The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou

Amazon.com

Brought together for the first time here are all of Maya Angelou's published poems -- including "On the Pulse of Morning," her inaugural poem -- in a handsome hardcover edition.

Book Description

For the first time, the complete collection of Maya Angelou's published poems-including "On the Pulse of Morning"-in a permanent collectible, handsome hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Very nice gift.......2007-07-26

I have given this twice as "thank you" gifts to women and both loved the book.

BOOKREADER.......2007-05-27

MAYA ANGELOU IS ONE MY FAVORITE GREAT AUTHORS OF POETRY . HER POEMS REACH THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF A PERSON. THROUGH GREAT JOY OR GREAT PAIN..............

Excellent collection of Maya Angelou's works.......2006-03-22

I was so happy to find this collection of poetry and writings in one book by Maya Angelou. I find her work so uplifting and her writings cut to the core of humanity and show life as it is. It is real and not all glossed over and it goes right to your heart. Beautiful work...a pleasure to own. A work that I will read again and again.

Poetry that I can understand and identify with!.......2006-03-21

Maya Angelou's poems are wonderful. You can understand and grasp her meaning while she is not afraid to tell it like it is. Her poetry speaks to the heart of every woman no matter the race. When you read her poems you are not merely reading words but you feel the words and are surrounded by their message. I only wished I could have studied her poetry in high school and college. She is truly magnificent!

Poetry is what you make of it..........2006-02-19

I only write this because I love this author more than any other and feel the need to defend this book from the critics who wrote the other reviews on it. I feel that poetry is what you make of it. If you can relate to what the poet is saying, what does it matter if they didn't follow specific guidelines that universities try to teach people who probably lack the free-form. Which is what I consider this book. Free-form poetry. So, yes,if you're only reading the book for an assignment or trying to analyze it into a specific form of poetry, you might be disappointed. However, if you are reading it in leisure or to connect with someone who can beautifully express some of our emotions and events of life, you won't be disappointed. That is if you can relate to it. As with all poetry, it will mean more to you if you can understand where the poet is coming from and connect that with your own emotions and personal experiences. From the time that I picked up this book over a decade ago, I have loved it! I hardly ever take the time to go back and re-read anything. I figure, once read, the most important of the knowledge is there and to move on, but I have read and re-read this book more times than I can remember! For me, it's full of emotion. I feel that in it's free-form, it's beautifully written. I could only ever hope to create a book as outstanding as this one, and I often compare my own free-form to hers.Once again, it's an outstanding book if you can relate to it.

The Heart of a Woman (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

The Urban Book Source
The Heart of a Woman Laid Bare
disappointed
A must read!
Americans do not know how good they have it

The Heart of a Woman (Oprah's Book Club)
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375500723
Release Date: 1997-05-17

Amazon.com

Millions have read Maya Angelou's national bestseller The Heart of a Woman, and now you can hear her fascinating story in the author's own voice. Angelou exposes a turbulent period of her life as she struggles to raise a child, fulfill her goals as a writer, and fight for civil rights in an age of social injustice; Angelou's rich and resonating voice draws the listener into the unexpected details of her life. Working as a nightclub singer in Los Angeles, Angelou decides to move to New York with her son Guy in hopes of building stronger ties with the black art community. In an attempt to find stability for Guy and make a name for herself, her love life takes wild turns. Should she marry the bail bondsman who's as dry as stale bread or run away with the African freedom fighter? Her heart takes her to Africa, where her writing career blossoms but her marriage sours. The Heart of a Woman is filled with beautiful prose and songs; Angelou displays her music talent in several vignettes, most memorably in a scene with Billie Holiday: Angelou is performing at a nightclub when Holiday shrieks, "Stop her, stop her... she sounds like my mama!"

Book Description

In The Heart of a Woman Maya Angelou leaves California with her son, Guy, to go to New York. There she enters the society and world of black artists and writers. Not since her childhood has she lived in an almost black environment, and she is surprised at the obsession her new friends have with the white world around them. She stays for a while with John and Grace Killens and begins to read her writing at the Harlem Writers Guild. She continues to sing, most notably at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, but more and more she begins to take part in the struggle of black Americans for their rightful place in the world. She helps organize a benefit cabaret for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and then is appointed Martin Luther Kings Northern Coordinator.

