Maya Angelou

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 204.113.164.6 (talk) at 17:08, 22 February 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou speaking at the groundbreaking of the African Burial Ground on October 5, 2007
Maya Angelou speaking at the groundbreaking of the African Burial Ground on October 5, 2007
Born (1928-04-04) April 4, 1928 (age 96)
Saint Louis, Missouri
OccupationPoet, dancer, producer, playwright, director, author
NationalityAfRICAN American
Website
www.mayaangelou.com

Maya Angelou (/ˈmaɪə ˈændʒəloʊ/[1]), born Marguerite Ann Johnson, April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri,[2] is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal.[3] Maya Angelou is known for her series of six autobiographies, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, (1969)[4] which was nominated for a National Book Award and called her magnum opus.[5] Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die (1971) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.[6]

Personal life

Early years

Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4 1928 to Bailey Johnson, a doorman and naval dietitian, and Vivian Baxter Johnson, a nurse, real estate agent, and, later, merchant marine. Angelou's brother, Bailey Jr., gave her the nickname "Maya".[7] When she was three and her brother four, their parents' "calamitous marriage" ended, and their father sent them alone by train to live with his mother, Mrs. Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.[8] Angelou's first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, recounts the first eighteen years of her life.

Four years later, the children's father "came to Stamps without warning" [9] and returned them to their mother's care in St. Louis. At age eight, Angelou was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. She confessed it to her brother, who told the rest of their family. Mr. Freeman was jailed for one day but was found kicked to death four days after his release. Subsequently, she became mute, believing, as she has stated, "I thought if I spoke, my mouth would just issue out something that would kill people, randomly, so it was better not to talk." She remained nearly mute for five years.[6]

Angelou and her brother were sent back to their grandmother once again. Angelou credits a close friend in Stamps, teacher Bertha Flowers, for helping her speak again, as well as introducing her to classic literature. In 1940, when she was thirteen, she and her brother returned to live with her mother in San Francisco, California; as World War II raged, she attended George Washington High School and took lessons in dance and drama on a scholarship at the California Labor School. Before graduating, she worked as the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco.[10] Three weeks after completing school, she gave birth to her son, Guy Johnson, who also became a poet.[11] To support herself and her son, she worked as a shake dancer in night clubs, fry cook in hamburger joints, dinner cook in a Creole restaurant, and removed paint from cars in a mechanic's shop.[10] She also "managed a house of prostitution," where she discovered "a certain talent for administration. "[12]

Adulthood and early career

File:IKnowWhy.jpg
Book cover illustration, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou married her first husband, Greek sailor Tosh Angelos in 1952; the marriage ended three years later. She adopted her professional name by combining her childhood name with the feminine declension of her husband's surname.[13] (Ms. Angelou tends not to admit how many times she has been married, "for fear of sounding frivolous.")[14] She toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess in 1954–1955, studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows, and recorded her first record album, Miss Calypso, in 1957. By the end of the 1950s, Angelou moved to New York City, where she acted in off-Broadway productions and met artists and writers active in the Civil Rights Movement. From 1959 to 1960, Angelou held the position of Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the early 1960s, Angelou briefly lived with South African freedom fighter Vusumi Make, and moved with him and her son Guy to Cairo, Egypt, where she became an associate editor at the weekly newspaper The Arab Observer. In 1962, her relationship ended, and she and Guy moved to Ghana. She became an assistant administrator at the University of Ghana's School of Music and Drama, was a feature editor for The African Review, and did some acting and playwriting.[10]

Angelou became close friends with Malcolm X in Ghana and returned to America in 1964 to help him build a new civil rights organization, the Organization of African American Unity.[13] King was assassinated on her birthday (April 4) in 1968. (She did not celebrate her birthday for many years for that reason.)[15] Inspired by a meeting with her friend James Baldwin, cartoonist Jules Feiffer, and Feiffer's wife Judy, she dealt with her grief by writing her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,[16] which catapulted her to international fame and critical acclaim.

