaker challenges the common label "the Black Shakespeare" for August Wilson, arguing that Shakespeare could not have written Wilson’s work and that institutional efforts preserved Shakespeare’s legacy while Wilson lacked similar institutional support; the speaker provocatively reframes the comparison by saying, "Shakespeare is the white August Wilson."
I could talk to you all day, but they say you have a heart out at 2:40, so I just got a note. But.
Incredible, like, incredible work. I love the energy, everything about it. And. Yeah. Is there anything else you want to say? No, I mean, I'm really grateful for your time. What I'll say my last thing about August Wilson is that I get offended when people call August Wilson the Black Shakespeare. That's how I heard about him. But after I figured out who he was, I said, you can't call August Wilson the Black Shakespeare because.
Shakespeare couldn't do August Wilson. Shakespeare couldn't write August Wilson. But the way that I describe it is that when Shakespeare passed away, they erected entire institutions to keep him alive. When English evolved beyond the way that he wrote, school systems changed the way that they taught English so that kids would still get Shakespeare and understand Shakespeare and know Shakespeare. August Wilson never had that benefit. His voice was always fighting against the current. And yet he was still able to gain prominence and significance. And as a result, I don't think August Wilson is the black Shakespeare. I think Shakespeare is the white August Wilson.