Shortly after that, through her friend Abbey Lincoln, she takes one of the lead parts in Genet's The Blacks (it was a remarkable cast, including Godfrey Cambridge, Roscoe Lee Brown, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Raymond St. Jacques, and Lou Gossett), and even writes music for the production.

In the meantime her personal life has taken a tempestuous turn. She has left the New York bail bondsman she was intending to marry and has fallen in love with a South African freedom fighter named Vusumzi Make, who sweeps her off her feet and eventually takes her to London and then to Cairo, where, as her marriage begins to break up, she becomes the first female editor of the English-language magazine.

The Heart of a Woman is filled with unforgettable vignettes of famous people, from Billie Holiday to Malcolm X, but perhaps most important is the story of Maya Angelou's relationship with her son. Because this book chronicles, finally, the joys and the burdens of a black mother in America and how the son she had cherished so intensely and worked for so devotedly finally grows to be a man.

Customer Reviews:

The Urban Book Source.......2007-08-13

Another slice of Maya Angleou's memoir, The Heart of a Woman, brings you through her hardships of raising her son Guy in California and continues during her move to New York City, her stint in the Harlem Writers guild, her intimate involvement in the Civil Rights movement, her marriage to South African Freedom Fighter, Vusumzi Make and subsequent move to Egypt, Ghana and ultimate divorce. A book that will speak to men and women on all levels, The Heart of a Woman is truly a phenomenal read.

The Heart of a Woman Laid Bare.......2007-08-06

I have just finished The Heart of a Woman and I could not put it down once I started it. Angelou lays bare for all of her readers her heart, her life and her truth. What an amazing life she has lived. I read some reviews that criticized her for her honesty in regards to whites during the 60s. It was the 60s, racial barriers where still up strong and bared anyone of color from living the lives they so richly deserved, why should she be criticized for this? Would it be better that she lied and said how wonderful life was for blacks in this country during that time? It wasn't and that is the point that she is making in this book. That is the point that she is making as an African American woman, called to the forefront in the battle of discrimination.
I had to look on the cover to see when she wrote this book, it was 1981, how sad that in 26yrs we still see white America carrying the flag of superiority! I am truly glad that Angelou is still walking this earth to see that though the gains for civil rights are slow coming they are coming,regardless of what her criticizers are saying. Because if they are criticizing her for telling it like it was, then there is still a long path to journey to get us beyond the need for civil rights.
If you want to know what the 60's Civil Rights movement & Aparthied in South Africa was about this book will give you an accurate picture of one womans involvement. Two thumbs up for Angelou!

disappointed.......2007-06-14

The heart of a woman was not an easy read for me, i just couldn't get into it, it did not grab my attention.

A must read!.......2006-11-16

'The Heart of a Woman' is as extraordinary as its author.
A brilliant lady who overcame incredible odds to make life for others, especially woman, a place where they did not have to feel like "second clas citizens".

Americans do not know how good they have it.......2006-08-22

I was born and raised in India on the wrong side of the caste system. I worked hard to become educated and to come to America. Perhaps in the 1960s, America was not as fair as it is now, but it was still better than anywhere else. I find books like this, where people whine about the amount of melanin in their skin, offensive. Angelou comments often about how much she hates white people. This is stupid and it shows how uneducated she still is.

If she had written this in the 1960s, in the throes of it, it might be interesting as a historical piece, but now it just shows how racist she it. I'll bet she hates Asians, too. Even when she was abandoned in Egypt by a man she wrongly called her "husband," (even though they weren't married,) she wouldn't go to the American embassy for help because white people worked there. Every slight in her life, she attributes to white people being racist because she is black.

This book is filled with name-dropping and smug anger.

Minna

Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women

Average customer rating:

a jewel
Be Your Own Woman!!
Uplifting Book for Women
Great as a gift or for yourself
The soothing sounds of Maya

Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0679439242
Release Date: 1995-01-17

Book Description

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. (Poetry)

Customer Reviews:

a jewel.......2007-06-17

Maya angelou is a jewel. Her poems rich deep inside your spirit. My daughter really enjoys these tapes.

