An·ge·lou (?n?j?-lo?o?), Maya Originally Marguerite Johnson. 1928-2014. American poet, playwright, and novelist best known for her autobiographical novels, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970).American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.