I wrote some of the worst poetry west from the Mississippi River, but I wrote. And I finally sometimes got it right. Maya Angelou badfinallymississippi Change image and share on social
On Saturday afternoons when all the things are done in the house and there's no real work to be done, I play Bach and Chopin and turn it up real loudly and get a good bottle of chardonnay and sit out on my deck and look out at the garden. Maya Angelou afternoonbachbottle share on social
Of course, there are those critics - New York critics as a rule - who say, 'Well, Maya Angelou has a new book out and of course it's good but then she's a natural writer.' Those are the ones I want to grab by the throat and wrestle to the floor because it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work at the language. Maya Angelou angeloubookcritic share on social
It is a no-fail, incontrovertible reality: If you get, give. If you learn, teach. You can't do anything with that except do it. Maya Angelou failgiveincontrovertible Change image and share on social
I speak to the black experience, but I am always talking about the human condition. Maya Angelou blackconditionexperience Change image and share on social
There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing. Maya Angelou believecynicknow Change image and share on social
I keep a hotel room in my town, although I have a large house. And I go there at about 5:30 in the morning, and I start working. And I don't allow anybody to come in that room. I work on yellow pads and with ballpoint pens. I keep a Bible, a thesaurus, a dictionary, and a bottle of sherry. I stay there until midday. Maya Angelou ballpointbiblebottle share on social
I write some country music. There's a song called 'I Hope You Dance.' Incredible. I was going to write that poem; somebody beat me to it. Maya Angelou beatcallcountry Change image and share on social