Be Your Own Woman!!.......2006-02-17

Whether you are tall, thin, heavy, young, old, beautiful, ugly; we are all our own phenomenal woman!!!! Each of us has our own power within ourselves to shine and be our own wonderful person. Maya Angelou's own life, reaches within and brings us to this point with her words.

Uplifting Book for Women.......2005-08-22

I heard Oprah recite the title poem at her workshop and had to have it. It is a great little book and would make a nice gift for a 'phenomenal woman'

Great as a gift or for yourself.......2004-11-03

What a wonderful collection of poems celebrating women. This book of four very soulful, strong, empowering poems has quickly become a favorite. I would recommend this book as a gift for any woman. Or better yet, buy it for yourself - you won't regret it!

The soothing sounds of Maya.......2001-11-06

I just wanted to let Miss Angelou know that I really enjoy her books, all of them. But Phenomenal Woman is very important poem to me because it describes what my mother and grandmother are to me and my family and hopeflly one day I will learn to be a phenomenal woman.

Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer

Average customer rating:

Good but not my favorite
Infidel
Maya Angelou, another great example of her work...
Read Hilton Als' "New Yorker" profile

Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400066107
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

Grace, dignity, and eloquence have long been hallmarks of Maya Angelou’s poetry. Her measured verses have stirred our souls, energized our minds, and healed our hearts. Whether offering hope in the darkest of nights or expressing sincere joy at the extraordinariness of the everyday, Maya Angelou has served as our common voice.

Celebrations is a collection of timely and timeless poems that are an integral part of the global fabric. Several works have become nearly as iconic as Angelou herself: the inspiring “On the Pulse of Morning,” read at President William Jefferson Clinton’s 1993 inauguration; the heartening “Amazing Peace,” presented at the 2005 lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House; “A Brave and Startling Truth,” which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations; and “Mother,” which beautifully honors the first woman in our lives. Angelou writes of celebrations public and private, a bar mitzvah wish to her nephew, a birthday greeting to Oprah Winfrey, and a memorial tribute to the late Luther Vandross and Barry White.

More than a writer, Angelou is a chronicler of history, an advocate for peace, and a champion for the planet, as well as a patriot, a mentor, and a friend. To be shared and cherished, the wisdom and poetry of Maya Angelou proves there is always cause for celebration.

Customer Reviews:

Good but not my favorite.......2007-07-14

I am a huge Maya fan but I felt that this was not her best stuff. I liked the poetry but it didn't compare to "Still I Rise" or "Phenomenal Woman". Again, I liked it because Maya doesn't write bad poetry but I wasn't as in love with this collection as I am with her other work.

Infidel.......2007-07-06

Best book I've read in years. This book gave me a better understanding of Islam and how backward it's follwers are. Just as I beleived I found that the Muslims are still living in a past century and, are a this point unwilling an unable to progress to this century.
Their faith in Muhmmad's teaching's about how to treat women brought tear's to my eyes. Ayann story of her life has put her life in grave danger for speaking out, but her struggle for human right's for Muslin women is nothing short of heroic.

Maya Angelou, another great example of her work..........2007-02-21

This book is another example of the heart in Maya Angelou. Another "beautiful" set of her work. I highly recommend this book of prayers to all Maya Angelou's fans. A Must have for your collection...

Read Hilton Als' "New Yorker" profile.......2007-01-01

Read Hilton Als' "New Yorker" profile of Angelou for a true glimpse.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Book of Poetry
Ten stars.
absolutely magnificent

Maya Angelou: Poems
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553255762
Release Date: 1996-01-01

Book Description

Tenderly, joyously, sometimes in sadness, sometimes in pain, Maya Angelou writes from the heart and celebrates life as only she has discovered it. In this moving volume of poetry, we hear the multi-faceted voice of one of the most powerful and vibrant writers of our time.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book of Poetry.......2006-04-06

This fantastic book of verse and poetry is a must read. It's filled with golden nuggets. I keep a copy in my car for inspirational reading. One of the most moving poems is "Still I Rise." The words of this poem remind us that the spirit is capable of rising above all odds and obstacles. Allowing for normal reflection of our youth is "Harlem Hopscotch." One cannot help but reflect on the days of sidewalk games, acting cool, and getting to sing and to hop. The poem allows us to recall such fun days. Having intestinal fortitude is shown in "Just Like Job." It reminds us that even though life is a struggle, victory is there when we call upon God our creator. He hears our pleas and attends to our needs. This book is one of encouragement and motivation. As a result, it relaxes the soul. Also check "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" with its new addition of Epulaeryu poems.

