Angelou with the Angels

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, Politics, Inaugurations

Elizabeth Alexander has been chosen to recite a poem at Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009.  She follows in the footsteps of Robert Frost (John F. Kennedy inauguration in 1961), James Dickey (Jimmy Carter inaugural gala in 1977), Maya Angelou (Bill Clinton inauguration in 1993), and Miller Williams (Bill Clinton inauguration in 1997).

Listen to Elizabeth Alexander speak about who she would have chosen to read at the Inauguration from "Inaugural Poetics" a broadcast from "Poetry Off the Shelf" with the Poetry Foundation (December 19, 2008).

Other Links:

Elizabeth Alexander's page from the Academy of American Poets (Poets.org).

Katharine Q. Seelye, "Poet Chosen for Inauguration Is Aiming for a Work That Transcends the Moment," New York Times (December 20, 2008).

Dwight Garner, "The Intersection of Poetry and Politics," New York Times (December 24, 2008).

Letters "Poets, Presidents and Inaugurations" New York Times (December 27, 2008).

Katharine Q. Seelye, "Inaugural Poet, Adorned," The Caucus, New York Times Politics Blog (January 1, 2009).

"Poetry and Power: Robert Frost's Inaugural Reading" (poets.org)