Works by
Maya Angelou
(Writer)
[1928 - ]

Autobiographies

• Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes (2004)
  Throughout Maya Angelou’s life, from her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to her world travels as a bestselling writer, good food has played a central role. Preparing and enjoying homemade meals provides a sense of purpose and calm, accomplishment and connection. Now in Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, Angelou shares memories pithy and poignant–and the recipes that helped to make them both indelible and irreplaceable.
  
  Angelou tells us about the time she was expelled from school for being afraid to speak–and her mother baked a delicious maple cake to brighten her spirits. She gives us her recipe for short ribs along with a story about a job she had as a cook at a Creole restaurant (never mind that she didn’t know how to cook and had no idea what Creole food might entail). There was the time in London when she attended a wretched dinner party full of wretched people; but all wasn’t lost–she did experience her initial taste of a savory onion tart. She recounts her very first night in her new home in Sonoma, California, when she invited M. F. K. Fisher over for cassoulet, and the evening Deca Mitford roasted a chicken when she was beyond tipsy–and created Chicken Drunkard Style. And then there was the hearty brunch Angelou made for a homesick Southerner, a meal that earned her both a job offer and a prophetic compliment: “If you can write half as good as you can cook, you are going to be famous.”
  
  Maya Angelou is renowned in her wide and generous circle of friends as a marvelous chef. Her kitchen is a social center. From fried meat pies, chicken livers, and beef Wellington to caramel cake, bread pudding, and chocolate éclairs, the one hundred-plus recipes included here are all tried and true, and come from Angelou’s heart and her home. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table is a stunning collaboration between the two things Angelou loves best: writing and cooking.

• A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002)
  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.

• All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986)

• The Heart of a Woman (1981) -- 1997 Oprah Book Club selection
  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.

• Singin' and Swingin' and Getting Merry like Christmas (1976)
  In this third self-contained volume of her autobiography, which began with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou moves into the adult world, and the white world as well, as she marries, enters show business, and tours Europe and Africa in Porgy and Bess.
  
  As the book opens, Maya, in order to support herself and her young son, gets a job in a record shop run by a white woman. Suspicious of almost any kindness shown her, she is particularly confused by the special attentions of a young white customer. Soon the relationship grows into love and then marriage, and Maya believes a permanent relationship is finally possible. But it is not to be, and she is again forced to look for work.
  
  This time she finds a job as a dancer in a sleazy San Francisco bar. Her remarkable talent, however, soon brings her attention of a different kind, and before long she is singing in one of the most popular nightclubs on the coast. From there, she is called to New York to join the cast of Porgy and Bess, which is just about to begin another tour abroad.
  
  The troupe's joyous and dramatic adventure through Italy, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Egypt becomes the centerpiece of Singin' and Swingin'. This remarkable portrayal of one of the most exciting and talented casts ever put together, and of the encounters between these larger-than-life personalities and audiences who had rarely seen black people before, makes a hilarious and poignant story. The excitement of the journey -- full of camaraderie, love affairs, and memorable personalities -- is dampened only by Maya's nagging guilt that she has once again abandoned the person she loves most in life, her son.
  
  Back home, and driven close to suicide by her guilt and concern, she takes her son with her to Hawaii, where she discovers that devotion and love, in spite of forced absence, have the power to heal and sustain.
  
  As always, Maya Angelou's writing is charged with that remarkable sense of life and love and unique celebration of the human condition that have won her such a loyal following.

• Gather Together in My Name (1974)
  In this incredible second book in a series of autobiographies, the poet, still in her teens, gives birth to a son, tries to keep a job, falls in love, dances, falls out of love, chases after her kidnapped baby, and goes to work in a house of prostitution thinking she is helping the man she loves.

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970)
  This memoir traces Maya Angelou's childhood in a small, rural community during the 1930s.  Filled with images and recollections that point to the dignity and courage of black men and women,
  Angelou paints a sometimes disquieting, but always affecting picture of the people -- and the times -- that touched her life.

  • See also Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: A Casebook (1998) by Joanne M. Braxton

  • See also Understanding I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (1998) by Joanne Megna-Wallace

• Kofi and His Magic (1996)
  With full-color photographs. Now in paperback, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me is the enchanting story of an eight-year-old girl named Thandi, her village, her mischievous brother, her best friend--a chicken--and the remarkable mural art that is produced by the Ndebele women. With over seventy photographs of the reclusive Ndebele women and their breathtaking paintings, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me documents the passing of traditions from parent to child while introducing young readers to a new culture through a new friend.  Ages 4-8.