Ten stars........1999-11-06

Some poets, many poets, are hard to understand, and are downright boring. I have several poets that I love, and Maya is one of them. Black, white, whatever. They should have made us read her in High School. If we had, I would have gotten into poetry much sooner. This book should get 10 stars.

absolutely magnificent.......1999-07-31

i am 15 and have not yet finished this wonderful book, but i'm loving every minute of it so far. Still I Rise is by far my favorite. I never realized a single poem could hold such inspiration and strength. A book that should be read by everyone of all ages and colors. Many thanks to Maya Angelou for such lovely poems.

Average customer rating:

Autobiography as Literature: Doing the Impossible
Maya Angelou & Amazon; a perfect match!
About the unabridged audio version
Still I Rise
a song flung up to heaven book reaview

A Song Flung Up to Heaven
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375507477
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

It's been a long time coming, but A Song Flung Up to Heaven triumphantly completes the six volumes of autobiography that began nearly 30 years ago with Maya Angelou's astonishingly successful I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a work that changed readers' perceptions of what autobiographical writing could achieve. The impact of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (which evoked the author's adolescence and sexual abuse in Arkansas) was unprecedented. It combined frankness and emotional force with a nuanced, poetic style--a style that Angelou has perhaps found more elusive recently. But it's here again, as affecting as ever. The book deals with the years 1964-68, a turbulent period in which Angelou came back to America after her African sojourn. This, of course, was the time of the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King; Angelou was on the point of working with the latter in the civil rights movement. Her voice is fresh and exhilarating as she deals with the tragedies and triumphs of a packed life, and there are some set-piece moments, such as her account of the misguided revenge she took on an ex-lover.

Many women have become celebrated as writers and poets, but Angelou has also enjoyed a distinguished career as a civil rights activist, producer, performer, actress, and filmmaker. With all of this under her belt, she can be forgiven for the note of self-congratulation that creeps in at times. But for those who've followed her unique writing, this is a journey into a fascinating life and a riveting picture of a divided America, always informed with that clear-sighted vision Angelou is famous for. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

The culmination of a unique achievement in modern American literature: the six volumes of autobiography that began more than thirty years ago with the appearance of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven opens as Maya Angelou returns from Africa to the United States to work with Malcolm X. But first she has to journey to California to be reunited with her mother and brother. No sooner does she arrive there than she learns that Malcolm X has been assassinated.

Devastated, she tries to put her life back together, working on the stage in local theaters and even conducting a door-to-door survey in Watts. Then Watts explodes in violence, a riot she describes firsthand.

Subsequently, on a trip to New York, she meets Martin Luther King, Jr., who asks her to become his coordinator in the North, and she visits black churches all over America to help support King’s Poor People’s March.

But once again tragedy strikes. King is assassinated, and this time Angelou completely withdraws from the world, unable to deal with this horrible event. Finally, James Baldwin forces her out of isolation and insists that she accompany him to a dinner party—where the idea for writing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is born. In fact, A Song Flung Up to Heaven ends as Maya Angelou begins to write the first sentences of Caged Bird.

