Summary
Maya Angelou is one of the most beloved poets and memoirists alive today. Her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is among the most popular works of nonfiction in the high school curriculum, and her poems are almost equally famous and influential. Throughout her fascinating life, Angelou has worked as a writer, teacher, streetcar conductor, film and television producer, nightclub singer and dancer, and more.
Critical Companion to Maya Angelou is a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for students interested in this prolific poet.
Coverage includes:
- A concise but thorough biography of Angelou
- Entries on all of Angelou's major works, including all six of her book-length autobiographies, her major poems and poetry collections, her major essays and essay collections, her children's books, and more. Entries on the autobiographical works contain subentries on the main figures in the work
- Entries on related people, places, and topics, such as Harlem, Michelle Obama, racism, San Francisco, and more
- Appendixes, including chronologies, a bibliography of Angelou's works, and a secondary source bibliography.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs. Index. Appendixes. Bibliographies. Cross-references. Chronology.
About the Author(s)
Jacqueline S. Thursby is a professor of English and folklore at Brigham Young University. She is the author of many scholarly articles and several books, including Mother's Table, Father's Chair: Cultural Narratives of Basque American Women; Funeral Festivals in America: Rituals for the Living; Foodways and Folklore: A Handbook; and Story: A Handbook.