Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Author

Maya Angelou

American Literature

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson, was an American memoirist, essayist, poet and civil rights activist who published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry over a career spanning more than fifty years. The first of her autobiographies, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), told of her life up to age seventeen and brought her international recognition. Active in the Civil Rights Movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, she became the first poet since Robert Frost to deliver an inaugural recitation, reading On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Birth Year
1928 1
Birth Date
1928-04-04 1
Death Year
2014 1
Award
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, 1993. 1
Award
Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame, 2017. 1
Award
Candace Award, 1990. 1
Award
Crystal Award, 1992. 1
Award
Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording, 1993. 1
Award
honorary citizen of Baltimore, 1990. 1
Award
honorary degree from Spelman College, 1983. 1
Award
honorary doctorate of the University of South Carolina, 1989. 1
Award
Horatio Alger Award, 1992. 1
Award
Langston Hughes Medal, 1991. 1
Award
Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, 2013. 1
Award
Marian Anderson Award, 2008. 1
Award
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction, 2005. 1
Award
National Medal of Arts, 2000. 1
Award
National Women's Hall of Fame, 1998. 1
Award
North Carolina Award for Literature, 1987. 1
Award
Paul Robeson Award, 1990. 1
Award
Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2010. 1
Award
Spingarn Medal, 1994. 1
Classification
Original Language
English 1
Maya Angelou
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Works Attributed

Source I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Maya Angelou
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist.
  • Original language statement
    Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson, was an American memoirist, essayist, poet and civil rights activist who published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry over a career spanning more than fifty years.
  • Lead paragraph
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years.
  • Award: National Women's Hall of Fame
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Langston Hughes Medal
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Spingarn Medal
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Marian Anderson Award
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Presidential Medal of Freedom
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Candace Award
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Horatio Alger Award
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Paul Robeson Award
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Crystal Award
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: National Medal of Arts
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: honorary doctorate of the University of South Carolina
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: honorary citizen of Baltimore
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: North Carolina Award for Literature
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: honorary degree from Spelman College
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
  • Award: Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame
    Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928, May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
View the Source
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationWorks Attributed: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Lead section, authorship
Quote, Works Attributed: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Lead section, authorship
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.