Later career

In 1973, Angelou married Paul du Feu, an English-born carpenter and remodeler, and moved with him and her son to Sonoma, California. The years to follow were some of Angelou's most productive years as a writer and poet. She composed music for movies, wrote articles, short stories, and poetry for several magazines, continued to write autobiographies, produced plays, lectured at universities all over the country, and served on various committees. She earned an Emmy nomination for a role in the television mini-series Roots in 1977, wrote for television, and composed songs for Roberta Flack.[17] Her screenplay, Georgia, Georgia, was the first original script by a black woman to be produced.[18] It was during this time when Angelou met Oprah Winfrey and became her mentor.[19] Angelou has used the same editor throughout her writing career, Robert Loomis, an executive editor at Random House, who has been called "one of publishing's hall of fame editors."[20]

Angelou divorced de Feu and returned to the southern United States in 1981, where she accepted the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[21] In 1993, she recited her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration, the first poet to do so since Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.[22] Also in 1993, Angelou's poems were featured in the Janet Jackson/John Singleton film Poetic Justice. (She also made a brief appearance in the film).[23] In 2006 Angelou became a radio talk show host for the first time, hosting a weekly show for XM Satellite Radio's Oprah & Friends channel.[24] In 2007, she became the first African-American woman and living poet to be featured in the Poetry for Young People series of books from Sterling Publishing.[25]

Since the 1990s, Angelou has been a busy participant in the lecture circuit. In 1993, she was making about eighty speaking appearances a year;[22] in 2008, she was charging approximately $43,000 per engagement.[26] By the early 2000s, Angelou traveled to her speaking engagements and book tours stops by tour bus. She "gave up flying, unless it is really vital .. not because she was afraid, but because she was fed up with the hassle of celebrity."[14] In 1998, Angelou went on her first cruise, given by her friend Oprah Winfrey, in celebration of her 70th birthday. Over 150 people were in attendance.[15]

In 2002, Angelou lent her name and writings to a line of products from the Hallmark Greeting Card Company.[27]

In 2008 Angelou's family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test shows that she is descended from the Mende people of West Africa.

Works

Literature

Autobiographies

  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969.
  • Gather Together in My Name, 1974.
  • Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, 1976.
  • The Heart of a Woman, 1981.
  • All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, 1986.
  • A Song Flung Up To Heaven, 2002.
  • The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou, 2004.

Children's books

  • Mrs. Flowers: A Moment of Friendship (selection from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings), illustrated by Etienne Delessert, 1986.
  • Life Doesn't Frighten Me (poem), edited by Sara Jane Boyers, illustrated by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1993.
  • Soul Looks Back in Wonder (with others), illustrated by Tom Feelings, 1993.
  • My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me, photographs by Margaret Courtney-Clarke, 1994.
  • Kofi and His Magic, photographs by Margaret Courtney-Clarke, 1996.
  • Maya's World series, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell, 2004.

Poetry

File:WithoutCourageWeCannotPracticeAnyOtherVirtueWithoutConsistencyByMayaAngelouInJackKerouacAlley.jpg
Maya Angelou's plaque at San Francisco's Jack Kerouac Alley.
  • Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die, 1971.
  • Oh Pray My Wings are Gonna Fit Me Well, 1975.
  • And Still I Rise, 1978.
  • Shaker, Why Don't You Sing, 1983.
  • Now Sheba Sings the Song, 1987.
  • I Shall Not Be Moved, 1990.
  • "On the Pulse of Morning", 1993.[28]
  • The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou, 1994.
  • Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems for Women, 1995.
  • "A Brave and Startling Truth", 1995.
  • "From a Black Woman to a Black Man", 1995.
  • "Amazing Peace", 2005.
  • "Mother, a Cradle to Hold Me", 2006.
  • "Celebrations, Rituals of Peace and Prayer", 2006
  • Poetry for Young People, 2007.

Screenplays

"THE GUMP"

Films
  • Georgia, Georgia, 1972.
  • All Day Long, 1974.
Television
  • Writer, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1979.
  • Writer, Brewster Place, 1990-1991.
  • Writer, Angelou on Burns, 1996.
  • Guest appearance on That's So Raven

Directing

  • Down in the Delta, 2007.[29]

Acting

Television appearances

Films and plays

Radio

Recordings

Scores

  • Miss Calypso, 1957.
  • For the Love of Ivy, 1968.
  • Georgia, Georgia, 1972.
  • All Day Long, 1974.

