Honestly, Maya Angelou is truly stunning.

Her words have the power to move and inspire, and her memoirs offer a unique glimpse into her remarkable life.

In this particular memoir, however, I found myself wishing she had gone into more detail about certain aspects of her story.

Some parts felt rushed, perhaps because she was more focused on the political and social anguish of the assassinations of Malcolm X and MLK.

Nevertheless, I was left with a sense of longing for more.

I've now read all of her memoirs, and I'm sad that it's over.

Maya Angelou is an inspiration to us all.

Even 50 years later, her words still hold great significance and offer valuable lessons.

We can learn from her courage, her resilience, and her unwavering belief in the power of words.

She will always be remembered as one of the greatest writers and thinkers of our time.

\\tReading a Maya Angelou autobiography right after Richard Dawkins’s Appetite for Wonder is an interesting contrast. It's like having a scrumptious dessert after a rather average and overpriced meal. Now, it's not that Appetite for Wonder was completely awful; it just didn't quite hit the mark. It had the qualities one might dread in an autobiography: being self-indulgent, filled with name-dropping, often not very relatable, and rather dull except perhaps to close friends. On the other hand, A Song Flung Up to Heaven was a breath of fresh air. Its beauty and honest portrayal of real people were truly captivating. Of course, it might be a bit unfair to directly compare a science writer to one of the most influential memoirists of the 20th century.

\\tI can clearly see what made Angelou such an icon. The poetry in her language is simply lovely. She has an amazing ability to cut right to the heart of people and situations. Each experience she writes about reveals something profound about the human condition. She paints a vivid picture of the times and gives us a window into her own mind. The writing feels so wonderfully familiar, as if you're sitting in her living room and she's sharing her honest wisdom with you. And in the audiobook, the fact that she reads it herself adds an extra layer of authenticity and charm.

She writes about her relationships with some truly remarkable figures like Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin, among others. She also writes about her experiences in different places such as Ghana, New York, and Los Angeles. She delves into her complex love-hate relationship with her African husband and her first-hand experience in the Watts Riots of 1965. And she does all of this with such a high level of awareness and sharp insight that you can't help but be convinced that she is truly worthy of the extraordinary life she has lived.

\\tI didn't anticipate liking Angelou as much as I did, but now I'm fully determined to seek out more of her work. I highly suggest you do the same. You might just be in for a wonderful literary treat.

This one was not as good as Mom&Me&Mom, but I still really enjoyed hearing more of Ms. Angelou's fascinating life story.

She was truly a remarkable woman who seized every opportunity that came her way. She had wonderful friends who loved her deeply, and she loved them just as much.

You know, as I was listening to some of these excerpts from her memoir, it reminded me of Forrest Gump. She often found herself in the right place at the right time and was able to take full advantage of her situation. She met many interesting people and participated in events that had a profound impact on America's history.

It was truly great to learn about her life and how she overcame so many obstacles to become the amazing person she was. I can't wait to read more of her work and continue to be inspired by her.

This is the final instalment in Angelou's memoirs.

It is truly captivating, and a significant portion of it can be perused as a self-contained piece that neatly summarizes the earlier autobiographical works she has penned.

Just like the others, it is exquisitely written. I found it extremely interesting to listen to her account of how she received the news of the murders of her dear friends, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

Moreover, it was utterly fascinating to uncover the details of how she ultimately managed to get published. It turns out this remarkable lady knew precisely the right people!

Overall, it was well worth the read as it neatly ties up her story of how she evolved into the person we know and admire today.

Angelou's memoirs offer a profound and inspiring look into her life, and this final instalment is no exception.

This is, as the back cover blurb states, the conclusion to Angelou’s many volumes of autobiography.

However, according to Goodreads, she did later add another volume, titled "Mom & Me & Mom".

The book begins with her returning to the United States from Ghana, with the intention of working for Malcom X. But this plan is immediately interrupted by his assassination.

In a heart-rending symmetry, the book ends with Angelou dealing with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Oh, and in the middle, the Watts uprising occurs. At that time, Angelou is living in Los Angeles and makes multiple visits to the area during the period of unrest.

Angelou lived an extraordinary life in so many ways. She was present at many seminal moments in African American history and interacted with many towering figures, such as Malcolm X and James Baldwin, among others.

This volume is a bit more scattered than the best volumes of her autobiography, but it is definitely a fitting bookend to the series, tying together the many threads of her remarkable life.

Traveling is, always and in all ways, a pleasure. It allows us to break free from the monotony of our daily lives and explore new places, cultures, and experiences. Whether it's a short weekend getaway or a long overseas adventure, the act of traveling has the power to rejuvenate our minds and souls.

When we travel, we get to see things with our own eyes that we've only read about or seen in pictures. We can taste new cuisines, meet new people, and learn about different ways of life. It broadens our horizons and makes us more open-minded and understanding.

Moreover, traveling gives us the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime. We can take pictures, keep souvenirs, and share our experiences with others. These memories will always bring a smile to our faces and a sense of warmth to our hearts. In conclusion, traveling is truly a wonderful and enriching experience that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy.

I have come to the conclusion that any sentence written by the dear traveller Maya Angelou is a poem.

Maya Angelou was a remarkable writer and poet whose words had the power to touch the hearts and souls of people around the world. Her works were filled with vivid imagery, deep emotions, and profound insights into the human condition.

Whether she was writing about her own experiences of growing up in the South, her struggles with racism and discrimination, or her joy and love for life, her words always had a poetic quality that made them truly unforgettable.

Every sentence she wrote seemed to be carefully crafted, like a precious gem, shining with beauty and truth.