Download Description

Praise for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ¿I know that not since the days of my childhood, when people in books were more real than the people one saw every day, have I found myself so moved.¿ ¿James Baldwin Gather Together in My Name ¿Gather Together in My Name is part of a select body of literature that includes The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Claude Brown¿s Manchild in the Promised Land and Ernest J. Gaines¿ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Maya Angelou regards the world and herself with intelligence and wit; she records the events of her life with style and grace.¿ ¿William McPherson, The Washington Post Book World All God¿s Children Need Traveling Shoes ¿This is a superb account by a great woman who has embraced a difficult destiny with rare intelligence and infectious joie de vivre.¿ ¿ The Boston Globe From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Autobiography as Literature: Doing the Impossible.......2006-08-11

When a representative of Random House contacted Angelou with the suggestion that she write an autobiography at the tender age of forty, she demurred, and he lay down a challenge by saying that she might be right to refuse, for writing autobiography as literature is nearly impossible to do. Angelou picked up that challenge and met it squarely, for her six-volume autobiography does indeed qualify as literature. As has been noted in several reviews of her other books in this series, she writes not the dry facts of her existence but rather the colorful and expressive interpretation of those facts. Instead of recounting happenings, she paints for the reader her interpretation of them, their significance, and their place in her universe. History may underlie her writing, but it is the view that Angelou has of those historical events that gives her books interest and meaning.

A SONG FLUNG UP TO HEAVEN is the concluding volume of Angelou's autobiographical writings, and, by itself, it is of limited instruction for the reader. It is quite brief, easily read in a single sitting. The first short chapters present a skeletal synopsis of her personal history. The final chapter gives wing to her philosophical view of humankind. In between, the reader is given a glimpse of the frustrations leading to the Watts Riots and of the despair occasioned by the assassinations of Malcolm X and of Martin Luther King. This volume also continues earlier books' insightful descriptions of King, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin, adding much to the understanding of these men by the general public.

This slim volume is indeed the conclusion of the other five books that comprise Angelou's autobiographical works detailing the first half of her life. It is no more logical to begin reading this book without having first read the others than it is to read the final chapter of a novel before enjoying all of the preceding chapters. If one is to comprehend this book fully, he must begin with I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS and follow with its successors until he reaches A SONG FLUNG UP TO HEAVEN in the proper course of things.

If a criticism must be lodged against this book, it is only that its brevity is such that it scarcely warrants being published as a separate volume. It could easily have been appended to the preceding book, ALL GOD'S CHILDREN NEED TRAVELING SHOES. The fact that the end of the book comes so quickly forces the reader to wonder whether Angelou tired of her writing project, ran headlong into an ultimate publishing deadline, or wished to eke out a bit more recompense from her publisher by forcing one additional volume through his presses.

Some of the preceding autobiographical volumes have been described as having perhaps a bit too much virulence against Whites, perhaps a little too much hyperbole concerning the enduring effects of historical slavery. Some of Angelou's statements reveal a "reverse racism," to use one of her own phrases. Of course, the social climate in the United States during much of Angelou's life hardly engendered loving relations between White and Black citizens, yet the non-aggression of a Martin Luther King grew and matured in this environment, making Angelou's strident condemnations of the White population as much a factor of her own personality as of her social environment, and, after many pages, that stridency becomes tiresome. This final volume, however, is free of such hostility and is much more accepting of good people regardless of their color.

In brief, if one has read the first five volumes of Angelou's autobiography, then by all means do finish with this sixth one. On the other hand, picking this one up and reading it first will deprive the reader of an accurate appreciation of Angelou's artistry, in both its strengths and its weaknesses, as a prose writer and may well leave the reader with a complete mis-perception of Angelou's autobiographical books. Angelou's autobiographical series is one of those things that really should be experienced in the order of their creation, and doing so will give the reader a captivating view of this most unusual author and poet.

Maya Angelou & Amazon; a perfect match!.......2005-08-15

I am an avid fan of Ms. Angelou and actively collect her books. Please continue to provide her works, especially her older books.

About the unabridged audio version.......2005-05-11

About the book: She tells her story in wonderfully simple, delightfully entertaining narrative. As a very young woman when I read her first autobiographical installment (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings) I became an ardent fan of her craft. Her story gave me entrance into a sisterhood; some of her poetry still stirs and inspires me.

However, in my listening experience, most authors (even some of my favorites) should NOT read their own works for audio publication. Maya Angelou is no exception. Instead of being transported into her experience, I heard a reading--and not (in my opinion) a particularly memorable one.

