A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.

Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her current best-seller A Song Flung Up to Heaven.

In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.

Maya Angelou

BORN: Marguerite Johnson, April 4, 1928, St. Louis, Missouri
EDUCATION: Attended public school in Stamps, Arkansas and San Francisco, California
 

PUBLICATIONS:

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

RANDOM HOUSE & BANTAM BOOKS

• I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS, 1970 - On February 26, 1995, Bantam Books congratulated Maya Angelou for being the first African-American to be the longest-running (2 years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Best-seller list.
• GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME, 1974.
• SINGIN' AND SWINGIN' AND GETTIN' MERRY LIKE CHRISTMAS, 1976.
• THE HEART OF A WOMAN, 1981 - In September 1997, USA Today's "Best-Selling Book", Jumped from #83 to #11 on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Best-seller list.
• ALL GOD'S CHILDREN NEED TRAVELING SHOES, 1986.
• A SONG FLUNG UP TO HEAVEN,2002- Was on The New York Times Best-Seller List for Hardcover Nonfiction.
• HALLELUJAH! THE WELCOME TABLE: A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES WITH RECIPES, 2004

PERSONAL ESSAYS

RANDOM HOUSE & BANTAM BOOKS

• WOULDN'T TAKE NOTHING FOR MY JOURNEY NOW, 1993.
• EVEN THE STARS LOOK LONESOME, 1997 - Jumped from #79 to #22 on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Best-seller list.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS:

• STEWART, TABORI & CHANG
• LIFE DOESN'T FRIGHTEN ME, 1993.
• CLARKSON POTTER
• MY PAINTED HOUSE, MY FRIENDLY CHICKEN AND ME, 1994.
• KOFI AND HIS MAGIC, 1996.

POETRY:

RANDOM HOUSE & BANTAM BOOKS

• JUST GIVE ME A COOL DRINK OF WATER 'FORE I DIIIE, 1971 - Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
• OH PRAY MY WINGS ARE GONNA FIT ME WELL, 1975.
• AND STILL I RISE, 1978.
• SHAKER, WHY DON'T YOU SING, 1983.
• NOW SHEBA SINGS THE SONG, 1987.
• I SHALL NOT BE MOVED, 1990.
• ON THE PULSE OF MORNING, Written at the request of William Jefferson Clinton for his Inauguration as the 42nd President of the United States, January 20, 1993. Published by Random House in March, 1993.
• THE COMPLETE COLLECTED POEMS OF MAYA ANGELOU, 1994.
• PHENOMENAL WOMAN: FOUR POEMS FOR WOMEN, 1995.
• A BRAVE AND STARTLING TRUTH, Recited at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, June 26, 1995; Published by Random House in October, 1995.
• FROM A BLACK WOMAN TO A BLACK MAN, delivered at the Million Man March in Washington, DC, October 16, 1995.
• EXTRAVAGANT SPIRITS, written in May 1997 for Life Magazine's Collector's Edition

PLAYS:

• CABARET FOR FREEDOM, 1960 - Produced off-Broadway (in collaboration with Godfrey Cambridge).
• THE LEAST OF THESE, 1966 - Produced in Los Angeles.
• GETTIN' UP STAYED ON MY MIND, 1967.
• AJAX, 1974 - Produced in Los Angeles (Mark Taper Forum).
• AND STILL I RISE, 1976 - Produced in Oakland, California (Oakland Ensemble Theater).
• MOON ON A RAINBOW SHAWL, 1988 - Produced in London (Author Errol John).

SCREENPLAYS

• GEORGIA, GEORGIA, 1972 - Produced by Cinerama, Sweden
• ALL DAY LONG, 1974 - Produced by American Film Institute, Los Angeles.

