Maya Angelou to visit IU

With more than 20 novels, 30 honorary degrees from universities across the country, and Emmy and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Maya Angelou's next project will be here in Bloomington. The novelist, poet, dancer and teacher will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 at the IU Auditorium. Tickets are free to all IU students, faculty, and staff and will be available at 10 a.m. Thursday.\nAngelou's accomplishments do not exist only in awards -- she became the first black woman to speak at an inauguration ceremony at President Bill Clinton's celebration in 1993, which several professors said is indicative of her prominence. \nProfessor Tony Ardizzone, who teaches creative writing and ethnic American Literature, said Angelou is an expert at knowing how to reach an audience successfully.\n"She is one of the most eloquent readers," he said. "She's extremely articulate, extraordinarily gracious and has a charismatic presence. People will go and be utterly captivated."\nProfessor Emeritus Phyllis Klotman, who knows Angelou personally, said students can expect Angelou to speak about her life, read and perform her poetry and also allow students to ask questions.\n"She's spellbinding," Klotman said. "She moves around the stage, and she's great to watch because she knows the stage as well as she knows the words. When she combines the two things she brings everybody in -- it's as though she spreads her arms out and everybody comes in."\nJunior Vaughn Allen, Union Board president, said the board wanted to bring her to campus because she is categorized in subject area that has not been targeted lately.\n"A lot of what she speaks about focuses on triumph in the face of overwhelming adversity," Allen said. "Her life story is so compelling -- where she came from, the time she spent in Africa and her involvement with women's rights."\nBecause she deals with many social issues, her books have been banned across the country. Ardizzone said the controversy surrounding her work is a testimony to her strength as a writer.\n"It's not so much schools, but school boards. They sometimes can be full of timid people and want the books their students read in classes to be about as bland as the food served in cafeteria," he said. "They want to avoid controversy."\nBut he said because of the depth of her writing, students who read her work or listen to her presentation can learn numerous lessons.\n"I wouldn't want to reduce it to any single lesson," he said. "At the least, you learn how gorgeous and graceful the English language can be used. She'll have people lining up with copies of her books to sign … she'll engage them with always careful and articulate use of language."\nKlotman said although Angelou's unique use of language usually classifies her as a writer, she is better defined as an artist who offers many valuable lessons.\n"It's hard to say what students might learn," she said. "What do you learn when you read a book or recite poetry? You'll learn something about humanism, a culture that's not your own, learn something from someone who is insightful and perceptive about life. It's not as tangible as you might want it to be, but it's an experience you won't forget"