In September, I completed the autobiography of Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
This autobiography is masterful storytelling of Angelou's youth from her first memories until the birth of her child as a teenager. The narrative is rich with colorful words and descriptions, no doubt learned from a lifetime dedicated to reading, writing, and learning. I enjoyed so much about this book: the rich storytelling bringing to life the sights, sounds, and emotions of the time, the expert use of language by a literary master, and the oration of a poet in her own voice for a full length novel, complete with the articulation and tone used for emphasis in each scene, just as it was.
Because the autobiography, originally written in 1969, is already widely known, I'll skip a recap. Instead, I'll explain what I got out of the book. I've always enjoyed Angelou's vibrant use of the English language. She is able to masterfully use words and phraseology from the humble to the intellectual and all of those in between. I feel like I've become a better writer, even if insignificantly, through absorbing her work.
This book is different than those I have listened to recently. So many recently have been about an inward journey, looking inside to learn about myself, thus understanding more about perception and how the outside world appears because I see it a certain way. This book has helped me look outward at others and see them. Not differently, but help me to understand someone else. While I know that I don't truly understand them, I understand them better. It has taught me more. Not just about another individual and her perspective, but about the perspective from a collective group of people.
