Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and essayist whose career spanned more than 50 years. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, she published seven autobiographies, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), which brought her international recognition. Her poetry volume Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She toured Europe with a production of Porgy and Bess (1959), acted in the television mini-series Roots, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Look Away. She wrote the screenplay and soundtrack for Georgia, Georgia (1972) and directed Down in the Delta. She won three Grammys for her spoken-word albums and later taught at Wake Forest University.