Indeed, Maya Angelou's writing was a form of art, and her words will continue to inspire and move readers for generations to come.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven is the sixth installment in Maya Angelou's remarkable series of 7 autobiographies. It vividly portrays her life during the years 1965 - 1968, a time when she returned to the United States after living in South Africa. The narrative is filled with interesting events and her prose is at times truly beautiful. However, I must confess that I found this book less captivating compared to the earlier 5 volumes.

The book is filled with profound quotes that offer deep insights into human nature and experiences. For example, "I thought of human beings, as far back as I had read, of our deeds and didoes. According to some scientists, we were born to forever crawl in swamps, but for some not yet explained reason, we decided to stand erect and, despite gravity's pull and push, to remain standing. We, carnivorous beings, decided not to eat our brothers and sisters but to try to respect them. And further, to try to love them." This passage makes us reflect on the evolution of humanity and our capacity for good.

Another powerful quote is "Death of a beloved flattens and dulls everything. Mountains and skyscrapers and grand ideas are brought down to eye level or below. Great loves and large hates no longer cast such huge shadows or span so broad a distance. Connections do not adhere so closely, and important events lose some of their glow." It poignantly describes the impact of loss on our perception of the world.

Angelou also shares her thoughts on curiosity, stating "Curiosity had often lured me to the edge of ruin. For years, I had known that there is nothing idle about curiosity, despite the fact that the two words are often used in tandem. Curiosity fidgets, is hard to satisfy, looks for answers even before forming questions. Curiosity wants to behold, to comprehend, maybe even to become." This shows how curiosity can be both a driving force and a potential danger.

Finally, the words of Jimmy Baldwin as quoted by Angelou are inspiring: "Jimmy [James Baldwin] said, 'We survived slavery.... You know how we survived?....We put surviving into our poems and into our songs. We put it into our folk tales. We danced surviving in Congo Square in New Orleans and put it in our bots when we cooked pinto beans. We wore surviving on our backs when we clothed ourselves in the colors of the rainbow. We were pulled down so low we could hardly lift our eyes, so we knew, if we wanted to survive, we better lift our own spirits. So we laughed whenever we got the chance.'" This highlights the resilience and creativity of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Title: A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Author: Maya Angelou

Series: Maya Angelou’s Autobiography #6, 1965 - 1968

Year: 2002

Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir

Page count: 212 pages

Date(s) read: 3/20/23 - 3/22/23

Reading journal entry #75 in 2023

This autobiography serves as a significant milestone, signifying the conclusion of Maya Angelou's remarkable life as an ordinary individual prior to her embarkation on a journey that would lead her to become a renowned author and poet. Each of her deeply soulful and unfiltered autobiographies concludes in a seemingly abrupt manner, perhaps because I was so eager to maintain an ongoing conversation with her.

Maya's life is a tapestry woven with an abundance of astonishing events. There was parental abandonment, the trauma of child rape, a period of muteness, teenage pregnancy, being involved as 'the other woman', running a brothel, engaging in prostitution, an attempt to join the army, marrying and then leaving a white man, becoming a bar girl and dancer, embarking on a career as a touring singer, leaving one man to marry another just weeks after her wedding, facing the pain of infidelity, living in Cairo, relocating to Ghana, receiving words of wisdom from luminaries such as Billie Holiday, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcolm X, and unfortunately witnessing the untimely deaths of the latter two in a haunting deja vu fashion. The list is truly extensive. What an extraordinary life it has been. Oh, what a remarkable life indeed.

I have loved all of her autobiographical books so far.

However, this one truly stands out. It commences right after "Travelin' Shoes". Maya has made the decision to depart from Africa and head back to the US to collaborate with Malcolm X on civil rights matters.

The book narrates the tale of how the events of that era influence her life and alter her course. It is all recounted in her remarkable style.

She offers an intriguing perspective on the riots in Watts and her insights into how the current cycle of poverty evolved during those years.

Her vivid descriptions and personal experiences make this book a captivating read. It allows the reader to step into her shoes and understand the challenges and triumphs she faced.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone interested in civil rights history and the power of the human spirit.

4 1/2 Stars.

Excellent book.

I truly relished reading “A Song Flung Up to Heaven” by Maya Angelou. Just like the rest of her literary works, this particular book is an extremely easy read. It is the final installment of an incredible six-volume series.

Her writing, as always, is of the highest caliber, filled with vivid details and precise descriptions. Regarding the plot, she makes a return to the USA with a focus on the Civil Rights Movement. Her life is deeply affected by two significant deaths - those of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

She embarks on a journey of self-discovery by going back to her roots in singing. In LA, she has a first-hand experience of the Watts Riots. The passionate manner in which she describes the feelings and emotions is truly the highpoint of this book.

I found myself closely associated with this book. The highlights for me were those moments when I was coming of age and each of the assassinations had a profound impact on my vision of interracial harmony, thereby shaping my world view.

The book also showcases the maturation and development of her life as a woman and her introduction into the writing community.

Another outstanding offering by Maya, and one that I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone.

Maya Angelou's A Song Flung Up To Heaven masterfully encapsulates numerous transitions.

It commences with her departure from Africa to resume work in the U.S. for Malcolm X. However, shortly after, she is met with profound grief upon learning of his assassination.

She also experiences the Watts riots first-hand. Amidst these events, her writing is punctuated with reflections on her parenting and her relationship with her teenage son, who is living his own life in Ghana.

Her friendship with writer James Baldwin plays a crucial role in drawing her out of seclusion and depression and back into the world.

Her grief intertwines with a sharp understanding of the significant changes taking place in the United States all around her.

With remarkable insight and compassion, she has uniquely captured an era of US history, making her work a powerful and poignant testament to that time.