Maya Angelou-critically-acclaimed poet, writer, and playwright-is a living testament to what a woman may become when she sings the sassy song of herself. Lyric, rich and rhythmic, her narratives are distilled from the personal odysseys of her own life. Here, this celebrated contemporary author recounts her adventures as an earthy, reckless young woman searching for dignity and decency in post-World War II California and discovering it in the most unlikely places.