Working in a library means there is never a shortage of books at my disposal. So when I decided that the next task I would tackle on my list would be to read a biography about someone I knew little or nothing about I simply got up from my desk and walked the thirty or so yards to the biography section. And I stood there. Now, let me interject that I do not work in a massive library, but regardless I was slightly overwhelmed by the options. So, after wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles for about ten minutes I took the only logical step I could come up with... start at the beginning and pick something that looks interesting (who says you can't judge a book by it's cover?).I ended up choosing Maya Angelou's Why the Caged Bird Sings. I knew very little about Maya Angelou other than the fact she is an African-American female writer. Now, two hundred and seventy-four pages later, I am in awe. Not only is she an amazing woman but the way she tells her own personal story was just amazing. The way she viewed the world as a young black girl in the South and the changes that she went through as she grew and moved to a new age in California really gave a new perspective on history, ideologies, and life. Angelou is more than just a skilled wordsmith, through her story she crafts a world that I was completely immersed in every time I picked up the book.
This was the first book I had ever read by Maya Angelou, but now it will certainly not be the last.
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