The most successful African-American playwright of his time, August Wilson is a dominant presence on Broadway and in regional theaters throughout the country. Herrington traces the roots of Wilson's drama back to the visual artists and jazz musicians who inspired award-winning plays like Ma Rainey's Come and Gone, Fences and The Piano Lesson. From careful analysis of evolving playscripts and from interviews with Wilson and theater professionals who have worked closely with him, Herrington offers a portrait of the playwright as thinker and craftsman.