Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelouwas an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells of her...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth4 April 1928
CitySt. Louis, MO
CountryUnited States of America
Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!
How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.
There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it.
If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
Talent is like electricity. We don't understand electricity. We use it.
I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.
Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.
The charitable say in effect, 'I seem to have more than I need and you seem to have less than you need. I would like to share my excess with you.' Fine, if my excess is tangible, money or goods, and fine if not, for I learned that to be charitable with gestures and words can bring enormous joy and repair injured feelings.
The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.
Without willing it, I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware. And the worst part of my awareness was that I didn't know what I was aware of. I knew I knew very little, but I was certain that the things I had yet to learn wouldn't be taught to me at George Washington High School.
My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy.