Maya Angelou Voices Ode to Bush

New York Magazine ^ | Week of 2/11/02 | BY MARC S. MALKIN

[NYCVirago]

Think of Maya Angelou and politics, and the first things that come to mind are her poetry reading at Bill Clinton's first presidential inauguration in 1993 and her unwavering support for Al Gore in 2000. But Angelou is singing a slightly different tune these days. She actually likes W. "I liked him a lot while he was down there at ground zero, when he said, 'We hear you. The world hears you,' " Angelou told us while in New York promoting her new line of Hallmark cards and trinkets. "That is what America needed at that moment. We needed to know that we had some protection. People who felt so suddenly vulnerable and fearful were strengthened by his ardor, by his fervor. He is not the president that I voted for . . . but he may be a man for his time." Despite her newfound admiration, Angelou isn't expecting to be spending time with the president anytime soon: "I've been welcome in a few White Houses, but I don't know about this one."

[NYCVirago]

But will Maya do a Hallmark greeting card praising Bush?

[GeronL]

Nah, hopefully she'll go back to being a Madame at a house of ill repute... her former profession.

[GATOR NAVY]

A classic example of the stopped clock being right twice a day.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

interesting ping

[NYCVirago]

ping to a real poet...

[Cyber Liberty]

How is that possible? She's as ugly as a bucketful of armpits.

[alaskanfan]

I opened this thread tentatively, afraid that I would be exposed to some more of that tripe she passes of as poetry. I was instead, more than pleasently suprised.

[RightWhale]

"I've been welcome in a few White Houses, but I don't know about this one."

Maybe if she says the right words.

[dead]

I like Bush.
He takes care of me.
Birds are nice.
They live in tree.

Why they gave me a Pulitzer
There’s no reason ‘neath the sun
All my poems are childish
Like Suess without the fun.

I write Hallmark greeting cards.
Filling them with tripe.
Even when I say something nice.
dead still mocks and gripes.

[NYCVirago]

I opened this thread tentatively, afraid that I would be exposed to some more of that tripe she passes of as poetry. I was instead, more than pleasently suprised.

Maybe we need to have a "non-barf alert" for items like these!

[VaBthang4]

No Way!!

How do you know this? Tell me more.

[Atticus]

I like Bush.

I read May Angelou's autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," in college. She admits to liking bush (with a small "b") in the book.

[NYCVirago]

How much of the book do you think was true? Some of it seemed like it was made up, like the way she describes how she became a madam. I'd like to see somebody compare the facts in the book to her real life.

[sheik yerbouty]

I never knew she worked at the Clinton White House!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I have another Maya Angelou poem that will sum up her Hallmark adventure;

My poetry was right on track
Why, oh why is it on the discount rack.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Along the same lines;

The high pices of your cards will make smart shoppers want to holler,
Maybe they'll buy them when they're marked down to ten for a dollar.

[GeronL]

Oh, its apparently a really old story. Like Peter Jennings and Hanan Ashwari being lovers =o)

I heard it somewhere, probably talk radio