Maya Angelou

By Dr. Ruth Carr

Maya Angelou

Understanding the Life and Teachings of A True American Author, Poet, and Civil Rights Leader

By Dr. Ruth Carr

When we think of poetry and writing, a few names come to mind. Shakespeare, of course. Robert Frost, certainly. Emily Dickinson without a doubt. Oh, and let's not forget Edgar Allen Poe. However, it is impossible to think of this pantheon of talent without bringing up the name Maya Angelou.
Come on, we have all heard her name. If you have ever taken a writing or English class in your life, Maya Angelou's work has floated around your classroom and from the mouths of your teachers and professors. Indisputably, her writings have changed the literary world forever—and for the better.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summary Station
• Release date: Jul 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370125395

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Maya Angelou

Understanding the Life and Teachings of A True American Author, Poet, and Civil Rights Leader

By Dr. Ruth Carr

Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Ruth Carr

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2015

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Origin of Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou the Actress

Maya Angelou The Author

Maya Angelou's Later Career and Civil Rights Legacy

Common Lessons Found in Maya Angelou's Work

Maya Angelou's Legacy

Introduction

When we think of poetry and writing, a few names come to mind. Shakespeare, of course. Robert Frost, certainly. Emily Dickinson without a doubt. Oh, and let's not forget Edgar Allen Poe. However, it is impossible to think of this pantheon of talent without bringing up the name Maya Angelou.

Come on, we have all heard her name. If you have ever taken a writing or English class in your life, Maya Angelou's work has floated around your classroom and from the mouths of your teachers and professors. Indisputably, her writings have changed the literary world forever—and for the better.

Maya Angelou was more than a poet; she wrote several autobiographies, specifically a beautiful memoir called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She also wrote numerous essays and books for children. Further, she was a civil rights activist and even recited her poem, On the Pulse of Morning, at former president Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. This poem called for harmony and peace (both racial and worldly) while also demanding acceptance, equality, and justice for people of differing incomes, ancestry, sexualities, orientations, and genders. Clearly, Maya Angelou paved the way for writers and dreamers everywhere, never restricting herself to one genre or even one job. She was an inspiration in every sense of the word. If we must label her, let's call her an author-historian-poet-playwright-dancer-actress-songwriter-producer-singer-director and civil rights crusader. That is quite the title, isn't it? Well, it is surely the title she deserves.

The Origin of Maya Angelou

Born on April 4th 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri as Marguerite Annie