Talk:Maya Angelou

Great article

This is looking really great now. Congrats to all the contributors. fuck you dick The full referencing is particularly impressive. Is there a thought to go for FA status? So much work here represented! Best wishes Spanglej (talk) 00:47, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

• Use this tool to identify major contributors (make sure their contribs add content; some people chalk up a high edit count doing only copy editing or vandal watching). Notify them. Ask for their help. Take it to WP:PR first. Then beg for copy edits from well-known copy editors. Then maybe do WP:FAC • Ling.Nut 02:58, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Spanglej, thanks for the nice words. I've been one of the main contributors to this article, and am responsible for most of the content, research, and referencing. One of my wiki-goals is to create a Maya Angelou featured topic, and since I've consistently been the only one committed to improving her articles, it's a very long-term project. There are several steps to reaching that goal, including bringing this article to FA, but that's further along. I think that even with the substantial improvement to this article in the last year, its bio section is still sketchy. The majority of the bio info about Dr. Angelou is in her autobiographies, so I feel strongly that anyone who improves the content in her bio needs to at least have read them. To that end, I was responsible for bringing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to FA (a great source of pride for me), and her next two autobiographies, Gather Together in My Name and Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, to GA. Singin' and Swingin' is currently in a peer review, and I think it has potential to be brought to FA as well. I've read the next book in the series, The Heart of a Woman, have done the research, and need to expand the current article. So you can see that a great deal of work needs to be done before, IMO, this article can be brought to FAC. IOW, I don't think we're ready yet, and I can guarantee that it won't pass until the bio section is fleshed out and more accurate. Please know that I will remember that you brought this up and when the time comes, it's my intention to solicit your assistance. I'm not too proud to ask for help, you know. ;) --Christine (talk) 06:16, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Lingnut, I was really just thanking Figureskatingfan for her hard work on working up the set of articles; but thank you for your input. Figureskatingfan, Please do ask for help, it's how we all move forward. I'm happy to do what I can. Your good work is out in the world! Best wishes. Spanglej (talk) 08:17, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Sheakspeare

I can see the caption having relevency, and should be worked into the article. But does the picture of the bard belong in the Angelou article? I think not. --Tacit tatum (talk) 05:44, 24 February 2010 (UTC)

First off, please put new sections under old ones. Secondly, the text states that Shakespeare had influenced Angelou and her writing. Personally, I think that's enough. His image is also in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a FA, for the same reason. Perhaps we could change the text to better reflect it, or place it in a later section, but it definitely belongs in this BLP. --Christine (talk) 15:49, 24 February 2010 (UTC)

The image should be removed. It detracts from the information about Angelou and appears terribly out of place. There is a tendency on Wikipedia to place free images anywhere and everywhere simply because they are free. That makes for a weak encyclopedia. 71.77.20.119 (talk) 02:59, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Angelou's clothes revisited

ID, dude, what is it about this "Clothes" poem, anyway? ;)

Seriously, though, I don't understand why you thought it necessary to reinsert the content, months after it was removed. I'm not going to take the trouble to go back and research when and why it was removed, but I'm fairly certain that it was done by me and that there was a valid editorial reason for it. As I said way back here, I don't think the information is valid enough to be mentioned. In addition, the two sources you use to support it as suspect. While it's permissible to use the subject's webpage, especially in a situation like this one, the Scopes article isn't reliable at all. (I'm also certain that there's a policy against using the Scopes webpage, but again, I don't want to take the time to find it.) Dude, did you think that I wouldn't notice its re-inclusion after months and months? If so, you don't know me very well, do you? Anyway, please explain yourself! ;) --Christine (talk) 05:06, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

