Maya Angelou is not only an author; she is a poet, playwright, screen producer, and many more. Growing up, Maya’s life was filled with ups and downs. In spite of her trials and tribulations, Maya Angelou has found a way to accomplish many goals. Throughout her career, she has not only written books, but she as acted in and directed several plays, lived in Ghana for four years, raised a child by herself, and worked as hard as he could to give her and child the best life.

Maya Angelou, Marguerite Johnson, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri (Gale Group 4). She initially lived in St. Louis with her mother, Vivian, who was a nurse, and a maid, and her father Barly, a doorkeeper and navel dietician (Gale Group 4). As she was growing up, Maya’s mother never cared for her as a mother should. Often, her mother would leave her and her brother and would not return for days at a time. This, of course gave Maya no other choice but to take full responsibility for the household and her brother. When she was thirteen, Angelou’s mother decided to leave St. Louis without telling her. It was on that day that she went to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya’s grandmother was a very strict lady and made sure that Maya and her brother would grow up to be the best people they could be.

Maya’s grandmother made a great impact on her and her brother’s lives. Because of her grandmother, Maya can often be quoted as saying “ If you don’t appreciate the things you have, other people will treat them with contempt.” (Courtney-Clarke 90). Although Maya could not talk until the age of nine, she still managed to excel in school. In 1940 she graduated at the top of her eighth grade class (Bloom 219). She went on to attend George Washington High School. She graduated from high school in 1945 (Williams 145). After high school, Angelou moved to San Francisco, California where she took dance lessons at the California Labor School. Maya used music and dance as an excuse for the world around her (Angelou 3). Maya had many jobs when she lived in California. In 1945, she became the first black woman streetcar conductor in San Francisco. She also worked as the cook at the Creole Cafй for only $75.00 per week. (Bloom 219). Maya wed for the first time in 1952 to Tosh Angelous. Maya’s first marriage was a rocky one. While it wasn’t the best situation, Angelou said that the marriage taught her tolerance(McPherson 84).

Maya and Tosh divorced. It wasn’t until 1973 that she would re-marry to Paul Du Feu. Maya was pregnant at the age of seventeen and delivered her only child, Guy (Angelou 15). Maya only mentions the father of Guy in one volume of her chronicle. Some say that Maya resents Du Feu for leaving such a beautiful child and refuses to pay him any tribute by putting his name in a book.

Aside from being a wife and mother, Maya is also a writer. As mentioned earlier, Maya began writing at the early age of nine. She first began by writing brief poetry. In the early 1960s, she began to write extensive works other then poetry. She wrote her feelings of everyday life in a diary. She then took her thoughts from her diary pages and began to write books. In 1970, she published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first book in a five-volume chronicle of her life.

I Know Why he Caged Bird Sings covers Maya’s life from the ages of three to sixteen (Lupton 73). The next book in the five set Chronicle was Gather Together in My Name. She published this book in 1974. Maya illustrates the beginning of her teenage years (Angelou 1). She also describes the horror of being raped by the man her mother was living with. She writes about her feelings of this horrible event. She uses anger and fear to produce a vivid picture of her living situation in the book. In the ending of this volume, she promises never to lose her innocence (Angelou 214).

Singin and Swingin and Getting Merry Like Christmas was the third volume published in the chronicle. It was published in 1976. Maya describes her transition into adulthood. It is in this book that she explains how she directed her energy toward getting more then the basic needs (Angelou 17). In Heart of a Women, the fourth volume, Maya covers African American history and tells the tale of how she met her good friend Billi Holiday in the 1950s (Angelou 11). She uses this book to describe everyday encounters with people on the streets. The fifth and final volume of the chronicle, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, was published in 1986. This book covers Angelou and her son’s four- year stay in Ghana. She also tells of how a communist group tries to kill the president of Ghana (Angelou 79). Mentioned earlier in this paper, Maya also writes poetry. One of her major poetry collections is entitled The Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. This collection of poetry was published in 1994. In this book, Angelou conveys her feelings and understanding of African Americans in the United States. More often then not, Maya puts all of her feelings into poetry and her writings, she feels that this is the easiest way for people to get a picture of what her life is really like. Maya has written more than the selections mentioned in this paper. Maya still has many works that are unpublished. She chooses them to be unpublished because she says she likes to have some works for herself. She does not yet know if she will ever publish those works or even if she will tell the general public about them.

Maya Angelou has had a very extensive career. Maya’s hobbies and experiences include more than just writing books and poetry. She has taken a hand at being a playwright. In 1960, she produced “Cabaret of Freedom”(Gale Group 4) and in 1998 she directed “And Still I Rise.” Maya did not only study dance; she also taught it. She first taught dance at Habima Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel and later at the Rome Opera House in Rome, Italy. Angelou has also experimented with acting. From 1954 to 1955, she appeared in the play “Porgy and Bess”. She went on to perform in the off-Broadway play, “Calypso Heatwave” in 1957. Because Maya has had the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities, she has become a better writer. Maya’s most famous works would not be known if she had never experienced and met the people she had the chance to meet.

Maya has influenced, impressed, and inspired many people. In Margret Clarke’s Maya Angelou, The Poetry of Living, Maya’s friends and family tell of the impact she and her writings have had on them and their lives. Maya also gives advice on living and how to take advantage of each opportunity in life. Oprah Winfrey opens the book by saying, “The first time I read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I thought I was being introduced to parts of myself.”(Courtney-Clarke 9). Many people can relate to Maya’s writings. Often, people can identify with the characters in her novels and poetry. Most of Maya’s inspiration comes from her past situations; this encourages her readers who are in the same position to improve themselves and their lives. Because Maya has made such an imprint on people’s lives, she has become one of the best telling authors of American literature.

Because Maya has influenced and impacted so many lives, she has received may awards in her lifetime. She was nominated for the National Book Award in 1970 for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Also in 1970, she received the nomination for the Pulitzer Prize for her Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Die, collection of poetry about the life of an African American slave. Ladies Home Journal recognized Maya for being one of the most influential women of 1976.

Because of her experimentation with acting, Maya was nominated in 1977 for a Tony Award her role she played in the play “Roots.” In 1987, her well-rounded writing earned her the North Carolina Award in literature. All of these awards that Maya has earned shows her readers that hard work, dedication, and experimentation, pay off. Although the awards express what people think of her work, she doesn’t write for awards she writes for herself.

Maya Angelou has been a hard worker since she has been young. She has set high goals for herself. Because of hard work an solid goals, Ms. Angelou has gained high self-esteem and may nationally recognized awards. Maya Angelou has made a great impression on American literature and the lives of everyone around her. She continues to achieve goals and write passionately each day. New and old experiences encourage Maya to write more and more. Maya Angelou has the amazing ability to turn a bad situation into inspiration for herself and the rest of the world. Maya Angelou’s effect on the people can be summed up in a quote made by Campbell Cawood: “Maya is my rock. Her presence and her spirit sustain me. More than anything else I have learned from her, I have learned courage.” What would American literature be with out the great Maya Angelou? She is truly a literary treasure. She has found a way to keep her audience in tune with her feelings. Maya Angelou will forever be known as a great American author.