Letting her go is going to be hard for many people, and certainly reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was enlightening for the twenty-something year old that I once was. Angelou was a relatively early literary acquaintance that I only visited occasionally, but each time drew something that spurred reflexion and learning. Her pithy statements published by the Guardian in memoriam (May 29, 2014) are no exception, with these quotes standing out:
"Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option."
"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."
"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."
It seems fitting to draw up a collection of some of the better tributes here.
Lyn Innes, "Maya Angelou obituary," Guardian (May 28, 2014).
"Maya Angelou - obituary," Telegraph (May 28, 2014).
Lynn Neary, "Maya Angelou, Poet, Activist and Singular Storyteller, Dies at 86," NPR (May 28, 2014).
Lev Grossman, "Maya Angelou: A Hymn to Human Endurance," Time (May 28, 2014).
Emma Brown, "Maya Angelou, writer and poet, dies at 86," Washington Post (May 28, 2014).
Poetry Rituals
6 years ago