I wasn't aware of who removed it. The conversation you linked to suggests you intended to leave it, barring others feeling it should go. If others feel it doesn't belong, I will go along with that. I think Snopes (not "Scopes") is reliable for some things, others have agreed in the past, and this would be one of them. There's no "policy" against using Snopes; the idea's just odd. And you think Angelou's own site is "suspect?" I don't understand your resistance to this. I feel that this is exactly the sort of thing WP does really well. IronDuke 12:20, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Actually, it was User:Spanglej who removed the content, way back in November. And we actually discussed it at the time [1] and agreed that it, along with a bunch of other content, constituted WP:TRIVIA, doesn't belong in the article. That's probably why she reverted your edit, which is something she should've done. I disagree with you about the *Scopes* source (please excuse my error); I think that it isn't very reliable because the site is basically a blog about urban legends. And no, I don't think that Angelou's site is "suspect." Believe me, I've gotten into this argument before [2]. Let me tell you the end result: while it's not customary to use the subject's own webpage as a source, there are times when it's appropriate. For example, in this case because the subject herself is trustworthy. But I'll say it again: I and at least one other editor believes the "Clothes" hoax is trivia, and shouldn't be included in this article. --Christine (talk) 04:40, 24 March 2010 (UTC)

Hi, yes it was me that reverted the edit, because of Christine's point above - and me that supported the content removal initially. It is unsubstantiated, rumour-based, trivia that was never borne out. I'd say that if this is what WP is applauded for, then it's a sad day for WP. Apologies if I controverted WP policy by reverting without discussion (though I did cite the reason). In efforts to make the article the best it can be I still root for substantive content. Best wishes Spanglej (talk) 14:17, 24 March 2010 (UTC)

Well, if I'm outvoted, I'm outvoted. I still think it's a useful addition and Snopes (not, I say again with feeling, with a "C"), was just covered favorably in the NY Times here. Oh well. IronDuke 23:48, 17 April 2010 (UTC)

Sorry--Snopes with an "N"! I will never make that error again, believe me. ;) Seriously, though, that's an interesting article. Perhaps it would better suited for an article about Snopes or about the Mikkelsons. Now, they would be fun people to work for. --Christine (talk) 04:37, 18 April 2010 (UTC)

Capitalization usage

In the past couple of days, I went through this article and changed some capitalizations. The changes were inspired by User:Moni3, who copyedited Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas in anticipation of re-submitting that article for FAC. Instead of re-creating that discussion here, I refer you to it: [3] Christine (talk) 21:15, 1 July 2010 (UTC)

Christine, regarding the article you linked to, are you sure that is the real reason "Black" is capitalized and "white" is not? It seems to me that the most parsimonious explanation is that someone wants to take a passive-aggressive swipe at Whites. 76.247.44.19 (talk) 04:10, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Ah, dear anonymous IP, the above link explains it. I've decided to follow Dr. Angelou's practice; she capitalizes Blacks and doesn't capitalize whites. Now, working on her articles here have given a great deal of insight about her, so I doubt there are any conspiracy theories on her part. I've never been able to find any explanation for her practice, but that would be a good question to ask her. Yes, I can imagine it: Someone approaching the great Maya Angelou and asking her, "Hey, you don't capitalize Whites; does that mean that you secretly hate them?" And then you'd have to fight off all her admirers for daring to be so disrespectful. It really is a ridiculous question; read just one of her books and you'd realize that. To be clear, however: no, I nor Dr. Angelou do not hate whites. We don't hate anyone, and I believe I can say that about her. Christine (talk) 16:30, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Madame or Madam?

The "Early Life" section displays this information: Angelou's second autobiography, Gather Together in My Name, recounts her life from age 17 to 19. This book "depicts a single mother's slide down the social ladder into poverty and crime."[20] Angelou at times worked as a prostitute and as the madame of a brothel.

The correct word is "madam." "Madame" is a courtesy title. A "madam" is a woman who runs a brothel. You can verify this at www.dictionary.com, which lists "madame" and "madam" as often confused words.Ballroom16 (talk) 13:08, 29 January 2011 (UTC)

Fixed. Thanks for pointing that out. Cresix (talk) 16:30, 29 January 2011 (UTC)

award of prez medal of freedom

i think the article awards paragraph should be updated (it doesnt allow an edit) to include maya winning the Prez Medal of Freedom yesterday Feb 15, 2011. /s/ tie rell t boan joanz sr 69.121.221.97 (talk) 19:04, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

It's mentioned in the article and listed at List of awards and nominations received by Maya Angelou, which is linked in this article. Cresix (talk) 02:00, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

Yes, that's right. I even got to watch the ceremony! President Obama can't even say Dr. Angelou's name correctly! ;) Christine (talk) 12:46, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

