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Maya Angelou's Autobiography #6

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

maya angelou

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The culmination of a unique achievement in modern American the six volumes of autobiography that began more than thirty years ago with the appearance of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .A Song Flung Up to Heaven opens as Maya Angelou returns from Africa to the United States to work with Malcolm X. But first she has to journey to California to be reunited with her mother and brother. No sooner does she arrive there than she learns that Malcolm X has been assassinated.Devastated, she tries to put her life back together, working on the stage in local theaters and even conducting a door-to-door survey in Watts. Then Watts explodes in violence, a riot she describes firsthand.Subsequently, on a trip to New York, she meets Martin Luther King, Jr., who asks her to become his coordinator in the North, and she visits black churches all over America to help support King’s Poor People’s March.But once again tragedy strikes. King is assassinated, and this time Angelou completely withdraws from the world, unable to deal with this horrible event. Finally, James Baldwin forces her out of isolation and insists that she accompany him to a dinner party—where the idea for writing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is born. In fact, A Song Flung Up to Heaven ends as Maya Angelou begins to write the first sentences of Caged Bird .From the Trade Paperback edition.

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2002
Series
Maya Angelou/s Autobiography
Literary awards
grammy award, 

This edition

Format
212 pages, Paperback
Published
September 1, 2003 by Time Warner Books Uk
ISBN
9781860499555
ASIN
1860499554
Language
English

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About the author

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maya angelou

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Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.

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Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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Profile Image for Kimberly .
Boozarda
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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From BBC Radio 4:


When Maya returns from Ghana, the very first person she contacts is Malcolm X. She has a plan to spend some quality time with her mother and brother in San Francisco before commencing her work with Malcolm in New York. However, tragedy strikes when Malcolm is assassinated. Maya is completely devastated. To her shock, she witnesses the apathetic reaction of people to this tragic news. It is a moment that deeply affects her. The story is brought to life with the talented cast including Narrator, older Maya played by Adjoa Andoh, Maya by Pippa Bennett-Warner, Malcolm X by Don Gilet, Bailey by Samuel Anderson, and Mother by Ellen Thomas. It is dramatised by Patricia Cumper and produced and directed by Pauline Harris. For more information, you can visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

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Ottopus
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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One of Maya Angelou’s remarkable autobiographical works, her words seem to have journeyed to heaven and back. This is truly such a beautiful piece of literature. Maya Angelou led an incredibly diverse and unusual life, and she chronicled it with an abundance of beauty and a hint of self-deprecation. In this volume, which delves into her life around the time of her fortieth birthday, she masterfully combines the personal with the political, the mundane with the celestial. It has the wonderful quality of being able to stand alone as a captivating read, or it can be seamlessly added to the other volumes of her autobiographical series. Despite its relatively few pages, it contains an astonishing amount of wisdom that is more than enough, on its own, to deeply inspire people.
Maya Angelou spent this period of her life in the company of (black) literary royalty and was actively involved in Black politics. Through her writing, she gives us a profound insight into what led to the Watts riots in LA or what Harlem was like on the day that MLK was killed.
If anyone reads this volume without prior knowledge of her poetry or essays, I earnestly hope it will serve as a gateway, leading them to discover more about this truly great woman.

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GalacticAshla
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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4-4.5. Angelou's beautiful memoir offers a captivating look at her life from right after Malcolm X's death up to the passing of MLK. She has recently departed from Africa, which I believe was the setting of her previous two memoirs. Now, she is determined to forge a new life for herself. This is the point where we finally witness her writing emerging as a more significant element of the narrative. I found this memoir more engaging than many of the ones in between because it doesn't assume that the reader has perused the others. Instead, she provides a wonderful background that leads up to this particular stage of her life. It allows new readers to easily immerse themselves in her story and understand the context. Angelou's prose is as powerful as ever, painting a vivid picture of her experiences and emotions during this tumultuous time in history.

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pbjwb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I’M FINALLY FREEDDDD!


This moment of freedom feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. After what seemed like an eternity of being held back, I can now spread my wings and soar.


The journey to this liberation has been filled with challenges and obstacles, but I refused to give up. I fought hard, persevered through the tough times, and now I am reaping the rewards.


Freedom means different things to different people. For me, it means having the ability to make my own choices, pursue my dreams, and live life on my own terms. It means being able to express myself freely without fear of judgment or restriction.


As I step into this new chapter of my life, I am filled with excitement and anticipation. I know that there will be more adventures and opportunities waiting for me, and I am ready to embrace them all.


Finally, I can say that I am truly free, and it feels amazing!
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RoyceZ
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Like all of Ms. Angelou's memoirs, "And Still I Rise" (ASFUTH) is compulsively readable.

It is impossible not to cheer for her as she courageously navigates the perilous waters of the mid-20th century.

Ms. Angelou's writing is so vivid and engaging that it draws the reader in and makes them feel as if they are right there with her, experiencing all of the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and the tragedies.

The memoir is a powerful testament to the human spirit and its ability to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.

It is a story of hope, resilience, and determination that will inspire readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Whether you are a fan of Ms. Angelou's work or are simply looking for an inspiring and thought-provoking read, ASFUTH is a must-read memoir that will leave a lasting impression.
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thizlas
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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In book six of her seven-volume autobiographical series, Ms. Angelou makes her way back to California from Ghana.

Here, we are taken on a journey through the assassination of her friend Malcolm X, experiencing not only the event itself but also the moments leading up to it and the aftermath. Then, we witness the Watts riots, with all their chaos and upheaval. And紧接着, the assassination of her friend MLK, Jr. occurs. “A man lived. A man loved. A man tried, and a man died. And that was not all there was to that. And it never was.”

We also gain an understanding of how she came to pen her magnum opus, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” It was due to the encouragement of her dear friend James Baldwin. His words and support inspired her to put her experiences and emotions onto paper, creating a work that would touch the hearts of countless readers around the world.

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PersonaSOLO
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I just love her writing!!!

Her words have a magical charm that can effortlessly draw me into the world she creates.

Every sentence seems to be carefully crafted, carrying a depth of emotion and a unique perspective.

Whether it's a heartwarming story or a thought-provoking piece, her writing always manages to touch my soul.

The way she weaves together characters and plots is truly remarkable, making it impossible for me to put down her work.

I find myself completely immersed in her words, experiencing every moment as if it were my own.

Her writing is like a beautiful melody that lingers in my mind long after I've finished reading.

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, as I know it will surely be another masterpiece.

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ArminGux
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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*Listened to audiobook*

Narration by author.

Actual review: 3.5 stars

This was a nice, short, and interesting book. There were a few times when I did grow tired of it. However, then she would quickly say something that would make me laugh.

I’ll admit that I went into this not knowing what to expect. Even so, I still didn't quite get it at first. I felt that the book was leading somewhere but not quite getting there until the end. Then, I sort of saw the point.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the story. In fact, I enjoyed it very much.

But, I also thought that Maya brought a lot of her troubles on herself, especially when it came to guys. Also, she hates how guys objectified her, but she totally did the same to the guys.

I did love her friendship with Dolly.

Also, it was amazing how she was going to help both Malcolm and Dr Luther King Jr, but then they both died just weeks before she was able to make it to them to stand by them. It almost feels like too much of a story or coincidence to be true ;) Except that life is often that way.

Her story is interesting, but it lacks growth. Nevertheless, I still want to read more of her writing.
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