"We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans - because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings. That's why we paint, that's why we dare to love someone - because we have the impulse to explain who we are."
Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She is best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and for her autobiographical writing. Her work and public voice made her one of the most influential literary figures of her generation.