"Of course, there are those critics - New York critics as a rule - who say, 'Well, Maya Angelou has a new book out and of course it's good but then she's a natural writer.' Those are the ones I want to grab by the throat and wrestle to the floor because it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work at the language."
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.