Wendell Pierce is best known for his role as Detective William "Bunk" Moreland on the acclaimed HBO show "The Wire." His memoir, "The Wind in the Reeds," includes insights into what that role meant to him and his career. The book also focuses on Pierce's upbringing in the Pontchartrain Park neighborhood of New Orleans and his return to the city after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild his family's home and perform "Waiting for Godot" on the streets of the Lower Ninth Ward. He writes:
“Art is the most serious thing we can do, because when making it, we humans, forged in the image of God, are most like our Creator. We tend to forget that. This production of "Godot," in that weary time and in that storm-battered place, helped me remember. And I was far from the only one.”
We spoke to Pierce earlier this month at Wordstock about what he's learned from the characters he's played, what New Orleans means to him, and more.
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- Wendell Pierce: Actor and author of "Wind in the Reeds"