Maya Angelou
The thing I most appreciate about celebrated writer, Maya Angelou , is her bravery. She spoke and wrote what was on her mind, never mincing words. In today’s world of empty praise and false positive affirmation, this poet is a fresh ocean breeze in the heat of summer. I love her poetry and I teach it often along with her memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings . Her work connects back to the Harlem Renaissance writers and other African-American artists. The title of her memoir comes from a poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906). However, she is not an artist addressing a particular race; she is a poet for the ages and for all people, a true American treasure. The Washington Post published a piece yesterday by Valerie Strauss that made clear Angelou’s ability to speak the truth. She was exuberant about the election of President Obama, and he in turn awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. However, she often spo...
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