Angelou became mute for almost five years, believing that 'her voice killed him.' It was during this period of silence that Angelou developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her.Īfter her mother's boyfriend was killed, Angelou and her brother were sent back to their grandmother.

Shortly after Maya told her family about it, the man was shot and killed. At the age of eight, while living with her mother, Angelou was badly hurt by her mother's boyfriend. Angelou is best known for her autobiographies, but she was also an established poet.įour years later, the children's father came and returned them to their mother's care in St. Her books center on themes such as racism, identity, family, and travel. She tried to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Angelou's major works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics have characterized them as autobiographies. People have tried to ban her books from some US libraries, but her works are used in schools and universities worldwide. She was respected as a spokesperson of black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of black culture. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of seventeen and made her famous. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences.

She received dozens of awards and over thirty honorary doctoral degrees. Maya took part in several plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry. Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson (Ap– May 28, 2014), was an American author and poet.

Maya angelou background story