Spoken word albums

  • The Poetry of Maya Angelou, 1969.
  • Women in Business, 1981.
  • Phenomenal Woman, 1995.
  • Been Found, 1996.

Honors and awards

Main article: List of honors and awards for Maya Angelou

Angelou has been honored by universities, literary organizations, government agencies, and special interest groups. Her honors include a National Book Award nomination for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,[5] a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of poetry, Just Give Me A Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die,[6] a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away[31], an Emmy nomination for her role as Kunta Kinte's grandmother in the television miniseries Roots, and three Grammys for her spoken word albums.[18] In 1995, Angelou's publishing company, Bantam Books, recognized her for having the longest-running record (two years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List.[32] She has served on two presidential committees,[33] and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000.[34] Musician Ben Harper has honored Angelou with his song "I'll Rise," which includes words from her poem, "And Still I Rise."[35] She has been awarded over thirty honorary degrees.[4]

References

  1. ^ See SwissEduc: pronunciation of Maya Angelou
  2. ^ "Maya Angelou". Poets.org. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  3. ^ "The power index". Ladies Home Journal. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  4. ^ a b Moore, Lucinda (2003-04-01). "A Conversation with Maya Angelou at 75". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b "About the novel: Critical assessment". Cliffs Notes. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  6. ^ a b c Healy, Sarah (2001-02-21), "Maya Angelou Speaks to 2,000 at Arlington Theater", Daily Nexus, vol. 81, no. 82{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ^ Kellaway, Kate (1993-01-23). "Poet for the new America". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Angelou, Maya (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House. p. 6. ISBN 0-375-50789-2.
  9. ^ Caged Bird, p. 52.
  10. ^ a b c "Maya Angelou (1928- )". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  11. ^ Long, Richard (2005-11-01). "35 who made a difference: Maya Angelou". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Angelou, Maya (1985). Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry like Christmas. New York: Bantam Books. p. 8. ISBN 0-553-25199-6.
  13. ^ a b Rose, Kira (2007-10-07). "At B-School reunion, it's Maya Angelou, not a CEO". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b Younge, Gary (2002-05-25). "No surrender". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b Van Gelder, Lawrence (1998-04-08). "Winfrey's Gift". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Smith, Dinitia (2007-01-23). "A career in letters, 50 years and counting". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "About the author: Angelou in print". Cliffs Notes. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  18. ^ a b "Maya Angelou: A Brief Biography". African Overseas Union. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  19. ^ Winfrey, Oprah. "Oprah's cut with Maya Angelou". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  20. ^ Arnold, Martin (2001-04-12). "Making books; Familiarity breeds content". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "About the author: Angelou in print". Cliffs Notes. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  22. ^ a b Manegold, Catherine S. (1993-01-20). "An afternoon with Maya Angelou; A wordsmith at her inaugural anvil". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Canby, Vincent (1993-07-23). "Review/Film: Poetic Justice; On the road to redemption". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ a b Waggoner, Martha (2006-09-13). "Maya Angelou to host show on XM Radio". Fox News. Retrieved 2007-09-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Maya Angelou still rises". CBS News. 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-10-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ McLaughlin, Katie (2008-01-24). "Angelou speaks to a diverse crowd in Burruss". Collegiate Times. Retrieved 2008-01-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Williams, Jeannie (2002-01-10). "Maya Angelou pens her sentiments for Hallmark". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-10-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Angelou, Maya. "On the Pulse of Morning". Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  29. ^ Kennedy, Dana (1998-11-15). "Holiday Films; A Poet, at 70, ventures into the unknown". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Maya Angelou". Muppet Wiki. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  31. ^ "Past Winners". Official Website of the Tony Awards. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
  32. ^ "Biography Information". Maya Angelou Official Website. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  33. ^ Woolley, John T. (1977-03-28). "National Commission on the observance of International Women's Year, 1975 appointment of members and presiding officer of the commission". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 2007-10-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ "Sculptor, painter among National Medal of Arts winners". CNN.com. 2000-12-20. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Lopez, Luciana (2007-11-14). "Music review: Love fills Keller as Ben Harper shares mix of folk, rock, more". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2007-11-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Maya Angelou.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maya_Angelou&oldid=193301609"