Maya Angelou Interview

The editor of Splash of Red magazine thanked the readers for being loyal by asking them if they had anyone they would like to see interviewed. One ambitious reader asked for an interview with Maya Angelou, and Splash of Red was able to deliver.

In the interview, Angelou discusses her writing process: “When I’m writing a book, I keep a hotel room in town – whatever town I’m living in – and I’m on the first floor. I rent it by the month. I talk with housekeeping management and I explain that I don’t want anybody in my room so they never have to change sheets or change towels. I don’t use any of that. I go in around 6:30 in the morning. And I keep in the room my Bible, a Roget’s Thesaurus, a Random House dictionary, stacks of yellow pads, and pens and crossword puzzles. . . .”

After further discussion on this answer, SoR asks “Even though you have performed with dance and been involved in theater, what is it that inspires you to write poetry as a creative medium?” Angelou admits that she doesn’t think she has ever been asked that question before: “I love the sound of the human voice. I’ve never been asked that before, I don’t think. I know I’ve never given that answer before but that’s really what it is. You see poetry is music written for the human voice and I love it. I spent six years of my life as a mute, a voluntary mute. I could speak but I wouldn’t. I would go into a room and think of my whole body as an ear. And I could go into a room and absorb all of the sound osmotically through my pores, my ears, and my hair. And I’ve never found any human voice I didn’t like. I’ve found words they’ve said…but the voice itself – I love the human voice. English to me is the most fantastic language.”

You can read the full interview on Splash of Red’s website.