Nevertheless, Ms. Angelou remains, without doubt, a voice of the time and a woman of vast accomplishment. Well dang, one person can't be perfect in all things now can they?! LOL!

Still I Rise.......2004-03-16

THIS POEM WAS THE BEST POEM I HAVE EVER READ AND I LOVE TO READ IT OVER AND OVER SO I GIVE THIS POEM 5 STARS

a song flung up to heaven book reaview.......2004-03-05

Nick short A song flung up to heaven book review
3/4/04

There were a lot of things I found in the book a song flung up to heaven. One of those things I found was that it was very insightful. I learned a lot about the history of blacks and whites in the United States. The chapters in the book could be very complex and sometimes very maundering. Maya Angelo is one of those writers that writes one chapter and explains that chapter in the next. Once you read one chapter she builds it so you can understand the second chapter. From my read prospective and reading level I found the book very easy to understand. The reading was very mature and infer stable. Her style is like a poem except in does not rhyme.

The book a song flung up to heaven is an autobiography on a famous and by my option the best poet and writer ever. This book is one of the six books in her series. At the beginning it betrays her life as a black woman on a plan heading for the United States. She is one board a plain full of whites. The time was 1960 and blacks and whites would rage war to each other. Maya is forced to coop with the lost of one of her closed friends Malcolm x at the beginning of t he book. After the death of a close friend Malcolm x Angelou feels there is no reason for her to stay in America, but soon realizes that she needs to be part of the black community and fighting against poverty and saving the rights of blacks and pour people. During the novel she goes many different trials she is forced to understand the truth behind the fact that even blacks can be anti-black. She also talks of a controlling lover from Africa who she says "he tears my heart out of my chest and wars it on his shoulder". This is saying that the lover she had was taking away what she wanted to in life and not allowing her to for fill her wants and needs. She then realizes than she needs to live life for her self and is able to leave him. When Malcolm x died she was very angry and confused do to how they forgot about what contributions he gave to team.

Maya angelus is not afraid to use dialoged that may be offensive because she is confident with what she writes. For example- the use of the word "niggard" because she is black and it might help the reader under stand the substance.

Book Description

A Book and CD Gift Set
Grace, dignity, and eloquence have long been hallmarks of Maya Angelou’s poetry. Her measured verses have stirred our souls, energized our minds, and healed our hearts. Whether offering hope in the darkest of nights or expressing sincere joy at the extraordinariness of the everyday, Maya Angelou has served as our common voice.
Celebrations is a collection of timely and timeless poems that are an integral part of the global fabric. Several works have become nearly as iconic as Angelou herself: the inspiring “On the Pulse of Morning,” read at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration; the heartening “Amazing Peace,” presented at the 2005 lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House; and “Mother,” which beautifully honors the first woman in our lives. Angelou writes of celebrations public and private; included in this volume are a bar mitzvah wish to her nephew and a birthday greeting to Oprah Winfrey.
More than a writer, Angelou is a chronicler of history, an advocate for peace, and a champion for the planet, as well as a patriot, a mentor, and a friend. To be shared and cherished, the wisdom and poetry of Maya Angelou prove there is always cause for celebration.

Customer Reviews:

Just a Really Thoughful Compilation.......2007-02-12

Sometimes you just forget about Maya Angelou and the way her writings make your heart sing. With this Celebrations gift set it lets you remember her and all of the good pieces that are ours as a result of her. If you want to bless someone who is going through this is a wonderful gift.

Average customer rating:

And Still I Rise is next to Kipling's 'IF 'and "Invictus'
"Still I Rise" and Rising
The Best So Far
STILL I RISE
A classic in American Literature.

Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0375505962
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Book Description

In this inspiring poem, Maya Angelou celebrates the courage of the human spirit over the harshest of obstacles. An ode to the power that resides in us all to overcome the most difficult circumstances, this poem is truly an inspiration and affirmation of the faith that restores and nourishes the soul. Entwined with the vivid paintings of Diego Rivera, the renowned Mexican artist, Angelou's words paint a portrait of the amazing human spirit, its quiet dignity, and pools of strength and courage.

An ideal gift for a friend, lover, or family member, this special edition will be treasured by all who receive it.

