Our Views: Take poet’s good advice

In an age when the decline of reading is widely lamented — and in an era when poetry rarely gets much attention at the bookstore — we’re heartened by poet Maya Aneglou’s sold-out appearance at LSU’s Student Union Theater.

The 84-year-old Angelou, known around the world for her poetry as well as her books of memoir, including “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” drew repeated applause during her local appearance. She’s perhaps the first American poet since Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg, who both died a generation ago, to achieve this kind of popularity in the general public.

We especially like the advice that Angelou dispensed to students in the audience at her Baton Rouge lecture. “Go to the library. Tomorrow,” she told young people.

Reading helped lift Angelou, an African-American, from modest circumstances in the Jim Crow South. Angelou is a stirring example of the power of the printed word in changing lives.

We hope that Angelou’s young listeners take her words to heart.

Comments

1) Comment by Bouncer - 23/02/2013

@rgeraldwallace: as usual, you appear in this forum, leaving your fragrant droppings for all to sniff. In point of fact, much more profound, informed, and educated minds than YOURS have judged Ms. Angelou to be an important African-American voice. Your implication that she has received recognition "just because she's black" is typical of your bigoted mindset. My hunch is that you have never read a single word of what she has written---primarily, I would guess, because her books do not have pop-ups and colorful pictures in them.

2) Comment by [e-mail] - 22/02/2013

Angelou is the most over-rated poet of all time; she was elevated and made famous for reasons having nothing to do with her poetry. Still, if she's urging students to visit a library that's something.

3) Comment by unevahno - 22/02/2013

I hope she doesn't know that in Louisiana, the bible in taught in science classes. We deserve to be laughed at, but our children will suffer. Thank you, Piyush.

4) Comment by prbeav - 21/02/2013

Angelou's message seems tragic with Jindal in control of Louisiana education and on the page with another teacher's letter of objection.