ACTING:

TELEVISION APPEARANCES

• Writer for Oprah Winfrey series "Brewster Place."
• PBS Documentaries: "Who Cares About Kids" & "Kindred Spirits"
• KERA-TV, Dallas, TX; "Maya Angelou: Rainbow in the Clouds"
• WTVS-TV, Detroit, MI "To the Contrary"
• Maryland Public Television. Two plays for national viewing;
• Tapestry and Circles; Directed in Hollywood, 1975.
• Author of six national one half-hour programs; interviews and profiles; "Assignment America" premiered January 1975.
• Ten one-hour programs (NET-TV) "Black, Blues, Black"
• National Education Television; written, produced and directed, 1968.
• Ghanaian Broadcasting Corporation, Contributor, 1963-64.
• "Afro-American in the Arts," PBS Documentary
• "Humanities Through the Arts," 30 half-hour segments.
• "Three Way Choice," CBS Miniseries;
• Author/Executive Producer. Sister, Sisters, NBC; 1982.
• "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," CBS; co-authored; 1979.
• Two programs for the United States Information Agency; written and hosted; Part One: "The Legacy"; Part Two: "The Inheritors," 1976.
• Touched By An Angel "Tree of Life" episode, November, 1995.
• "The Amen Corner" Chris/Rose Productions with Miramax (work-in-progress), 1999.
• "Down in the Delta" weekly television series (work-in-progress), 1999.
• Moesha, WB TV, August 30, 1999
• Runaway, CBS/Hallmark Movie, December 10, 2000.

FILMS & PLAYS

• PORGY AND BESS (George Gershwin) played Ruby in European tour, 1954-55. CALYPSO, Off-Broadway, 1957.
• THE BLACKS (Jean Genet), played White Queen Off-Broadway, 1960. THE BLACKS won the Obie Award in 1961 for the best Broadway play, both American and foreign).
• MOTHER COURAGE (Bertold Brecht), played title role Off-Broadway, 1964.
• MEDEA (Jean Anouilh), played Nurse in Hollywood.
• LOOK AWAY (Jerome Kilty), played Mrs. Keckley, Broadway, 1973.
• ROOTS (Alex Haley), played Nyo Boto (Grandmother), Hollywood, 1977. (Received Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress).
• HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, 1995, Universal Pictures.
• DOWN IN THE DELTA, 1998, Miramax Films, Directorial Film Debut. Released on Video June 1999.

RECORDINGS:

SCORES

• FOR THE LOVE OF IVY, Sidney Portier film
• MISS CALYPSO, 1957, Liberty Records
• GEORGIA, GEORGIA, 1972
• ALL DAY LONG, 1974
• MISS CALYPSO, 1996

SPOKEN WORD ALBUMS

• THE POETRY OF MAYA ANGELOU, 1969 - GWP Records.
• WOMEN IN BUSINESS, 1981 - University of Wisconsin.
• BEEN FOUND, Music & Spoken Word Album with Ashford & Simpson, 1996.

CONTRIBUTOR OF ARTICLES:

SHORT STORIES & POEMS TO THESE PERIODICALS

• Black Scholar
•  Redbook Magazine
• Harper's Bazaar
• Essence
• Ebony Magazine
• Cosmopolitan
• California Living Magazine
• Mademoiselle Magazine
• Life Magazine
• Ghanaian Times
• Chicago Daily News
• Sunday New York Times

ADDITIONAL WORKS

• HE TRUE BELIEVERS, a book of poems in collaboration with Abbey Lincoln.
• ALL DAY LONG, a collection of short stories

