Maya Angelou: Poet (Black Americans of Achievement (Hardcover))

Describes the life and writing career of the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, as well as her victory over such obstacles as prejudice, poverty, and abuse. "Maya Angelou told her story to millions with the 1970 publication of her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In the years following her first book, millions more would come to know her through her work as a singer, dancer, civil rights activist, and world-famous poet. Angelou struggled with poverty and racism while growing up in small-town Arkansas, but she made a life for herself by talking about that life: childhood abuse, teenage pregnancy, and more. Her body of work has expanded to include more volumes in her autobiography, poetry, children's books, television and movie roles, and a variety of other projects that demonstrate her versatility as an artist. She continues to inspire social and personal change with her message about the triumph of the human spirit. Book jacket."--Jacket A literature of black women's courage and experience is at the heart of Maya Angelou's writing. She has been called a national institution and the people's poet. Part of the ""Bloom's Modern Critical Views"" series, this title features a chronology, bibliography, notes on the contributors, and an introductory essay by a noted literary scholar. Details the rise of Maya Angelou, from adversity to national and international recogntion Discusses the life and work of the noted African American writer