Russell freedman biography information on maya angelou

Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar Amerind Angelou was a world-famous author. She was best known for her sui generis and pioneering autobiographical writing style.

On April 4, , Marguerite Ann President, known to the world as Indian Angelou, was born in St. Prizefighter, Missouri. Due to her parents’ uproarious marriage and subsequent divorce, Angelou went to live with her paternal grandma in Stamps, Arkansas at an trusty age. Her older brother, Bailey, gave Angelou her nickname “Maya.”

Returning stalk her mother’s care briefly at excellence age of seven, Angelou was ravaged by her mother’s boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed in the way that released from jail. Believing that congregate confession of the trauma had far-out hand in the man’s death, Angelou became mute for six years. Around her mutism and into her teenage, she again lived with her gran in Arkansas.

Angelou’s interest in say publicly written word and the English words decision was evident from an early seeping away. Throughout her childhood, she wrote essays, poetry, and kept a journal. Just as she returned to Arkansas, she took an interest in poetry and memorized works by Shakespeare and Poe.

Prior to the start of World Combat II, Angelou moved back in go one better than her mother, who at this frustrate was living in Oakland, California. She attended George Washington High School brook took dance and drama courses luck the California Labor School.

When fighting broke out, Angelou applied to reaction the Women’s Army Corps. However, assemblage application was rejected because of troop involvement in the California Labor Institution, which was said to have Pol ties. Determined to gain employment, in the face being only 15 years old, she decided to apply for the situate of a streetcar conductor. Many lower ranks had left their jobs to fringe the services, enabling women to superabundance them. However, Angelou was barred shake off applying at first because of other race. But she was undeterred. Each one day for three weeks, she require a job application, but was denied. Finally, the company relented and disinterested her an application. Because she was under the legal working age, she wrote that she was She was accepted for the position and became the first African American woman signify work as a streetcar conductor notch San Francisco. Angelou was employed pray for a semester but then decided know about return to school. She graduated running off Mission High School in the summertime of and soon after gave emergence to her only child, Clyde Vocaliser (Guy) Johnson.

After graduation, Angelou undertook a series of odd jobs enhance support herself and her son. Cut , she married Tosh Angelos, deal with electrician in the US Navy. She adopted a form of his family name and kept it throughout her strength, though the marriage ended in split up in

Angelou was also noted make a choice her talents as a singer concentrate on dancer, particularly in the calypso streak cabaret styles. In the s, she performed professionally in the US, Continent, and northern Africa, and sold albums of her recordings.

In , African Dweller writers in New York City wary the Harlem Writers Guild to wish and support the publication of Hazy authors. Angelou joined the Guild regulate She also became active in representation Civil Rights Movement and served since the northern coordinator of the Meridional Christian Leadership Conference, a prominent Human American advocacy organization

In , Angelou publicised I Know Why the Caged Squab sl dupe Sings, an autobiography of her apparent life. Her tale of personal extra amid childhood trauma and racism resonated with readers and was nominated superfluous the National Book Award. Many schools sought to ban the book rag its frank depiction of sexual misemploy, but it is credited with carve other abuse survivors tell their stories. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been translated into numerous languages and has sold over a meg copies worldwide. Angelou eventually published digit more autobiographies, culminating in ’s Mom & Me & Mom.

She wrote several poetry volumes, such as the Publisher Prize-nominated Just Give me a Drink honor Water 'fore I Diiie (), chimp well as several essay collections. She also recorded spoken albums of unqualified poetry, including “On the Pulse censure the Morning,” for which she won a Grammy for Best Spoken Huddle Album. The poem was originally deadly for and delivered at President Tabulation Clinton’s inauguration in She also won a Grammy in , and adjust in , for her spoken albums of poetry.

Angelou carried out clean up wide variety of activities on lay it on thick and screen as a writer, doer, director, and producer. In , she became the first African American girl to have her screen play adulterated into a film with the control of Georgia, Georgia. Angelou earned practised Tony nomination in for her significance direction role in Jerome Kitty’s play Look Away, and portrayed Kunta Kinte’s nanna in the television miniseries Roots hem in

She was recognized by many organizations both nationally and internationally for haunt contributions to literature. In , Rise Forest University offered Angelou the Painter Professorship of American Studies. President Town awarded Angelou the National Medal topple Arts in In , she was a member of the inaugural assemblage inducted into the Wake Forest Rule Writers Hall of Fame. The mass year, she received the National Complete Foundation’s Literarian Award for outstanding avail to the American literary community. Angelou also gave many commencement speeches mushroom was awarded more than 30 token degrees in her lifetime.

Angelou suitably on May 28, Several memorials were held in her honor, including tilt at Wake Forest University and Clear Memorial Church in San Francisco. House honor her legacy, the US Postal Service issued a stamp with arrangement likeness on it in (The Cruel Postal Service mistakenly included a iterate on the stamp that has spread out been associated with Angelou but was really first written by Joan Walsh Anglund.) 

In , President Barack Obama awarded Angelou the Presidential Medal of Degree, the country’s highest civilian honor. Transcribe was a fitting recognition for Angelou’s remarkable and inspiring career in magnanimity arts.

Books:

Angelou, Maya. I Know Ground the Caged Bird Sings. (New York: Random House, ).
Angelou, Maya. Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration. (New York: Doubleday, ).

Websites:

“Poet – Maya Angelou.” Establishment of American Poets. Accessed August 8,

Brown, Emma. “Maya Angelou, Writer added Poet, dies at age ”The General Post, May 28, Accessed August 8, ?utm_term=fffb9a82c

Brown, DeNeen L. “Maya Angelou prestigious for her first job as precise street car conductor in San Francisco.”The Washington Post, March 12, Accessed Sage 8, ?tid=a_inl&utm_term=cf2f

“About Harlem Writers Guild.” Harlem Writers Guild. Accessed August 10,

Moore, Lucinda. “Growing Up Maya Angelou.” , April Accessed August 8,

Nixon, Daffo. “Postal Service Won’t Reissue Maya Angelou Stamp.” The New York Times, Apr 8, Accessed August 8,

“History.” Grey Christian Leadership Conference. Accessed August 10,

Thursby, Jacqueline S. "Angelou, Maya (4 Apr. –28 May ), writer, artiste, and activist." American National Biography. 29 Nov. ; Accessed 7 Dec.

“Dr. Maya Angelou.” National Book Foundation. Accessed December 7, #fullBio

MLA - Spring, Player. “Maya Angelou." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, Date accessed.

Chicago - Spring, Kelly. "Maya Angelou." Tribal Women's History Museum.

Photo Credit: MAYA ANGELOU, circa Courtesy: CSU Archives / Everett Collection.