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Taught modern dance at THE ROME OPERA HOUSE and THE HABIMA THEATRE in Tel Aviv.
• Was the Northern Coordinator for THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - appointed by the request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1959-60.
• Associated Editor of the ARAB OBSERVER, Cairo, Egypt (English language news weekly) 1961-62.
• Assistant Administrator and teacher, School of Music & Drama, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, 1963-66.
• Feature Editor of AFRICAN REVIEW, Accra, Ghana, 1964-66.
• Contributor of free-lance articles, GHANAIAN TIMES, 1964-66.
• Contributor to RADIO GHANA, 1964-66.
• Writer-in-Residence, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS IN LAWRENCE, 1970.
• Distinguished Visiting Professor - Wake Forest University, 1974.
• Distinguished Visiting Professor - Wichita State University, 1974.
• Distinguished Visiting Professor - California State University of Sacramento, 1974.
• Appointed member of AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COUNCIL by President Gerald Ford, 1975-6.
• Served on Jimmy Carter's PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S YEAR, 1978-79.
• Appointed the First REYNOLD'S PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN STUDIES AT WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY, Winston-Salem, N.C., a lifetime appointment since 1981.
• Selected by American Council of the Arts to deliver the NANCY HANKS LECTURE in Washington, D.C. on March 20, 1990.
• Panelist at INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF HUMAN SYSTEMS in Zermatt, Switzerland, June 1990.
• National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, "Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album For PHENOMENAL WOMAN, 1995.
• United States of America, Congressional Record, 104th Congress, House of Representatives, Tribute to Maya Angelou by the Honorable Kweisi Mfume, Maryland Congressman, 1996.
• Wrote Invocation & Benediction for "JESSYE NORMAN SINGS FOR THE HEALING OF AIDS" 1996.
• Microsoft Encarta Africana Encyclopedia, presenter for THE AFRICAN DIASPORA, 1998.
• Board of Governors, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, "Maya Angelou Institute for the Improvement of Child & Family Education" at Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, 1998.
• Awarded lifetime membership to the National Women's Hall of Fame, 2002

LANGUAGES FLUENT IN:

• ENGLISH
• FRENCH
• SPANISH
• ITALIAN
• ARABIC
• WEST AFRICAN FANTI

AFFILIATIONS

• Member, The Director's Guild of America. · Member, Equity.
• Member, AFTRA (American Federation Television Radio Artists).
• Advisory Board, Woman's Prison Association.
• Harlem Writer's Guild.
• Member, The National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year.
• Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.
• National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, London, England, named a center for Maya Angelou. NSPCC
• Maya Angelou C.P.T. and Family Centre opened by Maya Angelou June 20, 1992.
• Ambassador, Unicef International, 1996.
• Member, Doctors without Borders, New York, 1996.
• Member, W.E.B. duBois Foundation, Inc., Amherst, MA.
• Member, Advisory Board, Bennett College, Greensboro, NC.
• Member, Advisory Board, First Commercial Bank, Little Rock, AR.
• Member, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Washington, DC.
• The National Society of High School Scholars Board of Advisors, founded by Mr. Claes Nobel, a senior member of the Nobel Prize family.
• Advisory Board Member for The National Society of High School Scholars of Atlanta, GA

