Angelou, Maya

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

New York, NY: Random House, 1969. First Edition. Hardcover. “Superbly told, with the poet’s gift for language and observation, and charged with the unforgettable emotion of remembered anguish and love—this remarkable autobiography by an equally remarkable black girl from Arkansas captures, indelibly, a world of which most Americans are shamefully ignorant” (back flap). Before she became the iconic writer and activist known throughout the world, Margarite Annie Johnson (a.k.a. Maya Angelou) (1928-2014) was a “remarkable black girl from Arkansas” with a story to tell. After a whirlwind career of singing, dancing, acting, screenwriting, editing, and producing, Angelou grew into one of the most well-known writers around the world thanks to the push of her dear friend and fellow writer James Baldwin. With a sordid childhood of trauma and abuse, her rise to national and global acclaim for sharing her authentic experiences is an inspiration to everyone, especially young black women. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the first in a series of seven autobiographies written by Angelou, the final volume published just a year before her death. Two years before that, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, adding to her dozens of awards and honorary degrees, including a Grammy, a Tony, and a Pulitzer. Even though Caged Bird is one of the most highly renowned memoirs of all time, it didn’t win any awards itself, though it was nominated for the National Book Award in 1970. A resurgence of interest in the book came as a result of Angelou’s appearance at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration where she recited the poem “On the Pulse of Morning,” the recording of which is what landed Angelou her Grammy Award. A truly masterful piece of literature by one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, this is a stunning and rare original piece of literary history. Hardcover in unclipped dust-jacket: First Edition, First Printing, as stated on copyright page. Book is in Very Good condition with minor rubbing to front, back covers; a scattering of sparkly glitter clings to front, back covers with no hope of eradication. Pages unmarked with less aging than would be expected of a 50-year-old book. Dust-jacket is in Fair to Good condition with evident foxing and discoloration on the interior; moderate rubbing, bumping, and shelf-wear to fine-edges of front, back covers and spine; flap creases are moderately worn; minor discoloration speckles the lower section of the front cover and the back cover has one ½” tear at the top edge, otherwise Good. Very Good / Fair-Good. [Item #5521]

Price: $300.00