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.Angelou (?ænd??lu?) n (Biography) Maya, real name Marguerite Johnson. 1928?2014, US Black novelist, poet, and dramatist. Her works include the autobiographical novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) and its sequelsCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014An?ge?lou (?æn d???lu) n. Maya (Marguerite Johnson), born 1928, U.S. poet, novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.