All writers, whether print or digital, mourn the passing of Maya Angelou. Is there a person in the world she did not touch or inspire in some way? Her manner of inspiring hope and her ability to work magic with words will be missed.
In an interview with Time.com, the interviewer asked Angelou, “Do you have any unfinished business?” Her reply can serve as inspiration to all of us: “I’ve still not written as well as I want to. I want to write so that the reader in Des Moines, Iowa, in Kowloon, China, in Cape Town, South Africa, can say, ‘You know, that’s the truth. I wasn’t there, and I wasn’t a six-foot black girl, but that’s the truth.’”
Your goal as a writer should be to reach people and to write in such a way that they hear your authenticity and connect with you (and perhaps a part of themselves of which they were unaware), no matter how different they are from you. That was what Maya Angelou was able to do with such ease, and that is the inspiration we hope all writers will take from her.
What are your favorite poems, quotes, and inspirations from Maya Angelou? We would love to hear how she touched your life.
Read: 17 Maya Angelou quotes that will inspire you to be a better person.
