The Mind Creative | Page 33

The Mind Creative From the little girl who had become mute following terrible abuse and oppression to the poet and thinker who miraculously restored her voice with the magic and soothing touch of literature, Maya’s life has been a journey of redemption and self-discovery. Being a black poet did not restrict the literary appeal of her work, for which she has been an inspiration to all women and men, be it an immigrant, an adolescent, a rape victim or a holocaust survivor. The bold, awakened poet in her had confronted bitter truths of her own life, thereby shedding docile stereotypes of women who have been embedded in our culture for centuries. Her personal narratives, including ‘I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings’, which had previously been named autobiographical fiction, have later won the critical acclaim of classic autobiographies, in which she takes the creative freedom to structurally challenge and critique, while also striving to expand the genre. In league with her readers who cherish her delectable texts of a woman’s freedom and defiance of overarching patriarchy, I salute the soaring spirit that will remain ever-strong, a voice towering over this life, echoing across the world. IMAGES: http://artbecomesyou.com/ http://www.blackpast.org/ The New Yorker www.flickr.com/photos/bc-burnslibrary/6766003849/ http://oldgoldandblack.com/?p=40652 http://www.local10.com/n http://rollingout.com/culture/10-inspiring-quotes-maya-angelo/ 33