Maya Angelou
when Maya Angelou was a young woman -- "in the crisp days of my youth," she says -- she carried with her a secret conviction that she wouldn't live past the age of 28. Raped by her mother's boyfriend at 8 and a mother herself since she graduated from high school, she supported herself and her son, Guy, through a series of careers and buoyed by an implacable ambition to escape what might have been a half-lived, ground-down life of poverty and despair. "For it is hateful to be young, bright, ambitious and poor," Angelou observes. "The added insult is to be aware of one's poverty." In "Even the Stars Look Lonesome," her new collection of reflective autobiographical essays, Angelou gives no further explanation for her "profound belief" that she would die young.
"I was thirty-six before I realized that I had lived years beyond my deadline and needed to revise my thinking about an early death," she recalls. "With that realization life waxed sweeter. Old acquaintances became......
View the rest of this paper...
Approximate Word Count: 580
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)
Why should you join Frat Files?
- - It's safe, secure, and private.
- - Instant access to over 100,000 papers. New papers are added hourly.
- - Fast and reliable customer support.
Similar Essays
-
Maya Angelou 2
Maya Angelou 2. Maya Angelou Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. ... (Source card #3)
Maya Angelou gave hope to the hopeless and inspiration to the world. ... -
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. ... Maya Angelou is more than just
another famous woman, she is a role model and inspiration to the world. ... -
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou. ... Maya Angelou express them in contemporary poetry, while the rock group
Collective Soul adds rhythm and a impressive beat to their lyrics. ... -
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou. ... Maya Angelou express them in contemporary poetry, while the rock group
Collective Soul adds rhythm and a impressive beat to their lyrics. ... -
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou has dedicated her life to end prejudices faced
by many black females in the 20th century. As an author ...
Frat Files
Members
Information
