Maya_Angelou

Since the 7th century, poetry has changed drastically over time. There are many poets that have contributed to this change. To name a few: Langston Hughes, David Wagoner , William Shakespeare, and Ella Wheeler Wilcox. One in particular is not only a poet, but an author, an actress, a mother, a civil-rights activist, historian, and most importantly, a survivor. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time because of her creative writing skills and mind. Maya’s real name is Marguerite Annie Johnson (Maya Angelou - Biography). Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 (a year before the stock market crash), in St. Louis, Missouri (Maya Angelou – Biography). The stock market crash was the start of the Depression, a nationwide economic tragedy that lasted until the late 1930’s. (Maya Angelou Biography).When Maya was three years old, her parents divorced and she and her 4-year old brother, Bailey, were sent alone, by train, to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. (Maya Angelou Biography).While living with her grandmother, Angelou participated in a wide variety of dance classes including tap, jazz, foxtrot, and salsa (Maya Angelou: Poetry). After four years in Stamps, the children returned to their mother's care (Maya Angelou – Biography). At age seven, Angelou confessed that her mother's boyfriend had raped her, and Angelou's uncles beat the man to death (Maya Angelou Biography). Horrified by what happened, she became silent, believing, that it was her words that led him to his death (Maya Angelou). She remained nearly mute for another five years, at which point her mother sent the children to live with their grandmother once again (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Maya attended George Washington High School in San Francisco (Maya Angelou: Poetry). At the end of her senior year, Maya became pregnant with her son, Clyde Johnson (Maya Angelou – Biography). She gave birth to Clyde just a few months after graduating high school in 1945 (Maya Angelou – Biography). At 22, she married Tosho Angelos, a former sailor of Greek descent, but she left her marriage two and half years later in 1952 and set out to become a professional dancer (Maya Angelou Biography). Later she married South African freedom fighter and civil rights advocate, Vusumzi Make, in 1960 (Maya Angelou Biography). Maya was very smart and artistic and won several different scholarships (Maya Angelou). Two that she chose to take was a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor School, and a scholarship to study dance with Pearl Primus (Maya Angelou – Biography). Maya had several careers from the time she had Clyde to now. One of Maya’s first jobs was her being the city’s first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco (Maya Angelou). Maya sometimes worked as an exotic dancer to support her and Clyde (Maya Angelou 73). In 1960, Maya Clyde and her husband moved to Cario, Egypt where she served as editor of the English language weekly (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Maya served as the Northern Coordinator for the southern Christian Leadership Conference, requested by Martin Luther King, who was assassinated in 1968 (Maya Angelou Biography). Maya was devastated. (Maya Angelou Biography).Angelou has taught at several American Colleges and Universities (Maya Angelou). She is now a Reynolds professor of American studies at Wake forest University (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Maya has written a lot of books (Maya Angelou). Some of her most famous books have become movies (Maya Angelou). “I Know Why the Caged Bird sings” is Angelo’s most famous work. It was published in 1970 (Maya Angelou - Biography). The book tells the story of her life, from her childhood in Arkansas to the birth of her son Clyde (Maya Angelou – Biography). It was nominated for a National Book Award (Maya Angelou - Biography). Another famous book that Maya wrote was “Just Give Me a Drink of Water Fore I Die” (Maya Angelou: Poetry). That was published in 1971 (Maya Angelou). Maya has written several books for children. (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Maya wrote a screenplay for the film Georgia, Georgia. It was published in 1972 (Maya Angelou). That screenplay, which is the first by an African American woman ever to be filmed was nominated for a politer Prize (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Angelou has accomplished many things (Maya Angelou). She joined the Harlem writer’s guild in the late 1950’s and met James Baldwin and other important writers (Maya Angelou: Poetry). She had the opportunity to hear Martin Luther King speak and became part of the struggle for civil rights (Maya Angelou: Poetry). Maya has been nominated for a Tony Award, Emmy award, and a Pulitzer Prize (Maya Angelou). She has received 3 Grammys (Maya Angelou - Biography). Maya was also awarded the Presidential medal of Arts in 2000, and also had the chance to speak at Clintons Inauguration (Maya Angelou - Biography). Maya has received over 30 honorary degrees (Maya Angelou - Biography). Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time because of her creative writing skills and mind. No doubt about it Maya is a very successful African American woman and she has faced many trials and tribulations. From being raped at such a young age to having her son while she was still in High School and the failing of marriages made Maya a very wise woman . Maya was asked “How did you escape it all , the poverty , the rape at an early age, a broken home , growing up black in the south '” Maya Answered, “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”