The Wisdom and Writing of Maya Angelou Maya Angelou, the great American author and poet, passed away yesterday. She was known for her award-winning autobiographies as well as for her numerous plays, scripts, poems, and essays. Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by  [ Read More ]