• My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me (1994) with Margaret Courtney-Clarke, Illustrator
  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. Ages 4-8.

• Life Doesn't Frighten Me (1993) by Maya Angelou and Jean-Michel Basquiat
  Presents Maya Angelou's poem illustrated by paintings and drawings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Features biographies of both the author and artist. Ages 9-12.

• Even the Stars Look Lonesome (1997)
  This wise book is the wonderful continuation of the bestselling Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now.
      
  Even the Stars Look Lonesome is Maya Angelou talking of the things she cares about most. In her unique, spellbinding way, she re-creates intimate personal experiences and gives us her wisdom on a wide variety of subjects. She tells us how a house can both hurt its occupants and heal them. She talks about Africa. She gives us a profile of Oprah. She enlightens us about age and sexuality. She confesses to the problems fame brings and shares with us the indelible lessons she has learned about rage and violence. And she sings the praises of sensuality.

• Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993)
  Maya Angelou, one of the best-loved authors of our time, shares the wisdom of a remarkable life in this best-selling spiritual classic. This is Maya Angelou talking from the heart, down to earth and real, but also inspiring. This is a book to treasured, a book about being in all ways a woman, about living well, about the power of the word, and about the power do spirituality to move and shape your life. Passionate, lively, and lyrical, Maya Angelou's latest unforgettable work offers a gem of truth on every page.

• Down In The Delta (1998)
  Maya Angelou, director with Al Freeman Jr. and Alfre Woodard  DVD  VHS

• How To Make An American Quilt (1995)
  Jocelyn Moorhouse, director with Anne Bancroft and Winona Ryder  DVD  VHS

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979)
  Fielder Cook, director with Diahann Carroll and Paul Benjamin VHS

• Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer (2006)
  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.

• Mother: A Cradle to Hold Me (2006)

• Maya Angelou: Poems (1996)

• Phenomenal Woman (1995)
  Four poems celebrating women.

• A Brave and Startling Truth (1995)
  First read by Maya Angelou at the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, this wise and moving poem will inspire readers with its memorable message of hope for humanity.

• The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (1994)
  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.

• On the Pulse of Morning (1993)

• I Shall Not Be Moved (1990)
  In her first book of poetry since Why  Don't You Sing? Maya Angelou,  bestselling author of the classic autobiography I  Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, writes  with lyric, passionate intensity that reaches out to  touch the heart and mind. This memorable  collection of poems exhibits Maya Angelou's unique gift  for capturing the triumph and pain of being black  and every man and woman's struggle to be free.  Filled with bittersweet intimacies and ferocious  courage, these poems are gems--many-faceted, bright  with wisdom, radiant with life.

• Now Sheba Sings the Song (1987)
  Angelou pays a meditative homage to black women in her lyrical poem, beautifully illustrated by the Caldecott Honor artist.

• Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?(1983)

• And Still I Rise (1978)
  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.

• Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (1975)
  This collection of thirty-six poems is, once again, eloquent evidence of Maya Angelou's continuing celebration of life: Here are poems of love and memory; poems of racial confrontation; songs of the street and songs from the heart.

• Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie (1971)
  A remarkable collection of poetry from one of America's masters of the medium. The first part gathers together poems of love and nostalgic memory, while Part II portrays confrontations inherent in a racist society.

• Maya Angelou (2005) by Corinne J. Naden and Rose Blue
  It does not seem possible that one person can do so many things. She is a poet and author. She is a playwright. She is an actress, producer, and director. She is a singer and dancer, a teacher and speaker. She is a civil rights activist. She is a mother and grandmother. But most of all, she is a survivor. She has survived abuse and racism. She has survived poverty and sadness. She is Maya Angelou, one of the great voices of American literature.

• Maya Angelou (2003) by Patricia Kirkpatrick with John Thompson, Illustrator
  Bestselling author and poetess Maya Angelou’s profoundly moving personal story is revealed in these, the first four volumes of her continuing memoir.

• Meet Maya Angelou (2003) by Valerie Spain
  Maya Angelou spent her childhood moving between two homes. She was often lonely, and when she was abused by her mother’s boyfriend, sensitive Maya felt guilty and more alone than ever. But with time and a new friend, Maya began to share her thoughts and feelings with other people. Poet, playwright, actress, singer, and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou is a role model for women, African Americans, and all Americans. A sensitive yet accessible approach to difficult subjects as well as an introduction to a great figure in our recent history, this book is sure to motivate discussion.  Ages 9-12.

