American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 13 (1992) Winner
William B. Branch
ウィリアム・ブラックウェル・ブランチ
Uiriamu Burakkuweru Buranchi
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1927-09-11 （New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.）
- Died
- 2019-11-03 （Hawthorne, New York, U.S.） age 92
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion (family affiliation)
- Residence History
- New Haven, Connecticut → Charlotte, North Carolina → Washington, D.C. → Hawthorne, New York
Career
- Occupations
- playwright, screenwriter, producer, editor, educator, journalist, actor (brief), radio commentator
- Active Years
- 1951-2019
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | Science | — | B.S. | 1945-1949 | United States |
| Columbia University | Dramatic Arts (M.F.A.) | — | M.F.A. | 1956-1958 | United States |
| Yale University (studies) | — | — | — | — | United States |
Northwestern University
Science
Degree:
B.S.
Period:
1945-1949
Year of Graduation:
1949
Country:
United States
Undergraduate degree in science
Columbia University
Dramatic Arts (M.F.A.)
Degree:
M.F.A.
Period:
1956-1958
Year of Graduation:
1958
Country:
United States
Completed M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts
Yale University (studies)
Country:
United States
Studied/attended courses; details unknown
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship (playwriting) | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | awarded |
| — | Robert E. Sherwood Television Award | Light in the Southern Sky | — | — | awarded |
| — | Citation from the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ) | A Letter from Booker T… / Light in the Southern Sky | — | National Conference of Christians and Jews | awarded |
| — | American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award | — | — | American Film Festival | awarded |
| — | Emmy Award (nomination) | Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class | — | Emmy Awards | nominated |
Guggenheim Fellowship (playwriting)
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
awarded
Robert E. Sherwood Television Award
Work:
Light in the Southern Sky
Result:
awarded
Citation from the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ)
Work:
A Letter from Booker T… / Light in the Southern Sky
Organization:
National Conference of Christians and Jews
Result:
awarded
American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award
Organization:
American Film Festival
Result:
awarded
Emmy Award (nomination)
Work:
Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
Organization:
Emmy Awards
Result:
nominated
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Medal for Willie
1951 play (drama)An early play exploring the irony of African-American soldiers fighting for freedom abroad while being denied basic rights at home.
racecivil rightsirony of the soldier
In Splendid Error
1954 play (historical drama)Treats aspects of Frederick Douglass's life and his relationship with John Brown, focusing on slavery and resistance.
slaveryhistory and memoryresistance
Light in the Southern Sky
1958 play / television dramaA work addressing race in the American South; produced as a television drama and received recognition.
Southern racismsocial critique
A Wreath for Udomo (stage play)
1961 playA stage adaptation touching on colonialism and power, with poetic and political themes.
colonialismpowerpolitics
Baccalaureate
1975 play (family drama)A three-act drama about a young African-American woman in a middle-class family and her struggles with education and family issues.
educationfeminismfamily relationsmiddle class
Bibliography
- A Medal for Willie (1951)
- In Splendid Error (1954)
- Light in the Southern Sky (1958)
- A Wreath for Udomo (stage play) (1961)
- Fifty Steps Toward Freedom (1959)
- Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class (1968) - producer
- Baccalaureate (1975)
- Black Thunder: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Drama (editor, 1992)
- Crosswinds: An Anthology of Black Dramatists in the Diaspora (editor, 1993)
Adaptations
- Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class (documentary film, 1968)
- Light in the Southern Sky (television drama, 1958)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- social realismrealistic style addressing political and ethical themestheatrical, stage-oriented dramaturgy
- Recurring Motifs
- race and civil rightsconflict of the black middle classthe irony of soldiers denied freedom at homewomen's education and autonomy
Legacy
William B. Branch was a postwar playwright and producer who depicted African-American experience on stage and screen. With honors such as a Guggenheim Fellowship and notable television and film work, he is regarded as an important voice on representation and the portrayal of black culture.
Quotes
-
He became convinced that only African Americans could truthfully write and produce theater about African Americans.
Source: Wikipedia summary / The New York Times (obituary) (2019)
Trivia
- His first play, A Medal for Willie, was written when he was 27.
- Taught at Cornell University and William Paterson College (1994–1996).
- Edited anthologies such as Black Thunder and Crosswinds.
- Worked extensively in television and documentary production, producing Still a Brother.