Customer Reviews:

And Still I Rise is next to Kipling's 'IF 'and "Invictus' .......2004-10-30

...Invictus is by William E. Henley......I do not like much poetry.....but 'Still I Rise', is one of the most moving and powerful pieces of literature of our day. You can feel the rumblings of motivation rising within you as you read it---it summons the power of our ancestors as you read it... YOU FEEL this poem with all your heart--or I fear you have no heart and you remember that feeling for years after you have read it!
It is a magnificent poem that the author not only wrote, but earned through her own life.
This book would make excellent Christmas gifts of inspiration.

"Still I Rise" and Rising.......2002-11-05

This book is filled with wonderful, powerful poetry that really awakened me to the troubles of African Americans in that time of history. Diego Rivera's paintings in the book are staggering and breathtaking. This is a must-see for any ameteur or lover of poetry.

The Best So Far.......2001-10-02

The title says it all. I love this poem. It's Maya's best so far. And I love the combination of the poetry and artwork. I hope she chooses to do this more often. A superb book created by a superb woman! *****

STILL I RISE.......2000-12-07

I am a highly motivated female and i love to read; reading this book motivates me to read other books that Maya Angelou or any other arthur comes out with, but yet and still this book motivated me the most because in different situations that most females come cross it makes me (can't speak for everyone else)think about this sacred poem that Ms. Angelou wrote. Thank you for making me the highly motivated person that I am today, and I would like to receive more of you books.

A classic in American Literature........2000-08-05

One of my favorite collections of poetry. The title poem especially is so moving and so thrilling. Every time I read it I get chills in my spine. It is specific to the African-American heritage of slavery and courage - as a nonAfrican American I call it a classic in American literature.

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Insightful look at this authors challenging youth
I know why the Caged Bird Sings
Unforgettable
A canonical work in American literature
Poor Print

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375507892
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Amazon.com

In this first of five volumes of autobiography, poet Maya Angelou recounts a youth filled with disappointment, frustration, tragedy, and finally hard-won independence. Sent at a young age to live with her grandmother in Arkansas, Angelou learned a great deal from this exceptional woman and the tightly knit black community there. These very lessons carried her throughout the hardships she endured later in life, including a tragic occurrence while visiting her mother in St. Louis and her formative years spent in California--where an unwanted pregnancy changed her life forever. Marvelously told, with Angelou's "gift for language and observation," this "remarkable autobiography by an equally remarkable black woman from Arkansas captures, indelibly, a world of which most Americans are shamefully ignorant."

Book Description

In the first volume of an extraordinary autobiographical series, one of the most inspiring authors of our time recalls--with candor, humor, poignancy and grace--how her journey began....

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful look at this authors challenging youth.......2007-10-20

Maya Angelou narrates the story about her own life growing up. At first it seems more like a novel and it often occurs to you as read this that it is a surprise to be able to have this insight into this author.

The characters are in some ways what you might expect from a child of broken homes. A grandmother who had been married three times, a mother and father who were divorced. The mother's boyfriends have a strong role in what happens to Maya. Her seduction and method of dealing with it and its consequences are compelling and you are left with a feeling of sadness for her helplessness. Maya's method of dealing with this and many of the other things in her young life gives her escape through fantasy. Maya's world is filled with much that allows us to connect with it.

This young girls experiences are challenging yet we are influenced as we read this story by the reality of Maya Angelou's many accomplishments and her influence. This comparison of her youth and who she is validates that idea that good comes from dysfunctional situations and every person has potential and value.

I know why the Caged Bird Sings.......2007-09-07

Wonderful overview of who Mya Angelou actually is and what makes her the person she is. Very poignant, sometimes extremly funny and sometimes brings you to tears. A lovely, proud woman; someone you would be thrilled to call your friend, because if she was your friend, she would be true blue. She is sassy, proud, scared, fearless. I laughed when she laughted and felt some of the pain she must have felt when she realized things were not always as they seem to be.

Unforgettable.......2007-07-30

Maya Angelou brings to life an era that cannot and must not be forgotten. It was not that long ago in America that blacks were seen as another, inferior nation that was taught, explicitly and implicitly, to know its place. Anyone who wishes to understand the underpinnings of the civil rights movement of the 20th century, as well as African Americans' continued struggle for equality today, should read this book.