• Maya Angelou (2002) by Harold Bloom
  Maya Angelou has been called a national institution and the people's poet. It has been suggested that she has manifested an indomitable spirit and benign will in her most famous book, I Know Why the Caged Sings. Along with this autobiographical work, Angelou's The Heart of a Woman is critiqued in this text, which includes Rachel Thomas' essay on the prose and poetry of the author. An extensive biography of Angelou follows Professor Harold Bloom's introduction.

• Memoirs of the Spirit: American Religious Autobiography from Jonathan Edwards to Maya Angelou (2001) by Edwin S. Gaustad

• Maya Angelou: Author and Documentary Filmmaker (2000) by Lucia Raatma

• way of life.

• Sisters of the Extreme: Women Writing on the Drug Experience, Including Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, Anais Nin, Maya Angelou, Billie Holiday, Nina Hagen, Carrie Fisher, and Others (2000), Cynthia Palmer and Michael Horowitz, eds.
  An anthology of writings by some of the most influential women in history on the often misunderstood and misrepresented female drug experience.
  
  With great honesty, bravery, and frankness, women from diverse backgrounds write about their drug experiences.
  
  Women have been experimenting with drugs since prehistoric times, and yet published accounts of their views on the drug experience have been relegated to either antiseptic sociological studies or sensationalized stories splashed across the tabloids. The media has given us an enduring, but inaccurate, stereotype of a female drug user: passive, addicted, exploited, degraded, promiscuous. But the selections in this anthology--penned by such famous names as Billie Holiday, Anais Nin, Maya Angelou, and Carrie Fisher -- show us that the real experiences of women are anything but stereotypical. 
  
  Sisters of the Extreme provides us with writings by women from diverse occupations and backgrounds, from prostitute to physician, who through their use of drugs dared cross the boundaries set by society--often doing so with the hope of expanding themselves and their vision of the world. Whether with LSD, peyote, cocaine, heroin, MDMA, or marijuana, these women have sought to reach, through their experimentation, other levels of consciousness. Sometimes their quests have brought unexpected rewards, other times great suffering and misfortune. But wherever their trips have left them, these women have lived courageously--if sometimes dangerously--and written about their journeys eloquently.

• Maya Angelou (1999) by L. Patricia Kite;
  Ages 9-12.
  A biography of the multi-faceted African-American woman, Maya Angelou, tracing her life from her childhood in the segregated South to her prominence as a well-known writer.

• Maya Angelou (1999) by Judith E. Harper
  Examines the life and accomplishments of the African-American writer, performer, and teacher, as well as her impact on literature and black culture.  Ages 9-12.

• Southern Selves: From Mark Twain and Eudora Welty to Maya Angelou and Kaye Gibbons -- A Collection of Autobiographical Writing (1998) by James Watkins
  In this marvelous anthology thirty-one of the South's finest writers -- from Mark Twain and Maya Angelou to Kaye Gibbons and Reynolds Price, to Eudora Welty and Richard Wright -- make their intensely personal contributions to a vibrant collective picture of southern life.
  
  In the hands of these superb artists, the South's rich tradition of storytelling is brilliantly revealed. Whether slave or master, intellectual or "redneck," each voice in this moving and unforgettable collection is proof that southern literature richly deserves its reputation for irreverent humor, exquisite language, a feeling for place, and an undying, often heartbreaking sense of the past.

• Maya Angelou: Journey of the Heart (1996) by Jayne Pettit
  Traces the journey of this Afro-American woman from childhood through her life as an entertainer, civil rights activist, writer, poet, and university professor.  Ages 9-12. 

• Great African Americans in Literature (1995) by Pat Rediger (Author)
  Alex Haley, Alice Walker, Ernest J. Gaines, John H. Johnson, Maya Angelou, Mildred Taylor, Naomi Sims, Oprah Winfrey, Ralph Abernathy, Thurgood Marshall, and more.  Ages 9-12.

• Order Out of Chaos: The Autobiographical Works of Maya Angelou (1990) by Dolly A. McPherson
  With fascinating insights into Maya Angelou's life and creativity, and a shrewd examination of her techniques and recurring themes, Dolly McPherson provides us with a fresh and unusual picture of the celebrated author and her methods. She remarks, too, on Angelou's exceptional ear, her recording of the precise, vivid word and phrase, and on the warmth and humor in her autobiographical writing. The book closes with an interview between these two great friends -- a marvelous epilogue to this portrait of an immensely gifted, greatly admired woman.