“Jazz in itself is not struggling. That is, the music itself is not str...” — August Wilson Quote

Jazz in itself is not struggling. That is, the music itself is not struggling... It's the attitude that's in trouble. My plays insist that we should not forget or toss away our history.

I do - very specifically, I remember Bessie Smith; I used to collect 78 records that I would buy from the St Vincent de Paul store at five cents apiece, and I did this indiscriminately. I would just take whatever was there. And I listened to Patti Page and Walter Huston, 'September Song.'

My influences have been what I call my four Bs - the primary one being the blues, then Borges, Baraka, and Bearden.

I write for myself, and my goal is bringing that world and that experience of black Americans to life on the stage and giving it a space there.

I always had the attitude that I wanted to throw a no-hitter every game.

I just think that people take me a little more seriously as a brunette. I don't know if that's just because of a societal preconceived notion that all blondes are stupid, but it's a different kind of attitude.

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.

I do have moments when I feel insecure. I do have moments when I feel jealous, and that's normal. It's a very normal emotion. It's your action and your attitude and your reaction to that that is important.