Linda Wagner-Martin: The Life of the Author: Maya Angelou

This new series aims to transform literary biography from its status as a resource for facts and details to that of a dynamic, innovative aspect of teaching, criticism, and research. Outside universities lives of writers are by far the most popular genre of books about literature, but within them they are neglected as a focus for interpretation and as frameworks for advanced research. The Life of the Author will reverse this imbalance by exploring new questions on how and why our conception of the author frames our evaluation and understanding of their work.

New books in this series

The Life of the Author: John Milton

The Life of the Author: Maya Angelou

The Life of the Author: Shakespeare

Maya Angelou

Linda Wagner-Martin

Series editorRichard Bradford

This edition first published 2021

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wagner-Martin, Linda, author.

Title: Maya Angelou / Linda Carolyn Wagner-Martin.

Description: Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2021. | Series: The life of the author | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020051699 (print) | LCCN 2020051700 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119629108 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119629139 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119629122 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Angelou, Maya. | Authors, American—20th century—Biography. | African American authors—Biography. | Civil rights workers—Biography.

Classification: LCC PS3551.N464 Z957 2021 (print) | LCC PS3551.N464 (ebook) | DDC 818/.5409 [B]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020051699

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020051700

Cover image: © Aaron Rapoport/Contributor/Corbis Historical/Getty Images

Cover design Wiley

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1 Cover

2 THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR This new series aims to transform literary biography from its status as a resource for facts and details to that of a dynamic, innovative aspect of teaching, criticism, and research. Outside universities lives of writers are by far the most popular genre of books about literature, but within them they are neglected as a focus for interpretation and as frameworks for advanced research. The Life of the Author will reverse this imbalance by exploring new questions on how and why our conception of the author frames our evaluation and understanding of their work. New books in this series The Life of the Author: John Milton The Life of the Author: Maya Angelou The Life of the Author: Shakespeare

3 Title Page The Life of the Author Maya Angelou Linda Wagner-Martin Series editorRichard Bradford

4 Copyright

5 Acknowledgments

6 List of Illustrations

7 Chapter 1: “There is Always an Engine, Maya”

8 Chapter 2: St. Louis and Fear

9 Chapter 3: Recovery in Arkansas

10 Chapter 4: More Changes

11 Chapter 5: Mothering

12 Chapter 6: Performing

13 Chapter 7: Writing

14 Chapter 8: In Africa

15 Chapter 9: Real-life Politics

16 Chapter 10: Angelou as Autobiographer

17 Chapter 11: “‘Testing the Ledge’: Screenplays and Directing”

18 Chapter 12: Mrs. Paul du Feu

19 Chapter 13: Returning to the South

20 Chapter 14: “On the Pulse of Morning”

21 Chapter 15: The Prestige Years

22 Chapter 16: The Last Years

23 Afterword

24 Notes for Maya Angelou, a Life

25 Bibliography

26 Index (Angelou)

27 End User License Agreement

1 Cover

2 Series Page

3 Title Page The Life of the Author Maya Angelou Linda Wagner-Martin Series editorRichard Bradford