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Even the Stars Look Lonesome
See the difference, read Maya Angelou in Large Print
* About Large Print
All Random House Large Print editions are published in a 16-point typeface
This wise book is the wonderful continuation of the bestselling Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome is Maya Angelou talking of the things she cares about most. In her unique, spellbinding way, she re-creates intimate personal experiences and gives us her wisdom on a wide variety of subjects. She tells us how a house can both hurt its occupants and heal them. She talks about Africa. She gives us a profile of Oprah. She enlightens us about age and sexuality. She confesses to the problems fame brings and shares with us the indelible lessons she has learned about rage and violence. And she sings the praises of sensuality.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome imparts the lessons of a lifetime.
* About Large Print
All Random House Large Print editions are published in a 16-point typeface
This wise book is the wonderful continuation of the bestselling Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome is Maya Angelou talking of the things she cares about most. In her unique, spellbinding way, she re-creates intimate personal experiences and gives us her wisdom on a wide variety of subjects. She tells us how a house can both hurt its occupants and heal them. She talks about Africa. She gives us a profile of Oprah. She enlightens us about age and sexuality. She confesses to the problems fame brings and shares with us the indelible lessons she has learned about rage and violence. And she sings the praises of sensuality.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome imparts the lessons of a lifetime.
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 1996
About the author
Maya Angelou
290 books15k followersMaya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. Angelou was also an actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. In 1982, she was named the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made approximately 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes that include racism, identity, family, and travel.
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July 4, 2020
4.5 Stars!
I wanna start this review off by saying that I believe this book has the most beautiful title of any book I've ever read.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome just touched something inside me, but then again Maya Angelou always does. This book doesn't really have a definitive theme. It's more like a collection of mini essays about things she cares about. My favorite of these essays were the ones that dealt with sexuality. Maya Angelou is known all over the world for her beautiful writings and her sage wisdom but if you've read anything she's written then you'll know that Dr. Angelou loved sex. She was a passionate women in all aspects of her life and that included her sex life. I love this about her. Society often treats women with large sexual appetites like they are dumb whores. Like you be smart and wise and love sex too!
Dr. Angelou always let you know that she loved men and sex and felt that sex was part of her spiritual life. If only more people lived life like Maya Angelou.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome isn't one of her more well known books but I think it deserves more love.
A Must Read!
I wanna start this review off by saying that I believe this book has the most beautiful title of any book I've ever read.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome just touched something inside me, but then again Maya Angelou always does. This book doesn't really have a definitive theme. It's more like a collection of mini essays about things she cares about. My favorite of these essays were the ones that dealt with sexuality. Maya Angelou is known all over the world for her beautiful writings and her sage wisdom but if you've read anything she's written then you'll know that Dr. Angelou loved sex. She was a passionate women in all aspects of her life and that included her sex life. I love this about her. Society often treats women with large sexual appetites like they are dumb whores. Like you be smart and wise and love sex too!
Dr. Angelou always let you know that she loved men and sex and felt that sex was part of her spiritual life. If only more people lived life like Maya Angelou.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome isn't one of her more well known books but I think it deserves more love.
A Must Read!
July 28, 2023
I think this would be even better as an audiobook
March 14, 2010
I'm not the biggest Maya Angelou fan. I must admit that. I am, however, a fan of deckled edges. What is a deckled edge? A deckled edge is the term used for the technique of making the pages of a book look torn and ragged. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always liked the idea of reading books that look and feel old and worn-out.
To be honest, this was the only reason that I picked up this book. After admiring the edges of the pages for some time, I read a random paragraph on a random page and then decided to read the entire essay. In it, Angelou blames her home for the downfall of her marriage. She insists that the house’s many modern amenities reduced the need for arguments about housework, and subsequently opened the door for arguments about more significant issues.
The essay on her marriage’s breakdown lays the groundwork for other personal experiences, as well as the lessons learned from them. Ranging from faux pas at parties, to estranged ex-husbands, her stories are very personal and yet still approachable. Angelou manages to intertwine her anecdotes with poetry and proverbs, and in doing so, teaches several valuable lessons.
There is, coming from these deckled pages, a feeling that someone much older and much smarter than you is trying to tell you something very important.
To be honest, this was the only reason that I picked up this book. After admiring the edges of the pages for some time, I read a random paragraph on a random page and then decided to read the entire essay. In it, Angelou blames her home for the downfall of her marriage. She insists that the house’s many modern amenities reduced the need for arguments about housework, and subsequently opened the door for arguments about more significant issues.
