Maya was well known for her writing. She has written numerous books of poetry and several memoirs. Her most famous memoir, ¨I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings¨, is about her upbringing, from living with her grandmother, facing many racial prejudices, to the time she gave birth to her son. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Annie Johnson. Her parents divorced when she was three …show more content…
While there she was awarded a scholarship to study drama and dance at San Francisco's Labor School. Angelou dropped out of school and became the first African American female cable car conductor, but not for long. Maya later went back to school and got pregnant during her senior year. She gave birth to her son, Guy, just a few short weeks after graduating. After having her son, Maya decided to leave home and take on the life of a single mother. She worked several jobs to support her son and herself, including being a waitress and a cook. She married a Greek sailor named Anastasios Angelopulos in 1952. She took the name ¨Maya Angelou¨ by using the nickname her brother gave her and the name of her husband when she became a singer at a nightclub. Her career as a performer prospered, and she toured Europe performing in the opera Porgy and Bess. She studied modern dance and even recorded her first record album in 1957, Calypso Lady. She spent years composing poems and songs and her interest in writing grew. She moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild. Maya joined many young black writers and artists that were associated with the Civil Rights