Maya Angelou, 1985

#BlackWriters Who Helped Shape My Storytelling

February 12, 2016

Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I became enthralled by the manipulation of language. Maya Angelou crafted her story with a clarity and lyricism I had never read in YA fiction. Ever. I felt betrayed. The library kept all the good stories from me all this time, only because of my age? I was irate, I wanted justice! Then, I forgot all about that after I started reading. I was transported to rural Arkansas by Maya Angelou’s magical storytelling. The perfect, succinct rhythm of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is the reason I could read it in one day. The story itself was powerful, and it was the kind I couldn’t stop thinking about for days after I’d finished reading. I wanted my words to have the same magic, or even better. #BlackGirlMagic #BlackHistoryMonth ✨Read more at https://Medium.com/@niamalikadixon✨ #BlackWriters #BlackAuthors #Writer #Writing