The essay on her marriage’s breakdown lays the groundwork for other personal experiences, as well as the lessons learned from them. Ranging from faux pas at parties, to estranged ex-husbands, her stories are very personal and yet still approachable. Angelou manages to intertwine her anecdotes with poetry and proverbs, and in doing so, teaches several valuable lessons.
There is, coming from these deckled pages, a feeling that someone much older and much smarter than you is trying to tell you something very important.
May 17, 2025
Se os olhos de Maya Angelou “absorvem a variedade e a singularidade do mundo”, é mediante essas experiências que a escritora se propõe a narrar e refletir tanto em ‘Não trocaria minha jornada por nada’ como nesta obra sobre os temas que envolvem a feminilidade, a condição de mulher negra e em especial, acerca da liberdade de ser quem se é.
Nesse segmento, a escritora exalta a cultura africana ao mesmo tempo em que refuta aqueles que dela são influenciados mas a diminui; revela a importância do passado para a formação da identidade negra; conversa acerca da necessidade da arte como componente fundamental da vida; da vigilância essencial quando a fama surge e em especial, destrói qualquer ideia de tabu em uma ode à sensualidade e sexualidade.
Primando sempre ao apelo de não se prender a amarras e sempre que possível se unir à causa da solidariedade universal como antídoto à solidão, bem como a necessidade de sentir ódio a qualquer violência. Tudo isso atrelado a histórias, fatos de sua vida e situações cotidianas faz com que a obra seja intimista e próxima ao leitor. Gostei da leitura, conquanto ainda prefira Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
Nesse segmento, a escritora exalta a cultura africana ao mesmo tempo em que refuta aqueles que dela são influenciados mas a diminui; revela a importância do passado para a formação da identidade negra; conversa acerca da necessidade da arte como componente fundamental da vida; da vigilância essencial quando a fama surge e em especial, destrói qualquer ideia de tabu em uma ode à sensualidade e sexualidade.
Primando sempre ao apelo de não se prender a amarras e sempre que possível se unir à causa da solidariedade universal como antídoto à solidão, bem como a necessidade de sentir ódio a qualquer violência. Tudo isso atrelado a histórias, fatos de sua vida e situações cotidianas faz com que a obra seja intimista e próxima ao leitor. Gostei da leitura, conquanto ainda prefira Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
November 8, 2017
This is my first Maya Angelou book and I can't wait to read more of her / about her !
Throughout this book , Maya honestly and straight from the heart opens up about her marriages , sensuality , sexuality , children , acquaintances through the years , some events that really marked her life and most importanlty her african roots.
She is known for her smooth and wholesome style of writing and her extremely delicate poems , that's why I did not find it surprising that these short essays are written so beautifully and in an exquisite manner.
What I loved about this book is that I enjoyed reading every page of it and that I was paying attention to every single detail , therefore it felt somehow real , like i'm having a heart-to-heart conversation with my friend .
Maya , I wish I had read your books before , excuse my stupid delay.
Throughout this book , Maya honestly and straight from the heart opens up about her marriages , sensuality , sexuality , children , acquaintances through the years , some events that really marked her life and most importanlty her african roots.
She is known for her smooth and wholesome style of writing and her extremely delicate poems , that's why I did not find it surprising that these short essays are written so beautifully and in an exquisite manner.
What I loved about this book is that I enjoyed reading every page of it and that I was paying attention to every single detail , therefore it felt somehow real , like i'm having a heart-to-heart conversation with my friend .
Maya , I wish I had read your books before , excuse my stupid delay.
Read
January 5, 2021This book is described as a collection of "wisdom essays," which is a satisfyingly cogent way to characterize it. I do love a wisdom essay.
June 19, 2009
This book of short essays shares moments in the life of the renowned poet and author, Maya Angelou.
Ms. Angelou briefly discusses relationships with past lovers and husbands, her son, colleagues, her mother, Oprah Winfrey, and others she encountered throughout her remarkable life.
I read this book during a 19-hour power outage in the midst of the Texas summer heat (and no air conditioner)... mostly by battery-operated light and with the help of sun rays beaming through an uncovered window. This book and that situation helped me appreciate silence and solitude. The final two paragraphs of the final essay, "Even the Stars Look Lonesome" impacted me the most.
