April 4: Maya Angelou

Today is Maya Angelou's birthday.

She is a woman whose use of the English language is utterly spellbinding. Whether it is her novels or her poetry, her words strike at something deep within my soul. There is an emotional reaction not just to what she says, but how she says it.

Now, it could be that it is her ability to speak six different languages (English, Arabic, West African Fanti, Italian, French, and Spanish) that gives her such a command over words. But I rather think it is because she is someone who is in tune with the world around her and passionate about influencing the world around her.

Maya Angelou is a writer, a poet, teacher, historian, actress, playwright, civil rights activist, producer and director. She is, to borrow a phrase from one of her poems, a phenomenal woman.

posted by Book Help Web Editorial Team at 11:58 AM |