HONORS & AWARDS

• Chubb Fellowship Award - Yale University 1970
• Nominated for the National Book Award for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1970
• Pulitzer Prize Nomination for Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie 1972
• Honorary Degree - Portland State University 1973
• Tony Award Nomination for her performance in "Look Away" 1973
• Board of Trustees/American Film Institute 1975
• Rockfeller Foundation Scholar in Italy (Scholar-in-residence at the Bellagio Study & Conference Center 1975
• Honorary Degree - Smith College 1975
• Honorary Degree - Mills College 1975
• Honorary Degree - Lawrence University (Wisconsin) 1976
• Ladies' Home Journal Award ("Woman of the Year in Communication") 1976
• Nominated for an Emmy Award in made-for-television movie "Roots" 1977
• Golden Eagle Award - Documentary for PBS, "Afro-American in the Arts" 1977
• Honorary Degree - Columbia College 1979
• Honorary Degree - Occidental College 1979
• Honorary Degree - Atlanta University 1980
• Honorary Degree - University of Arkansas at Pinebluff 1980
• Honorary Degree - University of Minnesota 1980
• Honorary Degree - Austin College 1980
• Honorary Degree - Berea 1980
• Honorary Degree - Wheaton College 1981
• First Reynold's Professor - Wake Forest University (lifetime appointment) Since 1981
• Honorary Degree - Kean College of New Jersey 1982
• Honorary Degree - Claremont Graduate School 1982
• Honorary Degree - Spelman College 1983
• Honorary Degree - Tennessee 1983
• Honorary Degree - Boston College 1983
• Ladies' Home Journal "Top 100 Most Influential Women" 1983
• The Matrix Award - Field of Books from Women in Communication, Inc. 1983
• Honorary Degree - Winston-Salem State University 1984
• Honorary Degree - University Brunesis 1984
• Honorary Degree - Howard University 1985
• Honorary Degree - Tufts University 1985
• Honorary Degree - Virginia Commonwealth University 1985
• Honorary Degree - University of Vermont 1985
• Honorary Degree - North Carolina School of the Arts 1986
• The North Carolina Award in Literature (the highest honor the state bestows) 1987
• Honorary Degree - Mt. Holyoke College 1987
• Honorary Degree - Bowdoin University 1987
• Honorary Degree - Simmons College 1987
• Honorary Degree - North Carolina School of the Arts 1988
• Honorary Degree - University of Southern California 1989
• American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award 1990
• Recipient of the Langston Hughes Award presented at the City College of New York 1991
• Distinguished Woman of North Carolina 1992
• Essence Woman of the Year 1992
• Horatio Alger Award 1992
• Woman in Film Award 1992
• Honorary Degree - Northeastern University 1992
• Inaugural Poet for President Bill Clinton 1993
• Arkansas Black Hall of Fame 1993
• Honorary Degree - Skidmore College 1993
• Honorary Degree - University of South Carolina 1993
• Honorary Degree - University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1993
• Honorary Degree - Academy of Southern Arts & Letters 1993
• Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album 1994
• Spingarn Award NAACP 1994
• Honorary Degree - American Film Institute 1994
• Honorary Degree - Bowie State University 1994
• Honorary Degree-Brandise University 1994
• Honorary Degree - Brown University 1994
• Frank G. Wells Award 1995
• Honorary Degree - University of Durham (England) 1995
• Lifetime Membership, N.A.A.C.P., Honeywell Corporation, Minneapolis, MN 1996
• President's Award, Collegiate of Language Association for Outstanding Achievements, Winston-Salem, NC 1996
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Los Angeles & Martin Luther King King, Jr. Legacy Association National Award 1996
• The New York Black 100, Schomburg Center & The Black New Yorkers 1996
• Honorary Degree - Quinnipiac 1996
• Honorary Degree - Rollins College 1996
• National Conference of Christians & Jews, Distinguished Merit Citation 1997
• Homecoming Award, Oklahoma Center for Poets & Writers 1997
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Expert-in-Residence Program 1997
• North Carolina Woman of the Year Award, N.C. Black Publishers Association 1997
• Presidential & Lecture Series Award, University of North Florida 1997
• Black Caucus of American Library Association, Cultural Keepers Award 1997
• Humanitarian Contribution Award, Boston, MA 1997
• Honorary Degree - Shaw University 1997
• Honorary Degree - Wake Forest University 1997
• Alston/Jones International Civil & Human Rights Award 1998
• Christopher Award, New York, NY 1998
• American Airlines Audience, Gold Plaque Choice Award, Down in the Delta from Chicago International Film Festival 1998
• City Proclamation, Winston-Salem, NC from Mayor Jack Cavanaugh 1998
• Sheila Award, Tubman African American Museum, Macon, GA 1999
• Special Olympics World Games, Speaker, Raleigh, NC 1999
• Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature 1999
• Named one of the top 100 best writers of the 20th century by Writer's Digest 1999
• Honorary Degree - Lafayette College 1999
• Honorary Degree - South Dakota State University 1999
• Presidential Medal of Arts 2000
• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Committee 2001
• Honorary Degree - Hope College 2001
• Honorary Degree - Columbia University 2003
• Honorary Degree - Eastern Connecticut University 2003