Ms. Angelou wrote:
"We need to remember and to teach our children that solitude can be a much-to-be-desired condition. Not only is it acceptable to be alone, at times it is positively to be wished for.
"It is in the interludes between being in company that we talk to ourselves. In the silence we listen to ourselves. Then we ask questions of ourselves. We describe ourselves to ourselves, and in the quietude we may even hear the voice of God."
Ms. Angelou briefly discusses relationships with past lovers and husbands, her son, colleagues, her mother, Oprah Winfrey, and others she encountered throughout her remarkable life.
I read this book during a 19-hour power outage in the midst of the Texas summer heat (and no air conditioner)... mostly by battery-operated light and with the help of sun rays beaming through an uncovered window. This book and that situation helped me appreciate silence and solitude. The final two paragraphs of the final essay, "Even the Stars Look Lonesome" impacted me the most.
Ms. Angelou wrote:
"We need to remember and to teach our children that solitude can be a much-to-be-desired condition. Not only is it acceptable to be alone, at times it is positively to be wished for.
"It is in the interludes between being in company that we talk to ourselves. In the silence we listen to ourselves. Then we ask questions of ourselves. We describe ourselves to ourselves, and in the quietude we may even hear the voice of God."
July 14, 2019
Maya Angelou was one of the 20th century’s most pronounced female voices, and she wielded that voice in the defense and celebration of all women, spanning age, race, and class. This is the fifth book I’ve read by Angelou and it is by far my favorite; her deliberate syntax and irresistible rhythm shine in all of her works, but in this book she specifically addresses the sociological positioning of women and the effects of societal stereotypes regarding women through a series of brief, delightful autobiographical essays that completely captured my imagination. This is definitely a book I will be returning to.
May 20, 2025
Loosely connected commentaries held together by a strong voice. Sensitive and insightful reflections on age, race, womanhood, and what each of us needs to preserve our humanity.
May 14, 2023
The last time I read a book by Maya Angelou (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings), I couldn't even grow a beard. Now, what a better way to get back into the brilliance that was Maya Angelou! Even the Stars Look Lonesome is an extremely short book of essays with topics that range from domesticity and marriage with (who I perceive to be) an unsupportive husband to moving out at the age of 17 years while pregnant to exploring sexuality, sensuality and procreation. This was, in many ways, an abridged autobiography, but equally, it was a text that calls for reflection on the struggles and triumphs of the disadvantaged and hopeless. A society is only as wealthy as its most distressed, Maya Angelou says.
I also loved the inclusion of poetry in this book. The Slave Auction by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was potent.
And mothers stood, with streaming eyes,
And saw their dearest children sold;
Unheeded rose their bitter cries,
While tyrants bartered them for gold.
And woman, with her love and truth—
For these in sable forms may dwell—
Gazed on the husband of her youth,
With anguish none may paint or tell.
And men, whose sole crime was their hue,
The impress of their Maker’s hand,
And frail and shrinking children too,
Were gathered in that mournful band.
I also loved the inclusion of poetry in this book. The Slave Auction by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was potent.
And mothers stood, with streaming eyes,
And saw their dearest children sold;
Unheeded rose their bitter cries,
While tyrants bartered them for gold.
And woman, with her love and truth—
For these in sable forms may dwell—
Gazed on the husband of her youth,
With anguish none may paint or tell.
And men, whose sole crime was their hue,
The impress of their Maker’s hand,
And frail and shrinking children too,
Were gathered in that mournful band.
June 21, 2024
I read this book in her voice. From the title to the last page it was as if I was in her home, following her through her kitchen to the living room . I give it 5 stars simply for that. I didn’t feel like there was a constant theme or flow to the book but I felt like I was just listening. Happy to have stumbled across this title and definitely recommend it to my sisters
May 9, 2023
i enjoyed reading maya angelou’s wisdom and experiences through these pages.
although, i am partial to her poetry.
overall 3.5⭐️
although, i am partial to her poetry.
overall 3.5⭐️
February 16, 2026
Let’s say 3.5 because some of the essays are really good. I admire Maya Angelou for everything she has represented, not only her writings. However, some of these small essays, although I see the quality of them, fell a bit short on my (probably unreasonable) expectations. But if something, for sure you can experience different realities and emotions, and her voice and courage are present in each one of those pages.
December 23, 2022
This is the first book of Maya Angelou's that I have read and I can say that I have truly been missing out.
