Biogrpahy of Female Author Maya Angelou
Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 19, 2007
Biogrpahy of Female Author Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is one of the most moving, talented writers of our time. She has so many sides to her as a person that play into her writing and teachings. I have for a long time revered the lady for her passion and ability to portray feeling in words to her reader. I was turned on to her as a writer after I read some of her poems, and then I grasped an understanding of her personal story when I read her best selling autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in Saint Louis, Missouri. She was named Marguerite Johnson and changed her name in her early twenties after her first performance as a dancer. She was born into a two parent home until her parents divorced when she was three. Her brother, Bailey, and she were sent to live with her grandmother in Arkansas.
Stamps, Arkansas and her grandmother taught her a lot of life’s lessons. There she learned what a black girl’s world was held by. Maya experienced many hardships while growing up. One of her biggest dreams during her childhood was to have long blonde hair. This was only because she felt white girls’ lives were more enjoyable than that of hers. Even though her conditions could not be changed, pride was given to her by her grandmother, who raised the great writer to place God in the center of her life and realize that she could change the world around her.
The children were sent back to their mothers after five years of being with their grandmother. At first this moved seemed to be great but soon turned to into hell. Here Maya at the age of eight was raped by her mother’s live in boyfriend. After the rape, Maya went mute for five years. During this time she was sent back to be with her grandmother because she was considered to be unable to be handled. At this time another strong woman walked into her life that changed and shaped her into the person she is today. Mrs. Flowers slowly helped Maya find herself again. In 1940, her brother and herself were sent back to live with their Mom in San...