Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou has put her many talents to work in a number of capacities; among other things she has been a novelist, poet, singer, dancer, actress, editor, and civil rights activist. Her autobiographical novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, received great critical acclaim for its depiction of her difficult childhood in a rural community. The book, published in 1970, returned to the bestseller lists in 1993 after Angelou read her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”, at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration (pictured here).

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Angelou, Maya

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