The author and poet recalls the anguish of her childhood in Arkansas and her adolescence in northern slums. "Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou's debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother...

Traces the entertainer's entry into the vaudeville circuit at the age of six, his early career, and his achievements on Broadway, in Hollywood, and in Las Vegas in the face of pre-civil rights movement racial tensions.

Includes glossary