I have been struggling with what to write about Maya Angelou. She was a force that made everyone take notice. What could I write that is sufficiently thoughtful?
Charles Blow wrote it for me.
The news of Maya Angelou’s death arrived with the abruptness of a great twister — violent, without warning, tearing things up and flipping things over.
I ached the way the soul aches in the world when a great soul is lost from it.
I have a group of writers I call my literary mothers and fathers: Alice Walker and James Baldwin and Toni Morrison and Alex Haley and Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes. And yes, Maya Angelou.
This is not because I knew them, but rather because, through their words, they have nurtured me, inculcating in me a sense of myself that sustains me. They helped me to see myself and love myself when I felt least seen and least loved.
They saved me. (more…)
Please take the time to read the whole article that Charles Blow wrote. It is a fabulous tribute to a wonderfully human woman. Let me just say that I’m happy that Maya Angelou got the praise which she so richly deserved. Many people who are great never get a chance to shine in the national spotlight. Maya Angelou did. She got the chance and she really did shine.
LRM I’m embarrassed to say that I’m in the same boat with you. I had no idea of her outstanding career prior to her writing/poetry. Thankfully, there have been some well written tributes to her extraordinary life. I’ve been able to learn a lot of last several days. She was clearly a remarkable soul.
Thanks for your comments