Maya Angelou in Germany

In a television interview, Miss Angelou recounted the story of a visit to Germany where she was invited to the home of a German family. While eating dinner with them, she decided to tell them a Nazi joke because, according to her, "you can tell what people are really like by what they laugh at." The family took great offence at this and all left the room for several minutes. They then returned and told her a joke which ridiculed black people. She concluded from this experience that it proved her point. I am putting it in the discussion section because I think it says more about Maya Angelou herself than anything anyone else could say about her. Whether it should go into the main article or not is the purpose of the discussion page which is not a forum. So, to make sure I comply with the rules, I am making that clear. Do you think it should go into the main article? I don't, but you are free to disagree with me. Mike Hayes (talk) 03:12, 12 April 2011 (UTC)

Angelou actually recounts that story in her fifth autobiography, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes. If the story belongs anywhere, it belongs there. The point goes deeper than what people find funny; it was more about her behavior as a guest and her hosts' behavior towards her as their guest. One of the themes of the book is being a foreigner and alien, and how she responded to her status as one and how the hosts of the various countries she visited responded to her, especially in Africa. Regarding Angelou's bio article here, though, I'm slowly improving it as I read her books and improve the articles about them. I've been meaning to do it, but I've been distracted by real life and other articles. That's what happens when you're literally the only person to work on a project like writing and improving a group of articles. I hope to tackle this part of it in the next couple of weeks. Christine (talk) 11:51, 12 April 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from Napleszoo, 14 April 2011

This is a request for a simple change. I noticed the rewards section mentions that Ben Harper has honored Angelou with his song "I'll Rise", which includes words from her poem, "And Still I Rise."

Please change the name of her poem from "And Still I Rise" to "Still I Rise." While the poetry collection containing her poem is in fact titled "And Still I Rise", the poem itself is simply titled, "Still I Rise".

See table of contents in her book: http://www.amazon.com/Still-I-Rise-Maya-Angelou/dp/0394502523 Thank you for considering this minor edit.

Napleszoo (talk) 18:55, 14 April 2011 (UTC)

Done — Bility (talk) 20:12, 14 April 2011 (UTC)

Sources

While returning to working on MA-articles, I've found some sources that may be useful in the future.

• 1990 interview in The Paris Review [4]

• Perhaps info re bio [5] Christine (talk) 12:47, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

• O'Neale in Black Women Writers, pp. 3-37 Christine (talk) 12:33, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

Infobox image

The picture of Angelou in the infobox is too tiny, while there are bigger ones available and used in later parts of the article. Shouldn't this be corrected? I think the infobox of such an important article needs a bigger photo than this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Antrikshy (talk • contribs) 13:41, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

Antrikshy, that is a very good question. The problem is that there aren't really any adequate free images of Dr. Angelou. The previous infobox image wasn't very flattering. The current image is small, but it's attractive. The solution is for her to release a portrait of her to Wikimedia; I may write her through her webpage and request it. The other options are to use the larger image that appears in the "Adulthood and early career section", but that's not a current one, or the one of her reciting her inauguration poem, or the one of her receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Obama. Or we could find another one, as long as it's free. What do you think? Christine (talk) 21:20, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

So I've thought about this for a few days, and I've come to the conclusion that Antrikshy is correct. Therefore, I've removed the little image and replaced it with the inaugural poem one. It's not current (I may still try and request an image from her), but it is the image used in her template and it's attractive. I think it's the best choice available at this point. Christine (talk) 16:25, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

This has little to do with the infobox image, but it's related enough: notice that I replaced the image of Dr. A placed there by User:Spanglej with a non-free image of the cover art of her album. I did that because I've never been able to find a date for the original image, and I suspect that it's not free, anyway. I know, I know--neither is the cover art, but at least it's more acceptable since it has a rationale for using it here. Christine (talk) 16:59, 21 July 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from BrilliantLectures, 18 July 2011

Dr. Maya Angelou still inspires many people by visiting cities throughout the nation. Although she does not do too much traveling she is scheduled to give a lecture in Houston, TX on September 22nd. She is giving a lecture through the Houston based non-profit organization Brilliant Lecture Series. This will be her second scheduled visit to Houston through the Brilliant Lecture Series. More information can be found at [http: //www.brilliantlectures.org www.brilliantlectures.org]. BrilliantLectures (talk) 21:33, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