She shares stories of her life and the influences of history in every moment. Lest we not forget the paths that our ancestors have paved for us. May we not see the asphalt of our past through rose colored glasses, but seek the beauty of the hard truth that fights through the cracks as weeds with the promise of a dandelion.
Her honesty in what it means to be a black woman in America, the truth of African Art, the sexuality of women as they grow older. It is like sitting at the feet of a woman who wears her history as a cloak of promise, that she will not forget and we will not either.
These quotes each made me stop and take a breath. For their own reasons, but I share them here to let you see a snippet of the wisdom she has given us through a poetic muse. To share the thoughts many of us cannot fixate into words with poise and rigorous honesty.
"Mostly what I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one's bones and the cragginess of ones once-silken skin, is this: do it. By all means, do it."
"A lack of courage allows us to remain blinded to our own history and deaf to the cries of our past."
"Are you so poor that the only thing edible about a chicken was its feet, about the cow, its tail, about a hog its intestine and its ankles? Such one-liners can amuse because the listener knows that the person who isn't aware of poverty is spared its most cruel lash. For it is hateful to be young, bright, ambitious, and poor. The added insult is to be aware of one's poverty."
She shares stories of her life and the influences of history in every moment. Lest we not forget the paths that our ancestors have paved for us. May we not see the asphalt of our past through rose colored glasses, but seek the beauty of the hard truth that fights through the cracks as weeds with the promise of a dandelion.
Her honesty in what it means to be a black woman in America, the truth of African Art, the sexuality of women as they grow older. It is like sitting at the feet of a woman who wears her history as a cloak of promise, that she will not forget and we will not either.
These quotes each made me stop and take a breath. For their own reasons, but I share them here to let you see a snippet of the wisdom she has given us through a poetic muse. To share the thoughts many of us cannot fixate into words with poise and rigorous honesty.
"Mostly what I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one's bones and the cragginess of ones once-silken skin, is this: do it. By all means, do it."
"A lack of courage allows us to remain blinded to our own history and deaf to the cries of our past."
"Are you so poor that the only thing edible about a chicken was its feet, about the cow, its tail, about a hog its intestine and its ankles? Such one-liners can amuse because the listener knows that the person who isn't aware of poverty is spared its most cruel lash. For it is hateful to be young, bright, ambitious, and poor. The added insult is to be aware of one's poverty."
October 19, 2011
(Read 6/2009) "Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now" and "Even the Stars Look Lonesome" by Maya Angelou. These two works are not part of the autobiographical series (six books) that begins with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." The two books I am discussing here are more like a collection of small vignettes which discuss various topics.
The wonderful thing about these two works and the later book of the same style, "Letter to my Daughter," is that they are chock full of sage advice and that they examine the human condition. I think that is what I personally love about Maya Angelou, she unabashedly and without any sense of shame or shyness lays out her experiences in life and has something everybody can relate to on the human level. One of the most amazing things about being a human being is that we can reflect on our experiences and learn from them and learn from the lives of others. We, as people, do not just exist moment to moment in a basic way like other species do.
The books cover so many topics, that I think it best perhaps to just list a few of them to give you a general idea of the types of things she discusses:
House vs. Home
Africa
Oprah Winfrey
Aging
Sensuality and Sexuality
Fame
Anger/Rage/Violence
Being a Woman
How to Live Well
The Power of Faith and Spirituality
These two books, like so many of her other published pieces, make on feel as if they are receiving sage advice, wisdom, and a sense of peace via conversations with a dear and beloved friend.
The wonderful thing about these two works and the later book of the same style, "Letter to my Daughter," is that they are chock full of sage advice and that they examine the human condition. I think that is what I personally love about Maya Angelou, she unabashedly and without any sense of shame or shyness lays out her experiences in life and has something everybody can relate to on the human level. One of the most amazing things about being a human being is that we can reflect on our experiences and learn from them and learn from the lives of others. We, as people, do not just exist moment to moment in a basic way like other species do.
The books cover so many topics, that I think it best perhaps to just list a few of them to give you a general idea of the types of things she discusses:
House vs. Home
Africa
Oprah Winfrey
Aging
Sensuality and Sexuality
Fame
Anger/Rage/Violence
Being a Woman
How to Live Well
The Power of Faith and Spirituality
These two books, like so many of her other published pieces, make on feel as if they are receiving sage advice, wisdom, and a sense of peace via conversations with a dear and beloved friend.
September 4, 2018
A journey so exceptional that all it can give you is a ride of pain and pleasure accompanied with awe !
