Process of playwriting: introduction -- August arrives: a brief biography -- Four "B's": August Wilson's inspiration -- Consequence of tolerance: the development of "Ma Rainey's black bottom" -- Problematic practice: August Wilson at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference -- Complexity of conflict: the development of "Fences" -- Cultural connection: the development of "Joe Turner's come and gone" -- Final knockout: August Wilson at the Yale Repertory Theatre and on the road to Broadway -- Jitney: August Wilson's round trip -- "I ain't sorry for nothin' I done": conclusion.