Rating: 
Summary: A Reader¿s Delight!
Review: "A Song Flung to Heaven" and her other memoirs tell the story of an inspiring and courageous woman! The more of Maya Angelou's books I read, the more mesmerized I become by her brilliant story telling, stunning honesty and penetrating observations.
She is a powerful voice for not only the African Americans but for all people who have suffered oppression. Although she once had a bone-deep, painful suspicion of the white world she transformed her pain to become a powerful human rights advocate.
She shares her Mythic Life and epic unfoldment with candor and grace. The sorrows of a broken home, sexual abuse, poverty, and failed relationships and the joys of her faith (there is no place that God is not), motherhood, strong family and friendship ties, and becoming a dazzling entertainer, world traveler, actress, poet and author.
Her six memoirs are a reader's delight!
Rating:
Summary: Notes from an eyewitness to history
Review: "A Song Flung Up to Heaven" is the continuation of Maya Angelou's series of autobiographical narratives. This volume opens in the mid 1960s as Angelou returns to the United States from Africa with the intention of working with Malcolm X. The narrative follows Maya's life in Hawaii, California, and New York.Maya reflects on her work as a stage performer and aspiring writer, and reminisces about her relationships with her son, her mother, and her friends. The book is really fascinating as it tells of her relationships and encounters with many noteworthy people: Martin Luther King Jr., Nichelle Nichols, Rosa Guy, and others. The author paints a particularly warm and moving portrait of the great writer and activist James Baldwin. "Song" continues to explore many of the important themes of her other books, such as the relationship between Africans and African-Americans. Angelou does a good job of capturing intimate human relationships and placing them in the context of great movements in history. The book also looks at the genesis of her celebrated book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." This is a well-written, very engaging book; I read all 212 pages in literally a single evening. I recommend as companion texts to this wonderful book the following: the previous volumes of Angelou's autobiography, the essays of James Baldwin, the autobiography of Malcolm X, Audre Lorde's "Zami," and any good collection of King's essays and speeches.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasurable Conversation With Maya...
Review: "A Song Flung Up To Heaven" was one of my book club selections. As much as I admire and respect Maya Angelou, I may not have read this, had it not been a book club selection. I thought I already knew enough about her life...I saw the Oprah interview (smile). But that is another positive reason to join a book club. It pushes you to expand your reading selection horizons. The author writes well and illustrates her points well. Since this book is autobiographical in nature...character development was automatic. I felt as if I was up close and personal with Maya Angelou. Just two sister friends chatting about her life's journey and lessons. It was also a history lesson in the chapters of her life that crossed paths with Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Beah Richards, President Clinton and other recognizable names. I was able to view her more as an ordinary woman instead of this larger than life awesome woman that has made her indelible mark in this world. I say this partly because she was taught some lessons in life that we all have to learn. Her mother spoke words of wisdom like most...such as "Look to the hills from whence cometh your help." "You can tell a person by the company he keeps." and "Never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing." Just as Maya visited the Audubon Ballroom for peace after Malcolm X's death, Upon visiting New York some years ago,I too needed to see where the Audubon Ballroom once was located. I needed to envision in my own mind his last earthly chosen destination, for my own sense of peace or closure for the man that I admired for his great contribution. So even though Maya's journey has been opposite mine, we all have common wants, needs and desires (no matter how great or small). In reference to relatinships and meeting the other woman in her man's life, she stated, "...we were both rendered speechless by laughter. We were both intelligent women who had been had by the same man. In more ways than one." As you flow from chapter to chapter...nearer to the end...you will smile because she still lives and will write again.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasurable Conversation With Maya...
Review: "A Song Flung Up To Heaven" was one of my book club selections. As much as I admire and respect Maya Angelou, I may not have read this, had it not been a book club selection. I thought I already knew enough about her life...I saw the Oprah interview (smile). But that is another positive reason to join a book club. It pushes you to expand your reading selection horizons. The author writes well and illustrates her points well. Since this book is autobiographical in nature...character development was automatic. I felt as if I was up close and personal with Maya Angelou. Just two sister friends chatting about her life's journey and lessons. It was also a history lesson in the chapters of her life that crossed paths with Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Beah Richards, President Clinton and other recognizable names. I was able to view her more as an ordinary woman instead of this larger than life awesome woman that has made her indelible mark in this world. I say this partly because she was taught some lessons in life that we all have to learn. Her mother spoke words of wisdom like most...such as "Look to the hills from whence cometh your help." "You can tell a person by the company he keeps." and "Never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing." Just as Maya visited the Audubon Ballroom for peace after Malcolm X's death, Upon visiting New York some years ago,I too needed to see where the Audubon Ballroom once was located. I needed to envision in my own mind his last earthly chosen destination, for my own sense of peace or closure for the man that I admired for his great contribution. So even though Maya's journey has been opposite mine, we all have common wants, needs and desires (no matter how great or small). In reference to relatinships and meeting the other woman in her man's life, she stated, "...we were both rendered speechless by laughter. We were both intelligent women who had been had by the same man. In more ways than one." As you flow from chapter to chapter...nearer to the end...you will smile because she still lives and will write again.