It's the first book that I have ever read of Maya Angelou. It's so honest and yet so poetic ! All I want to do next is read her autobiographies.
Her writing is so to the point, yet so radical at times. I love the way she looks at immortal things and the way she describes the mortals.
The truth of the brutalities held against a whole race is quite stirring, but at the same time Maya's take on pain and history is equally intriguing.
My favourite emotion from this book is that of courage. How for three consecutive centuries they (the race) survived and struggled hard to fight for their rights and their culture and the truth. How they did not yield to the painful history neither to the blurred future. How they kept on going with all the miseries, but with hearts filled with hopes till the rim.
It's the first book that I have ever read of Maya Angelou. It's so honest and yet so poetic ! All I want to do next is read her autobiographies.
Her writing is so to the point, yet so radical at times. I love the way she looks at immortal things and the way she describes the mortals.
The truth of the brutalities held against a whole race is quite stirring, but at the same time Maya's take on pain and history is equally intriguing.
My favourite emotion from this book is that of courage. How for three consecutive centuries they (the race) survived and struggled hard to fight for their rights and their culture and the truth. How they did not yield to the painful history neither to the blurred future. How they kept on going with all the miseries, but with hearts filled with hopes till the rim.
September 15, 2018
GoodRead! Definitely my least favorite if I had to choose, Yet it is still Maya Angelou and she is Absolutely One of the Greatest. I, like the lot of us Love her for her GreatBody of Work, her Beautiful Sprite, her Humanity, and her Humility. But it is too good to just know that such a Giant Public Figure & Pillar of the Black Community she too has flaws, she shares with us her pain & struggles which too brings her that much closer to us and makes it feel like we are really Family.
July 16, 2015
I actually listened to this as an audiobook while traveling on the plane. I so enjoyed listening to the raw honesty of one of my favorite poets. Maya discusses her marriages, her childhood, Oprah, sensuality vs. sexuality including having sex as you're getting older. Quite easy listening, but something that you will want to take slowly in order to soak up her words of experience.
January 23, 2016
This was a great short story read of the great poet and novelist Maya Angelo.
I read her autobiography "Why the Cage Bird Sings" and fell in love with her writing. I have given several of her books to female family members and friends as gifts.
Her writings are for all to read and I hope young ladies & men before the age of 18 enjoy the opportunity to read at least one of her novels.
I read her autobiography "Why the Cage Bird Sings" and fell in love with her writing. I have given several of her books to female family members and friends as gifts.
Her writings are for all to read and I hope young ladies & men before the age of 18 enjoy the opportunity to read at least one of her novels.
January 16, 2018
Starts out sweet and gradually toughens. An interesting series of very personal essays. One hundred and thirty smallish pages of large type, in other words does not take a lot of time to read, but definitely worth the effort.
November 26, 2020
A slight, slender volume, this collection of brief essays by Ms. Angelou is a quick and easy read.
It's casual, personal, and almost entirely unpretentious. She mocks herself, her foibles, her pride. She laughs about life. There's an essay about Oprah, just because she wrote it, it's her book, and Maya Angelou wants to tell you about Oprah. There's a vignette about her mom in the grocery line. There's serious talk about suffering, poverty, and the black experience. Whatever. It pretty much all works.
Her prose, flavored with the spice of her verse, is rich and earthy and effortless. It feels at times like you're sitting on a sofa in some salon, and there she is, holding forth on this topic or that topic. Were she a lesser raconteur, you'd be disinterested, but she sparkles and you listen.
Is there a theme to the book? No, not really. It's just, hey, here's some stuff Maya Angelou wrote, and that's just fine. Better than fine.
It's casual, personal, and almost entirely unpretentious. She mocks herself, her foibles, her pride. She laughs about life. There's an essay about Oprah, just because she wrote it, it's her book, and Maya Angelou wants to tell you about Oprah. There's a vignette about her mom in the grocery line. There's serious talk about suffering, poverty, and the black experience. Whatever. It pretty much all works.
Her prose, flavored with the spice of her verse, is rich and earthy and effortless. It feels at times like you're sitting on a sofa in some salon, and there she is, holding forth on this topic or that topic. Were she a lesser raconteur, you'd be disinterested, but she sparkles and you listen.
Is there a theme to the book? No, not really. It's just, hey, here's some stuff Maya Angelou wrote, and that's just fine. Better than fine.
