Maya Angelou
A remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary American literature..
Angelou is known for the autobiographical writings I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986). Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die (1971) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993, Angelou read her poem On the Pulse of Morning for Bill Clinton's Presidential inauguration at his request.
Throughout her life, Angelou has defied social norms. After being raped by her mother's boyfriend, she withdrew and was mute for five years. However, encouraged by her grandmother, who introduced her to literature, she gradually emerged as a talented artist. Her diverse career includes being the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. In 1954, Angelou turned to acting before she started writing while also working as northern coordinator and fund raiser for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the 1960s, Angelou began to focus on her writing and, in 1970, her first autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, became a bestseller and was nominated for a National Book Award. She has gone on to become one of the most prolific and widely read black women writers in the world.
Fact file
Name: Maya Angelou
Date of birth: 1928
Place of birth: St. Louis, Missouri
Education: Attended public school in Stamps, Arkansas and San Francisco, California
Similar Authors: Alice Walker, Toni Morrison
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Complete Collected Poems
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Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longings, partings; of Saturday night partying and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. Of her poetry, Kirkus Reviews...
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 320 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 03/01/1998 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more
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Complete Collected Poems
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 288 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 04/12/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longings, partings; of Saturday night partying and the... Read more
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The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Hardback 1184 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/10/2005 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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When I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published to widespread acclaim in 1969, Maya Angelou garnered the attention of an international audience... Read more
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Gather Together in My Name
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 224 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/05/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also... Read more
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All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 240 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 07/08/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's five volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more
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The Heart of a Woman
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 352 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 07/08/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's five volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more
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A Song Flung Up to Heaven
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 192 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 07/08/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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It is 1964 and Maya Angelou is on her way back home, leaving behind her beloved - and now seriously teenage - son Guy, to finish university in... Read more
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Singin' and Swingin' and Getting' Merry: Like Christmas
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 320 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/05/2008 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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Maya Angelou's five volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more
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Even the Stars Look Lonesome
by Maya Angelou
| Format: | Paperback 145 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/04/1999 |
| Publisher: | Virago Press Ltd |
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There is no-one quite like Maya Angelou. Poet to the president, champion of the people, best-selling autobiographer, her experiences as dancer,... Read more
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