Hi, Wikipedia is not the place to place advertisements for lectures. See WP:SOAP. If we were to place every lecture that Dr. Angelou does, as great as they are, the article would be too long. This is an encyclopedia, so my answer to this request would be no. Also know that after enough time has passed so that it's certain that you'll see this response, your request will be deleted. Thank you for going through the proper procedure in making the request. That being said, I would love to attend this lecture in Houston; I've never seen her speak live before. Christine (talk) 05:13, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from Brandrn, 3 September 2011

{{edit semi-protected}} I've never tried to edit a Wiki page before so hope I can do it correctly. I note that the year that Angelou returned to the US is stated as 1967. The exact time is February 19, 1965. Malcolm X was assassinated two days later, February 21, 1965. This is an important correction.Brandrn (talk) 05:30, 3 September 2011 (UTC)Brandrn

Please change: 'Angelou returned to the US in 1967' to 'Angelou returned to the US in February 1965' <ref> Manning Marable "Malcolm X, A Life of Reinvention"</ref> — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brandrn (talk • contribs) 05:49, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

Brandrn, thanks for your input. You're so right about the correction, which brought attention to the fact that many of the dates in this article were incorrect. Not to make any excuses, but the timelines in Angelou's autobiographies are kind of fuzzy, so that was reflected in her WP bio. I did some checking and re-checking, and I'm fairly certain the dates in the "Adulthood and early career" section are correct. As you can probably tell, this article is a mess, mostly because I've been alone in editing and maintaining it. I just finished Dr. Angelou's final autobiography, so it's my intention to use the information in it to improve this section, and then work on improving the article as a whole. Much of that depends on my attention span and time. Christine (talk) 18:12, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

misspelling

Please attend to the spelling of the word "colleagues" in the last sentence of the section entitled LATER WORKS. The existing sentence is copied and pasted here: "...and personal and professional correspondence from cooleagues such as Robert Loomis."[47] (Dominical)

Do feel free fix it any time. Span (talk) 12:35, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

No kidding. Took you longer to complain about it. Christine (talk) 15:23, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

typo

"Angelou campaigned for the Democratic Partyin the 2008 presidential primaries" needs a space between "Party" and "in." I would fix it myself if I knew how. Ebpinegar (talk) 20:14, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Article milestone

As of the last week of Dec. 2011, this article is closer to being what it should be. I've finally completed writing, copyediting, and improving the reference in the first part, the bio section, up to and including the section "Later career". This is a major accomplishment, because it was (for me) dependent upon the creation/expansion of all six of Angelou's autobiographies. This is now complete, and each of them are at least a GA, except for the final one, A Song Flung Up to Heaven, but only because it hasn't been submitted for GAC yet but will be in the coming days. Two are FAs.

So where do we go from here? The rest of the article is woefully inadequate, so the next step, I believe, is to improve and rewrite them. This article is long, so I anticipate creating several forked articles, and then summarizing them in separate sections here. At least one of the sections, "Angelou's works", already does that; it links to the List of Maya Angelou works, which also needs work and should eventually go to FLC. Currently, the other sections aren't comprehensive, so I anticipate using the sources I've accessed to improve them and take them to new article space.

On a personal note, I'm greatly humbled by the opportunity to honor Dr. Angelou by improving this article, something she greatly deserves. I'm honored that I've been able to do it, and am grateful for how much I've learned from her since my first edit, almost at the beginning of my WP editing career, way back in Sept. 2007. It's come a long way since then, and I'm very proud. Hopefully, it won't take as long to get it to FAC! Christine (talk) 18:05, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

Well done and congrats Christine for all your hard work. Onwards and upwards! Span (talk) 18:39, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 5 March 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize — Preceding unsigned comment added by Missbutterpecan (talk • contribs) 14:01, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

Um, not sure what you're requesting. This article already mentions several times that Dr. Angelou was nominated for a Pulitzer. Please explain, and please sign your posts. ;) Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 17:21, 5 March 2012 (UTC)