Angelou, Maya, AN juh loh, MY uh (1928-...), is an American author, poet, playwright, editor, actress, director, and teacher. She is best known for the first installment of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970). This work tells the story of a black girl growing up during the Great Depression. Angelou continued to chronicle her life in Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin' and Swingin' and Getting Merry Like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a Woman (1981), All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), and A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002).