Maya Angelou
Black Pearls: The Poetry of Maya Angelou
Rhino/World Beat
She was the first black conductor on a San Francisco streetcar. She was raped. She was the editor of a newspaper in Cairo. She was an actress in Roots. She once worked as a prostitute. She read a poem at President Clinton’s inauguration. She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She once met Billie Holiday and was told, “You’re going to be famous, but it won’t be for singing.”
Maya Angelou is one of the most significant and influential poets of our time. The release of this collection of her poetry, read by the poet herself, is a major artistic event. Her poetry is full of attitude and anger, danger and dirty words. Anyone with social conscience, or anyone wanting to develop some, should listen to this.