*ack* -- not even "I know why the caged bird sings?"
Wiki says "Poet (yes, and first since a Robert Frost reading at a Presidential inauguration), civil rights activist (yes, with both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.), dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress, professor..."
Here, I think she is literally as famous and as studied as Shakespeare, Dickens, and every poet studied in literature classes—with the bonus that she was still here, still very active and incredibly generous with her time and talents. Even non-readers probably know her name (well, maybe not some of the current crop of teens and preteens who notice nothing outside of their own social circles and appearance...)
One reason I mentioned "Why the Caged Bird Sings" is that it has oddly been one of the most banned books and one of the most used in educational settings from high schools to universities. During Banned Books Week, it's almost always front and center of all the activities.
Here's the best possible introduction to Maya Angelou, a recording of her reading her poem Phenomenal Woman: http://youtu.be/VeFfhH83_RE. Her autobiography Why the Caged Bird Sings, ripped my heart out.
We mostly just studied Hungarian poets, but those till exhaustion. I had to carry an 3 volume "All the poems of Ady Endre" around for 2 months in school. I bet you never heard of the guy. Or Petőfi. Or József Attila. Though they lived some time ago. But Petőfi died at 29 fighting in one of our Wars for Freedom. Anyway, we never even studied one American, as you haven't studied one Hungarian. Which is fine, I guess. I don't like poetry anyway.
RIP
Wiki says "Poet (yes, and first since a Robert Frost reading at a Presidential inauguration), civil rights activist (yes, with both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.), dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress, professor..."
One reason I mentioned "Why the Caged Bird Sings" is that it has oddly been one of the most banned books and one of the most used in educational settings from high schools to universities. During Banned Books Week, it's almost always front and center of all the activities.