Welcome to Litsy!

Watched Ma Rainey‘s Black Bottom last night. It reminded me again how much I want to read August Wilson‘s whole series of plays, which chronicles the experience of African-Americans in 20th century America.

But also, this is Chadwick Boseman‘s last role. 😭😭😭 And he was SOO good. I loved the stagey, theater feel of the movie, and Boseman brought the complicated character of Levee to life. He better win an Oscar tomorrow.

⭐️

This is such a powerful work! Fences moved me and this did the same. I will be reading more of the writing of the great August Wilson!

I enjoyed Fences so I hope I enjoy this as well.

Adding an August Wilson play to the #setinthe1920s collection. "Where the hell was God when all of this was going on?" asks the character Levee, confronting his demons. It's a question many may find still relevant for our times. #marchintoreading

I saw this today at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, thinking it would be a good way to get back to August Wilson's plays (and because I had only ever read them rather than seen them performed). The performances were excellent, and the way Wilson writes his characters' interaction is fantastic. Still, this play has some unexpected turns that seem to exist strictly to shock, which bothered me.... Any recs of good books about blues musicians?

My a second BookTubeAThon book. This was a chilling play about black rage in 1920s Chicago set in a recording studio over the course of one afternoon.