Brief Book Reviews of Two Works by Maya Angelou: Journey and Stars

 

These two works by Maya Angelou are not part of the autobiographical series (six books) that begins with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The two books I am discussing here are more like a collection of small vignettes which discuss various topics.

The wonderful thing about these two works and the later book of the same style, Letter to my Daughter, is that they are chock full of sage advice and that they examine the human condition. I think that is what I personally love about Maya Angelou, she unabashedly and without any sense of shame or shyness lays out her experiences in life and has something everybody can relate to on the human level. One of the most amazing things about being a human being is that we can reflect on our experiences and learn from them and learn from the lives of others. We, as people, do not just exist moment to moment in a basic way like other species do.

The books cover so many topics, that I think it best perhaps to just list a few of them to give you a general idea of the types of things she discusses:

House vs. Home

Africa

Oprah Winfrey

Aging

Sensuality and Sexuality

Fame

Anger/Rage/Violence

Being a Woman

How to Live Well
The Power of Faith and Spirituality

These two books, like so many of her other published pieces, make one feel as if they are receiving sage advice, wisdom, and a sense of peace via conversations with a dear and beloved friend. I recommend these titles, and really all of her works, to everybody and anybody who is a member of the human race.

And so it goes...

Book Review: A Song Flung Up To Heaven by Maya Angelou

This is the final book in her autobiographical series (6 of 6) that begins with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book begins where number five left off: she returns home to the U.S. after living in Africa for several years. A very brief recap that is basically the same as the end of All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes begins this work.

A great deal of this book is Maya beset by tragedy and learning from it, something we all do or should do, as these unpleasant events in our lives occur. The initial reason for her return to the U.S. was to work with Malcolm X, who is assassinated almost immediately upon her return. She learns this devastating news while visiting her mother and brother in California. After there only a short time, the now famous Watt's riots break out, she visits the scene first-hand, and gives some poignant observations.

In typical fashion, Maya learns what she can from these events and moves on with her existence. She is once again asked to take part in the Civil Rights movement by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC, by visiting churches around the U.S. which, she agrees to do but, not until her birthday on April 4th, 1968. For those of you who do not remember your history, this is the date when MLK was assassinated. So now Maya must try to strive forth with the death of two friends on her conscious. The deaths of two great leaders is ultimately too much for Maya to bear. She withdraws from people and isolates herself to recover however she can.

Maya takes all of these experiences and finds a way not only to cope with them but, also to examine them and learn from them. These events, although tragic, are ultimately what finally leads her into becoming a writer and poet, permanently. The book ends with her "new beginning" and the initial creation of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

And so it goes...

There's Nothing Like a Good Book

This week was a sick one at my house. My son had his first occasion to be put on antibiotics in his life (he is 6 yrs. old) when he got double ear infections, poor guy. Then, about 2 days later, I could not even swallow water because of a lump in my throat that felt like a golf ball on fire. It turns out that I had contracted strep throat for the first time in my life, oh joy! Then, later that day, I received a call from my son's school because he suddenly had rashes and bumps. During our second visit to the doctors that day, we found out that he apparently is allergic to penicillin! What a week I tell you! The happy result of all this sickness is that I got to spend 4 days in bed reading, and I love to read!

My mother recently sent me a copy of Maya Angelou's book "Letter to My Daughter." I have been reading it slowly over the last month or so, since it is comprised of little vignettes only a few pages each, I could pick it up and put it down whenever I wanted. Usually after I finish a book that I was given I donate it to the local library;but, I am keeping this one. It is filled with so many treasures that I can access again and again that I am hanging onto this one. There are so many great little inspirational passages, as well as quotation opportunities for graduations, weddings, new mothers, etc. that I know I will appreciate it greatly for future references when occasions arise. This also reminded me of how much I love Maya Angelou's writing and sent me forth in search of some more of her works at my local library (conveniently located right across the street).

I had read "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in high school and I remember how much it changed my perspective. So I decided to pick up the other 5 books in the autobiographical series by Miss Angelou. While in bed this week I read #2 "Gather Together in My Name" which rather surprised me. This book is set in her teen years after she had her son (at age 16). It was a bit of a shocker to discover via reading this book that she was at some point in her life the madame of a brothel, a prostitute in a brothel, and moved around more times in 3 years than I have probably in my entire life, and I have lived in 3 different states. I am now almost finished with #3 "Singin' and "Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas" which takes place during her 20s in the 1950s-60s. This one is much less harsh in content than #2. In this novel she is developing her career, or rather trying to find her career and calling in life. She was a dancer, nightclub singer, and part of the traveling company of Porgy and Bess. This one is a much more fluid and interesting read, and has more of her reflections on life that I love and adore. She has a way of delivering one sentence that profoundly sums up her experience and makes it relatable to anybody's life experiences.

I highly recommend giving this series a try if you are looking for an interesting read. I plan on another post of the last 3 in the series if you are interested in a general summarization before giving it a go yourself.

Happy reading out there!

And so it goes...