Biography
American performing artist and prolific writer, a poet and autobiographer, author of over
12 best-selling books, and much-loved American sage.
Her work conveys an indomitable spirit that had its roots in hardship, violence, and emotional
turmoil. Her parents' marriage ended when she was three, and she and her older brother were sent
to her paternal grandparents' home in the segregated town of Stamps, Arkansas. They lived in the
back of their grandparents' general store where the children were raised with discipline and
care. When Maya was nearly eight, they returned to Saint Louis to visit their mom for the first
time since they had left. There, on an autumn day in 1935, Maya was raped by her mother's
boyfriend. Afraid that he would kill her brother as he had threatened, she could not initially
talk about what had happened. But the little girl was so wounded and ill that her mom took her to
the hospital where the truth ultimately came out. When the man was murdered by her uncles for his
crime, the young girl felt responsible. Once more the children were sent to their grandparents'
home where Maya withdrew silently into a private, dark, and isolated world where she stayed,
completely mute, for five years. The only light that shone in this space came in the guise of a
kind neighbor who encouraged her to read and ultimately to end her five-year silence. So began her
passionate lifelong affair with words and books.
At 13, she and Bailey went to live with their mom who married a man called Daddy Clidell. He
turned out to be the first father Maya had ever known, and the family moved to San Francisco. At
16, she quite deliberately dispensed with her virginity, inviting the participation of a good-looking
local boy without thinking through the possible consequences. She found herself pregnant. Her folks
were supportive, and in the summer of 1944 she gave birth to a son, Guy. She married a Greek man in
1949 from whom she took the name Angelou, but she has little to say about the relationship which
ended three years later.
A long-time devotee of dance, she made an attempt to form her own troupe. In the '50s, she became
a nightclub performer, specializing in Calypso songs and dances. She performed in various clubs and
landed a role in "Porgy and Bess" for a 22-country tour of Europe and Africa. After the tour,
Angelou returned to the nightclub circuit. "The Blacks" opened on May 4, 1961 at the St. Mark's
Playhouse, winning the Obie award in 1961 for the best off-Broadway play.
Multi-lingual as well as multi-talented, Angelou speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic
and West African Fanti. In 1960-1961, she became interested in civil rights causes and began writing
and working as an editor. Her first public recognition came with the publication of her memoir, "I
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," 1970. While in Africa in 1972, she was reportedly married to an
unnamed African political leader. Back in the U.S., she wrote and produced a TV series, and also
wrote many songs. Maya published a second volume of her autobiography, "Gather Together in My Name,"
1974, and a third volume of poems in October 1976.
In December 1973, Angelou married Paul du Feu, the former husband of Germaine Greer, and they
settled in a small house in Berkeley, CA. She became deeply depressed in March 1978. Three years
later, in early 1981, she took hold, fired her manager and separated from her husband. One of the
most powerful black voices in America, she was named among the One Hundred Most Influential American
Women in 1983.
By age 65 she was weary and arthritic though nationally recognized, with the publication of 12
books, including six volumes of poetry to her credit. Since 1991, Angelou has held the Reynolds
professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University. Upon invitation by President Clinton,
she wrote the 1993 inaugural poem for the Clinton Administration. She has received honorary
doctorates from Smith College, Mills College and the University of Kansas. In 1993 she published
"Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now." In 2002, she published the fifth volume of her
autobiography. "A Song Flung Up to Heaven" brought her readers full circle, ending with the first
sentence of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." She added a sixth volume, "Hallelujah! The Welcome
Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes" in 2004.
At 6 ft tall, with short, graying hair and her signature richly-colored clothing, Angelou is an
imposing and dignified presence. Her voice is deep and resonant. When she speaks in her distinct
slow tones, she seems to caress each word, and she enchants her listener with poetic wisdom that
comes from deep within her. Her friendship with Oprah Winfrey and her appearances on the popular
Oprah Winfrey daytime TV show have brought her face and her spirit into the American home. In 2002,
she entered into an arrangement with Hallmark Cards to produce and sell gifts that "offer inspiration,
hope, and joy." She won a Grammy in 2003 for Best Spoken Word Album for her recording of her book "A
Song Flung Up to Heaven" and that same year participated in a production of a gospel music CD.
Top
Quotes:
- "We, this people, on a small and lonely planet traveling through casual space, passed a lot of stars,
across a way of indifferent suns to a destination where all signs tell us it is possible and imperative
that we discover a brave and startling truth."
- Growing up is admitting that there are demons you cannot overcome.
- "When I am with Maya, unimportant matters melt away—her presence feels like a warm bath after an
exhausting day." — Oprah Winfrey
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