hearts and laserbeams book report: i know why the caged bird sings

i don't know if i've told you before; i heart maya angelou a ton. i'm not sure exactly what it is about her, but number one i could listen to her talk all day, and number two i wish she was my grandma.

she was the keynote speaker at scad the year before i graduated, and because my buddy trav was a year ahead i was there to hear her talk in person and i would be lying if i told you i was not all choked up and kind of crying like an ass a little by the time she was done.

on a sidenote, the next year when i graduated our speaker was nora ephron. i was kinda really peeved about that at the time, because how do you go from someone as freaking AMAZING as maya angelou one year, to the writer of you've got mail the next? but looking at that imdb page i'm being a little harsh... she also wrote my blue heaven and that movie is effing amazing so all is forgiven. also, i got to shake hands with bernie casey at my graduation and that may be the most badass thing ever in the world. he's best known for being the leader of the black fraternity the nerds join in revenge of the nerds, and he is a total badass.

but i digress! without further ado, the latest hearts and laserbeams book report!

hearts and laserbeams book report: i know why the caged bird sings by maya angelou

i can sum up this book about maya angelou's life from childhood through about age 18 in one sentence: girl has seen some shit.

if i liked her before, i love her now. three reasons: anyone who opens a book about their life by telling about how they almost peed in church, anyone who lived in a junkyard for a month, anyone who taught themselves to drive stick shift the very first time they've ever driven so they can get their drunk parent back from mexico to california because the parent is passed out drunk in the back seat - anyone who has shit like this to talk about is all right by me.

as i was reading this one, josh would periodically ask me "do you know why the caged bird sings yet!??" and i'd be all no she didn't say! i don't know if there's a sequel or something where they disclose this shit for real, but at no point in this book did she actually say "hey that caged bird sings because _____ fill in the blank. what a ripoff!!! it was one of those titles that is supposed to make you think!

my best explanation of it is the caged bird sings because that's all it has - birds weren't meant to be cooped up, and if they didn't sing their lives would be completely drab and pointless. all of the shit this woman's been through and the crappy situations she was stuck in, if she didn't dream of someday having a better life and work towards that end then hope would die and what the hell would be the point.

honestly this may be one of the best books i've ever read - it reminded me in a way of push by sapphire, which i also loved. but what's so significant to me here is that you can go through the completely crappy things maya angelou's been through, and still turn out to be someone like maya angelou. and that right there should be hope for anyone in those situations as long as they're willing to work to rise above it.

ratings
5 hearts: this book was totally freaking amazing and if you've never read it you totally effing should, the end!
0 farts: if i said anything bad about maya angelou i fear i may be struck by lightning, sorry folks.

this may have been a deeper book report than you're used to, but this book was effing awesome. stay tuned, cuz tomorrow i'll review a book i read that i flat-out hated and that one'll be much more full of swears and crap!

also, if you've never been to the bolsa chica wetlands before, you totally should go! i went with my sis and her kids this morning and it was rad - you can see pics here!