This person died in 2014 at age 86. She was a Tony-nominated stage actress, and a calypso dancer for a period of time. In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a college professor and a ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit, and also made several appearances on “Sesame Street”. Throughout her writing, she explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. In 1969, she published her landmark book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Today’s dead celebrity is Maya Angelou.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali) and Episode 26 “Wild Thing” (Maurice Sendak)
LINKS:
New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou memorial page on Wake Forest University site
Maya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 inauguration
Tracy Morgan’s impersonation of Angelou’s Hallmark Cards on SNL
Maya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan Grier
Maya Angelou’s Life in Photos in the New Yorker
“And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya Angelou
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Famous & Gravy official website
This episode of Famous & Gravy considers how Maya Angelou shaped public consciousness as part of a dead celebrity podcast and known for obituary-based storytelling, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. This episode invites contemplation about the emotional architecture of legacy. This legacy podcast explores celebrity obituary podcast and contributes to smart pop culture podcast.
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