Maya Angelou

1
Maya Angelou

• LIS 682, Dr. Knuth
• April 23, 2003
• Gayle Hirohata Goto

2
Personal Information

• Born April 4, 1928 St. Louis, MO
• Education
• attended public schools in AR and CA
• studied dance, music, and drama
• Family
• Married Tosh Angelos, 1950
• Married Paul du Feu, 1973
• Son Guy

3
Career

• Author
• Poet
• Scriptwriter
• Playwright
• Performer
• Actress
• Composer

4
Awards

• National Book Award
• Yale University fellow
• Pulitzer Prize Nomination
• Rockefeller Foundation scholar
• Emmy Award nomination
• Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Album

• University of Hawaii Board of Regents
• Cultural Keeper Awards, Black Caucus Award,
  American Library Association
• Presidential Medal of Arts
• Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature

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Autobiographies

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Gather Together in My Name
• Singin and Swingin and Gettin Merry like
  Christmas
• The Heart of a Woman
• All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes
• Lessons in Living
• Even the Stars Look Lonesome

6
Poetry

• Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water fore I Diiie
• Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
• And Still I Rises
• Shaker, Why Dont You Sing?
• Poems Maya Angelou
• Now Sheba Sings the Song
• I Shall Not Be Moved

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Poetry (cont.)

• Poetic Justice
• On the Pulse of Morning
• The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
• A Brave Startling Truth
• Phenomenal Woman Four Poems Celebrating Women
• Mother

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Childrens Picture Books

• Mrs. Flowers A Moment of Friendship
• Life Doesnt Frighten Me
• Soul Looks Back in Wonder
• My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, Me
• Kofi and His Magic

9
Plays

• Cabaret for Freedom
• The Least of These
• Ajax
• And Still I Rise
• King

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Film

• Georgia, Georgia
• All Day Long
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Sister, Sister

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Recordings

• Miss Calypso
• The Poetry of Maya Angelou
• An Evening with Maya Angelou
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Women in Business
• Making Magic in the World
• On the Pulse of the Morning

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Recordings (cont.)

• Wouldnt Take Nothing For My Journey Now
• Phenomenal Woman

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Other

• Conversations with Maya Angelou
• African Canvas The Art of African Women
• Dust Tracks on the Road An Autobiography
• Caribbean and African Cooking
• Wouldnt Take Nothing for My Journey Now

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Other (cont.)

• Double Stitch Black Women Write about Mothers
  and Daughters
• Essence Twenty-five Years Celebrating Black
  Women
• Not without Laughter
• Maya Angelou
• Mary Ellen Mark American Odyssey

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Writing Style

• Imagery
• Vernacular
• Explosive situations
• Autobiographical
• 1st person
• Unusual elements

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Themes

• Love
• Fear
• Racism
• Segregation
• Class consciousness
• Beauty
• Family
• Religion

• Pain
• Self-loathing
• Guilt
• Injustice
• Sexual abuse
• Hate
• Overcoming adversity

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

• Autobiography
• Setting
• Church
• Store
• Family
• Bailey
• Momma
• Uncle Willie
• Mother Dear
• Mrs. Flowers

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Caged Bird (cont.)

• Plot
• Brutal rape
• Growing up
• Character Development
• Maturation
• Themes
• Pain/Happiness
• Love/Hate
• Food

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Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water fore I Diiie

• Excerpt
• Themes
• Social Commentary

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Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
21
And Still I Rise
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Useful Websites

• http//www.mayaangelou.com/
• http//falcon.jmu.edu/ramseyil/angelou.htm
• http//www.empirezine.com/spotlight/maya/maya1.htm
  
• http//www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID88