August Wilson may be world-famous for his Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas Fences and The Piano Lesson, but these days he's getting just as much attention as a public speaker. Wilson's Jan. 27 debate with Robert Brustein, over issues of race and black culture in the American arts, became the hottest ticket in town and is still discussed hotly in theatre circles.

Wilson will return to NY public attention for two nights, March 17 and 19, in what will likely be a far less contentious atmosphere. On Monday the 17th, Wilson will read from his work. On Wednesday the 19th, he'll be interviewed by Michael Feingold, acclaimed play translator and theatre critic for the Village Voice. Both evenings will take place at the 92nd Street Y, the first at the Unterberg Poetry Center; the second at the Charles Simon Center for Adult Life & Learning.

Wilson's other plays include the Tony-nominated Two Trains Running (1996), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Joe Turner's Come And Gone. He's currently working on Jitney, the next in his series of dramas that show "the heritage and experience of African Americans" throughout various decades of the 20th Century.

For tickets ($12) to the Wilson reading (part of the Y's "Art Of Drama" series), call (212) 996-1100. Call the same number for tickets ($9-$18) to the Feingold/Wilson interview.

--By David Lefkowitz