Prior to the start of World War II, Angelou moved back in with her mother, who at this time was living in Oakland, California. When she returned to Arkansas, she took an interest in poetry and memorized works by Shakespeare and Poe. Throughout her childhood, she wrote essays, poetry, and kept a journal. During her mutism and into her teens, she again lived with her grandmother in Arkansas.Īngelou’s interest in the written word and the English language was evident from an early age. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man’s death, Angelou became mute for six years. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail.
Returning to her mother’s care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Her older brother, Bailey, gave Angelou her nickname “Maya.” Due to her parents’ tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce, Angelou went to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas at an early age. On April 4, 1928, Marguerite Ann Johnson, known to the world as Maya Angelou, was born in St. She was best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style. Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar Maya Angelou was a world-famous author.