July 6, 2024
What a sweet read!! I'm realizing I love this writing format of short autobiographical/reflective essays. I was reminded of Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi. I loved this for very similar reasons, the main one being that we get a peek into her mind/thought-patterns/existence surrounding her everyday, experiences with love, thoughts on aging, travel, success, writing, etc. It feels like I'm sitting with an older friend, recounting her life experiences and dropping nuggets of wisdom. I feel mirrored here, by a black woman who has lived and succeeded as an artist. Would love a memoir formatted this way by Octavia Butler, the closest thing I’ve seen was in Bloodchild through her reflections after each story and the two autobiographical essays. I eat this stuff up, it makes me feel very seen and very real. Thank you Maya, Akwaeke, and Octavia.
July 12, 2020
I read this book quite a while ago, probably around the time it was published in 1996, so when I saw it at a garage sale for 25 cents I thought I might like to read it again. It is a short book and can be read in a few hours. Anyone that has heard Maya Angelou speak knows the deep, lyrical quality of her voice. I could hear her speaking as I read the book and it had a cadence that made it move along quickly. Her words are inspirational and are still relevant today. This book is part autobiographical and part inspirational. My favorite all-time quote and one I try to live my life by: People will forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.
August 9, 2025
More of a 3.5.
I read "Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now" a few years ago and remember not being blown away by it. In the time since, I've read her complete poetry collection as well as several installments of her memoir, all of which I have enjoyed more. It's not right to say that I didn't enjoy these essays. It's more that most of them are too brief and failed to leave much of an impression.
I really like the topics. I really like her writing; I like how humor shines through from time to time. These just felt more like musings or snapshots than what I was expecting. Many of them are not over three pages long. They are all quite personal, though, which I enjoyed. I also really did love "Art for the Sake of the Soul" and highlighted quite a lot of it.
I don't know that I will be revisiting it, but it's a quick read, and I'm not sad to have read it.
I read "Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now" a few years ago and remember not being blown away by it. In the time since, I've read her complete poetry collection as well as several installments of her memoir, all of which I have enjoyed more. It's not right to say that I didn't enjoy these essays. It's more that most of them are too brief and failed to leave much of an impression.
I really like the topics. I really like her writing; I like how humor shines through from time to time. These just felt more like musings or snapshots than what I was expecting. Many of them are not over three pages long. They are all quite personal, though, which I enjoyed. I also really did love "Art for the Sake of the Soul" and highlighted quite a lot of it.
I don't know that I will be revisiting it, but it's a quick read, and I'm not sad to have read it.
July 29, 2021
Love her poetry and really like her volumes of autobiography, so this book of essays is the first time that the usually remarkable Maya Angelou has disappointed me. There are a very few great pieces, but on the whole the author substitutes anecdote for argument and personal experience for evidence. Even worse, she supports Clarence Thomas! I shall try to forget this book and remember Angelou for everything else she wrote.
July 15, 2023
another v short read but soooo good ofc 🤭 her prose is (obviously) insanely beautiful and captivating and the essay topics are so interesting!! my faves were “africa,” “aging,” “they came to stay,” and “mother and freedom.” ALSO the version i read only had 14 essays and wikipedia says there are supposed to be twenty (and one of the twenty is apparently defending clarence thomas 🤮🤢) BUT the 14 i read were gold 🫶🏾
August 31, 2020
This is my first Maya Angelo book but it certainly won't be the last. Teh way that she describes unconventional topics in this book was heartbreaking and breathtaking! I could feel every emotion alongside her: I could feel her joy, her her sorrow, her frustration, and her acceptance of her heritage. It was wonderful to read about the different themes that she wrote about!
December 30, 2020
I enjoyed the sincerity of this book. Its nuggets of wisdom carefully placed. Not all chapters were equal in quality and depth but still worth the read. Particularly the chapter on the importance of art- though it might be considered a biased perspective as the author is an artist! Yet still, her arguments are true.
July 12, 2025
3.4 stars. I liked this, I didn’t love it. I wanted to love it as Maya Angelou is an icon and this was my first to read. I’m going to try to get her first few in her autobiographical series and then maybe I’ll have a different understanding of this one. Of note: I saved multiple quotes from some of the chapters.
June 23, 2026
“we need art to live fully and to grow healthy. without it we are dry husks drifting aimlessly on every ill wind, our futures are without promise and our present without grace.”
“it is in the interludes between being in company that we talk to ourselves. in the silence we listen”
“it is in the interludes between being in company that we talk to ourselves. in the silence we listen”
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