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Maya Angelou, the bestselling author of On the Pulse of Morning, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now, and other lavishly praised works, is considered one of America's finest poets. Here, four of her most highly acclaimed poems are assembled in a beautiful gift edition that provides a feast for the eyes as well as the heart.
Maya Angelou (b. 1928), poet, writer, performer, teacher, and director, is the author of the bestselling autobiographies I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (nominated for a National Book Award), Gather Together in My Name, and The Heart of a Woman, as well as five collections of poetry.
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), the French Post-impressionist painter, abandoned his family and his career as a stockbroker to paint in Tahiti and other exotic locations. According to some art scholars, modern art began with Paul Gauguin. Today his work is in the permanent collections of museums all over the world.
Angelou was among the first, if not the first, to create a literary franchise based on autobiographical writings. In the series' six titles -- beginning with the classic I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and followed by Gather Together in My Name, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, Heart of a Woman, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, and 2002's A Song Flung Up to Heaven -- Angelou tells her story in language both no-nonsense and intensely spiritual.
Angelou's facility with language, both on paper and as a suede-voiced speaker, have made her a populist poet. Her 1995 poem "Phenomenal Woman" is still passed along the Web among women as inspiration ("It's in the reach of my arms/The span of my hips/The stride of my steps/The curl of my lips./I'm a woman/Phenomenally/Phenomenal woman/That's me"), and her 1993 poem "On the Pulse of the Morning," written for Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration, was later released as a Grammy-winning album.
Angelou often cites other writers (from Kenzaburo Oe to James Baldwin) both in text and name. But as often as not, her major mentors were not writers – she had been set to work with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. before each was assassinated, stories she recounts in A Song Flung Up to Heaven.
Given her rollercoaster existence -- from poverty in Arkansas to journalism in Egypt and Ghana and ultimately, to her destiny as a successful writer and professor in the States – it's no surprise that Angelou hasn't limited herself to one or two genres. Angelou has also written for stage and screen, acted, and directed. She is the rare author from whom inspiration can be derived both from her approach to life as from her talent in writing about it. Reading her books is like taking counsel from your wisest, favorite aunt.
Angelou speaks six languages, including West African Fanti.
She taught modern dance at the Rome Opera House and the Hambina Theatre in Tel Aviv.
Before she became famous as a writer, Maya Angelou was a singer. Miss Calypso is a CD of her singing calypso songs.
| Phenomenal Woman | 3 | |
| Still I Rise | 7 | |
| Weekend Glory | 11 | |
| Our Grandmothers | 15 |
Anonymous
Posted January 16, 2003
I am a 20 year old college student and I believe that this poem celebrates the life of black women and all women alike around the world. It makes me appreciate myself more and know how much I am worth because of how detaily God created me. It helped rebuild my self confidence.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 27, 2000
I READ THIS POEM FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT MY CHURCH AND THE CONGREGATION LOVED IT! I ALSO HAVE A COPY OF THIS POEM ON MY WALL AND IT RREALLY DESCRIBES THE BLACK WOMAN TO 'T'
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 25, 2002
One of my favorite poem writer of all time. This is a must read poem book, that grabs at your heart and give you boast of insipriation.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book contains one of the quintessential and more celebrated writings of Dr. Maya Angelou - Phenomenal Woman. However, what makes this book outstanding is the artwork. I was immediately struck by the artwork of Paul Gauguin, including the picture of the Mayan woman on the cover. The book makes a wonderful gift for the phenomenal women in your life.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 2, 2010
I purchased this book for an elderly Aunt who is dying of cancer, she had never married and had always amazed me by the things she had accomplished in her life. The title grabbed my attention, but after reading the words to her so did the content.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is excatly wat the title says. It inspires women. It lets us know that we are as powerful, wonderful, beautiful human beings. That no matter wat people say or do to us we can always hold our heads high....
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 14, 2000
I love this poem it makes woman feel so good and it will help us feel better about ourselfs.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 8, 2000
What can I say other than Maya is one of my favorite writers and this poem is my favorite as well. She is truely a Phenomenal Woman...........
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Posted April 12, 2000
Maya Angelou does not rest on any laurels. Her poems are powerful and deep. I am thrilled about the book, she continues to write poetry that lives up to her reputation.
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Posted March 9, 2000
THIS POEM REALLY LIFTS THE MIND,BODY AND SOUL. I REMEMBER HEARING THIS PEOM 5 YEARS AGO, I COULN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD. I HAD TO OWN A COPY. BEING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN, I WOULD SUGGEST THIS POEM TO EVERY OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN OR ANY OTHER WOMAN.
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Posted January 24, 2010
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Posted January 24, 2010
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Posted December 9, 2009
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Overview
-Chicago Tribune
From the author of the bestselling Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now and three autobiographical volumes, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her is a collection of some of ...