August Wilson, award winning playwright, died Sunday, October 2, 2005, of liver cancer.

Mr. Wilson, a high school dropout who then devoted himself to education by inhaling knowledge at his local Pittsburgh public library, originally intended on being a poet. But his drive to celebrate the African American experience exploded onto paper in the form of a cycle of ten plays that forever shaped how this country sees the real Black America. The first entry in his cycle, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, was produced on Broadway in 1984. Fences, another in the cycle, won a Pulitzer in 1987, as did The Piano Lesson, in 1990. The last play in this historic body of work, Radio Golf, opened at the Yale Repertory Theater in the spring of 2005, and is the only one in the cycle that has not yet appeared on Broadway.

"A Breath of Snow and Ashes isn't great literature. It's way, way too long; full of breathless prose, cornball archaic language, and Gaelic phrases; easy to make fun of or relegate to the status of guilty pleasure."

So why am I telling you about it? Read this review from Kathy Weissman.

And don't worry about jumping into the series at the end - heel her advise and get hold of a copy of the The Outlandish Companion. Before long, you will be handselling Diana Gabaldon and this historical fantasy series to all your friends.

The British are coming! Check out these new titles for the latest British Invasion on these shores.

At #4 is Thud! by Terry Pratchett: the anniversary of the disastrous battle of Koom Valley draws nigh in this latest stirring adventure in the Discorld series.

At #7 is On Beauty by Zadie Smith: this splendid postmodern retelling of Howard's End, set in a New England college town, was recently shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

If you have been interested, intrigued, upset, or frustrated by what you have seen in the past three Banned Books Blogs (1, 2 and 3), you may want to learn more about censorship and book banning in America. Below are some organizations and books that have excellent information:

Freedom to Read Foundation

The Intellectual Freedom Manual, published by the American Library Association

Banned in the U.S.A.: a reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries, written by Herbert N. Foerstel

Have you been enjoying the newest albums from The White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Kanye West and Gwen Stefani? Well you can catch these artists on tour at a nearby venue!

9/30 – 10/02 -- The White Stripes @ The Masonic Temple in Detroit, MI
10/14 – Death Cab for Cutie @ The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI
10/22 – Kanye West @ The Fox Theater in Detroit, MI
10/29 – Gwen Stefani @ The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI

Check out Ticketmaster for ticket information!

Marian Anderson, whose deep, resonant voice, moved people to tears, became a symbol of the struggle for civil rights. The refusal by the Daughters of the American Revolution to allow Anderson to sing in Constitution Hall in 1939 ignited a controversy that opened peoples' minds to the meaning of freedom. It also unexpectedly created a new musical opportunity in the huge outdoor concert held at the Lincoln Memorial as an alternative. Russell Freedman does a wonderful job in The Voice That Challenged a Nation depicting Anderson's early life growing up in Philadelphia and her concert tours through Europe. Photos from archives enrich the telling.

These days anyone who owns a digital video camera and fiddles around with iMovie can call themselves a filmmaker, but in order to do it right you really should do some studying. After all, even close friends and family members wouldn't mind a little more quality (and a little less quantity) the next time you show one of your home movies. All wannabe filmmakers, especially aspiring cinematographers, would be smart to check out Visions of Light, an excellent documentary film on the art of cinematography. See how master cinematographers such as Gregg Toland, Conrad Hall, and Gordon Willis approach their work and prepare to be inspired!

Check out a poetry slam at the Neutral Zone this year or read Listen Up!:Spoken Word Poetry. Even rockers are getting in on the act. Henry Rollins from Black Flag and The Rollins Band has become a popular spoken word performer who will present his sarcastic socio-political work at the Michigan Theater on October 26th at 7:30 pm.

Ramadan will begin next week. Click the link to see
some Youth books that cover the subject of Ramadan.

Spartan fans of the World Unite! And while we’re waiting for the big game, read up on it’s history in Backyard Brawl: The Storied Rivalry of Michigan-Michigan State Football. Sparty also recommends The Spartans: A Story of Michigan State Football. Hungry for more? John Madden’s Ultimate Tailgating will give you the edge off the field as the Spartans march down the field to Victory!