I found it particularly noteworthy that Angelou and her family in the rural South of the 1930s employed a very strong defense mechanism: They concluded that white people were the ones who were awkward, strange, inferior, possibly not even human. This was the only way for them to survive day to day.

This is a must read for adults and teenagers alike.

A canonical work in American literature.......2007-07-24

Maya Angelou's memoir of growing up in the 1930's and 40's offers a cold, hard assessment of the petty indignities, fear and racism (both subtle and overt) African-Americans endured (and continue to live with.) But what makes this wonderful book shine is the way in which Maya (and her family and those around her) face, challenge and overcome these indignities. Added to this is Angelou's writing, which has a rythm, ebb and flow to it - in reading it is clear that she is a poet.

Added to the weight of racism, Angelou wrestles with sexism (making her doubly powerless: a woman and an African-American) and repeated and continuous displacement as she is shuttled from household to household. The transformation she makes from girl to womanhood is as powerful as it is moving. That she learns how to become the "formidible character" that many women of color are is a testament to her (and their) courage and strength. It is clear to me why this is considered such a seminal work in American literature. Easy to read yet powerful and uplifting, I highly recommend it.

Poor Print.......2007-05-28

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is one of the best books of all time. Unfortunately, Heinemann Publishers did not do this novel justice. The typeset (by CentraCet Limited) is squeezed on a slim page less than five inches. The right margin is less than 3/8 inch and affords only distracting aesthetics. I wanted a hardcopy but only received a binding - I'm sure Maya could not have approved. I was truly disappointed with the printing because I wanted a copy of this novel that I could pass on to my daughters. Disappointed and Let Down!

My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me

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My Painted house, my friend chicken,and me
Anthopology for Children
Shows the pure heart of a child
Outstanding children's story!

My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me
Maya Angelou
Manufacturer: Crown Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375825673
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Book Description

Full color photographs. "Hello, Stranger-Friend" begins Maya Angelou's story about Thandi, a South African Ndebele girl, her mischievous brother, her beloved chicken, and the astonishing mural art produced by the women of her tribe. With never-before-seen photographs of the very private Ndebele women and their paintings, this unique book shows the passing of traditions from parent to child and introduces young readers to a new culture through a new friend.

Customer Reviews:

My Painted house, my friend chicken,and me.......2006-07-04

Reading this book my daugther(6yrs.) and I enjoyed a special moment learning about how beautiful are the simple things. And gave us the oportunity to learn how easy is to celebrate life and love.
The most important lesson of all is to be proud of what we love and care.

Anthopology for Children.......2002-11-04

I am a senior in college, and an elementary education major with a minor in anthropology- when I found this book, I was estatic. Its beautiful photography is greatly complimented with Maya Angelou's flowing words. Humor, color, and the similarities with the Ndebele girl (Thandi, which means hope) are sure to attract children. They will learn that even though Thandi is across the world, all children share many similaries- a lesson that should be remembered, especially in modern times. I will definately use this in my classroom someday. Never have I seen such a great childrens book that is infused with anthropology and the study of a culture!

Shows the pure heart of a child.......2000-03-22

I bought this book today and read it with my 10 year old niece. It has exceptionally beautiful photographs of the Ndebele people. It is a story that reminds us that the simple things in life are the most precious. Thandi tells the story of her people and family and her best friend, a chicken. She is a proud and pure hearted child that shares the culture of the Ndebele people with us. This is a lovely story that is a fun, educational, easy to read one that made me feel young at heart again. I'll be needing an additional copy to share with my grandaughter.

Outstanding children's story!.......1997-12-14

As a reading tutor, I have enjoyed sharing this book with my 4th grade students. It examins the differences of people, our different cultures, and is a colorful and enchanting story. My kids, both boys and girls are facinated by this book, and we always continue a dialogue with it. The recognize the author, as one their parents respect, and enjoy talking about it and laughing about the silly chicken.We have talked about trying to paint houses with a chicken feather, and may jsut try to do this during black history month! I adore this book!

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