---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the blues is the best literature…"
description: "\"I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png"
---

#  I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks…

![“I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do is to mine that field, to mine those cultural ideas and attitudes and give them to my characters.” quote by August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png)

> “I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do is to mine that field, to mine those cultural ideas and attitudes and give them to my characters.”

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Black literature is a sacred cultural record; the author draws on communal ideas to enrich characters.

**In simple terms:** Black stories are a treasured cultural heritage.

Key Takeaway

Honor and explore cultural roots in creative work.

Themes

culture identity heritage

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

creative educational

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- cultural studies
- community storytelling

Key Concepts

literature representation character development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can writers blend cultural specificity with broader relevance?
- What responsibilities do artists have to their community?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on heritage may limit universal appeal.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Best literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-literature/) [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/)

## Related quotes

> [The blues have always had some of the best times, best feelings I’ve ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/the-blues-have-always-had-some-of-the-best-times-best-feelings-i-ve/)

[Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/)

> [If you don’t think you have the blues, just keep living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-guy/if-you-don-t-think-you-have-the-blues-just-keep-living/)

[Buddy Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-guy/)

> [I think the blues is fine for blues players, but free blues has never made much sense to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bailey/i-think-the-blues-is-fine-for-blues-players-but-free-blues-has-never/)

[Derek Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bailey/)

> [I wouldn't think a blues album would be that commercially successful, but I don't really care. I'd do it for the love of blues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-mcvie/i-wouldn-t-think-a-blues-album-would-be-that-commercially-successful/)

[Christine McVie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-mcvie/)

> [When you think of blues, all you think about is crying guitar like B.B. King's guitar. You think about someone crying that their woman's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/when-you-think-of-blues-all-you-think-about-is-crying-guitar-like-b-b/)

[Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/)

> [My greatest influence has been the blues. And that's a literary influence, because I think the blues is the best literature that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/my-greatest-influence-has-been-the-blues-and-that-s-a-literary/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [ The best literature is always a take \[in the musical sense\]; there is an implicit risk in its execution, a margin of danger that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cort-zar/the-best-literature-is-always-a-take-in-the-musical-sense-there-is-an/)

[Julio Cortazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cort-zar/)

> [You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,' but that ain't no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-don-t-know-about-me-without-you-have-read-a-book-by-the-name-of/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-only-people-for-me-are-the-mad-ones-the-ones-who-are-mad-to-live-3/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Because the only people for me are the mad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/because-the-only-people-for-me-are-the-mad-ones/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [No fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. If it entertains and is clean, it is good literature, or its kind. If it forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/no-fiction-is-worth-reading-except-for-entertainment-if-it-entertains/)

[Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/)

> [In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/in-my-younger-and-more-vulnerable-years-my-father-gave-me-some-advice-2/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“Reading good literature is not so different then taking good drugs, do it enough and it will certainly alter your mind. The drugs can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james-pritchard/reading-good-literature-is-not-so-different-then-taking-good-drugs-do/)

[Andrew James Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james-pritchard/)

> [All the world's a stage, and all the men and women mearly players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/all-the-world-s-a-stage-and-all-the-men-and-women-mearly-players/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Everything that is printed and bound in a book contains some echo at least of the best that is in literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/everything-that-is-printed-and-bound-in-a-book-contains-some-echo-at/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## More by August Wilson

> [Most of black America is in housing projects, without jobs, living on welfare. And this is not the case in 'The Cosby Show,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/most-of-black-america-is-in-housing-projects-without-jobs-living-on/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I just write stuff down and pile it up, and when I get enough stuff, I spread it out and look at it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-just-write-stuff-down-and-pile-it-up-and-when-i-get-enough-stuff-i/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I don't look at our society today too much. My focus is still in the past, and part of the reason is because what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-look-at-our-society-today-too-much-my-focus-is-still-in-the/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [The director works as an interpretive artist, but he's still an artist, so you also have to give him room to create and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/the-director-works-as-an-interpretive-artist-but-he-s-still-an-artist/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I dropped out of school, but I didn't drop out of life. I would leave the house each morning and go to the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dropped-out-of-school-but-i-didn-t-drop-out-of-life-i-would-leave/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/when-i-first-started-writing-plays-i-couldn-t-write-good-dialogue/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [“Like you? I go out of here every morning...bust my butt...cause I like you? It's my job. It's my responsibility!... Not cause I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/like-you-i-go-out-of-here-every-morning-bust-my-butt-cause-i-like-you/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [“-How long you been with the rail road now? -Twenty-seven years. Now, I'll tell you something about the railroad. What I done learned after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/how-long-you-been-with-the-rail-road-now-twenty-seven-years-now-i-ll/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [Scripts were rather scarce in 1968. We did a lot of Amiri Baraka's plays, the agitprop stuff he was writing. It was at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/scripts-were-rather-scarce-in-1968-we-did-a-lot-of-amiri-baraka-s/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/all-you-need-in-the-world-is-love-and-laughter-that-s-all-anybody/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I ain't never found no place for me to fit. Seem like all I do is start over. It ain't nothing to find no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-ain-t-never-found-no-place-for-me-to-fit-seem-like-all-i-do-is/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience-i-work-as-an-artist-and-i/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [I dont write particularly to effect social change. I believe writing can do that, but thats not why I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dont-write-particularly-to-effect-social-change-i-believe-writing/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [“Don't try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/don-t-try-and-go-through-life-worrying-about-if-somebody-like-you-or/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [Suffice it to say, I'm not poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/suffice-it-to-say-i-m-not-poor/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

[Explore all 124 August Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

Gene Scott

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

Browse all 21,674 Best quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do is to mine that field, to mine those cultural ideas and attitudes and give them to my characters.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "August Wilson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature-that-we-as-blacks-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature-that-we-as-blacks-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/august-wilson-3646_best_i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature_2824157.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our…” — August Wilson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "August Wilson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the blues is the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature-that-we-as-blacks-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-think-the-blues-is-the-best-literature-that-we-as-blacks-have/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