Rating:
Summary: Notes from an eyewitness to history
Review: "A Song Flung Up to Heaven" is the continuation of Maya Angelou's series of autobiographical narratives. This volume opens in the mid 1960s as Angelou returns to the United States from Africa with the intention of working with Malcolm X. The narrative follows Maya's life in Hawaii, California, and New York. Maya reflects on her work as a stage performer and aspiring writer, and reminisces about her relationships with her son, her mother, and her friends. The book is really fascinating as it tells of her relationships and encounters with many noteworthy people: Martin Luther King Jr., Nichelle Nichols, Rosa Guy, and others. The author paints a particularly warm and moving portrait of the great writer and activist James Baldwin. "Song" continues to explore many of the important themes of her other books, such as the relationship between Africans and African-Americans. Angelou does a good job of capturing intimate human relationships and placing them in the context of great movements in history. The book also looks at the genesis of her celebrated book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." This is a well-written, very engaging book; I read all 212 pages in literally a single evening. I recommend as companion texts to this wonderful book the following: the previous volumes of Angelou's autobiography, the essays of James Baldwin, the autobiography of Malcolm X, Audre Lorde's "Zami," and any good collection of King's essays and speeches.
Rating:
Summary: Another splendid addition to Angelou's memoir collection!
Review: A Song Flung Up To Heaven is a continuation of the experiences of Maya Angelou. If you've read any of her previous memoirs, you will know that Dr. Angelou has lead and continues to led a rich and full life - something that cannot be covered in one or two books. This sixth memoir starts with Dr. Angelou's return to the U.S. from Ghana, West Africa. It ends with the time she was about to write her first memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. In between, the book is filled with her encounters with various people and her experience during some disturbing times in American history - the murder of Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, and the Watts riots in California. I most enjoyed reading about my favorite personalities from Dr. Angelou's past memoirs - Vus Make, her handsome, intelligent, charismatic African husband; Bailey Johnson, her older, caring big brother; Guy Johnson, her intelligent, independent son and Vivian Baxter, her smart mother. Reading Dr. Angelou's continued memoir is like sitting with an old, trusted and respected friend; there's a treasured feeling as you listen to her stories as they come one after the other. Fafa Demasio
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: A Song Flung Up to Heaven was a quick touching read. It reviews the feelings and sentiments felt by people during the turbulent period of 1964 -1968. We can read what happened to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. from history books. Many of us can call upon people who were young during this period to draw out their perceptions. Very rarely have those feelings been cast into rememberences of books or autobiographies. Ms. Angelou, through her journey, was able to poignantly express her feelings. Feelings of expectation, utter devistation, sheer shock and wanton disbelief. We are indeed blessed that Ms. Angelou is able to grace us with many more books and poems. I look forward to many more wonderful works such as this.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappoingtingly thin
Review: Boy I feel terrible even writing this. I love Maya Angelou's writing so much that if she were to walk into my office right now, I'd kiss the ground that her poetic feet had touched. But this book is so thin -- both in terms of number of pages and detail -- that it screams "contractual obligation" to me. There is very little of the poetry, wisdom, description of the human condition or even the wit that usually makes her writing so fulfilling and telling. Basically, she was going to work for Malcolm X, but then he was killed, and it bummed her out. She was in L.A. during the riots, and it bummed her out. She was going to work for Dr. King, and he was killed, and it bummed her out. James Baldwin told her to get hold of herself, and she stumbled into writing her first book, the now-classic "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Obviously she must have had some kind of personal or professional relationship with both Malcolm X and Dr. King for them to have invited her to work for them. But we get absolutely no description of their relationship, the characters of either man, or what drew her to two figures of such power and -- importantly -- such opposing political and social outlooks. I will continue to wait for the next great book from Dr. Angelou. Sadly for me and, I suspect, many of her readers and fans, this is not it.
Rating:
Summary: Like listening to history come alive!
Review: Heard A SONG FLUNG UP TO HEAVEN, written and read by Maya
Angelou--the sixth volume of an autobiographical series that began
more than 30 years ago with the appearance of I KNOW WHY THE
CAGED BIRD SINGS. I had read CAGED BIRD, but nothing in-between . . . I now am
tempted to go back to see what I've missed because I liked this
latest volume so much . . . it was like listening to history come
alive. Angelou has certainly lived an amazing life, having worked
with Malcom X and then Martin Luther King, Jr. . . . she was
there when Watts exploded in violence, and she also got
to visit black churches all over America to support the
Poor People's March. She never had it easy . . . as a child, she was the victim of
abuse . . . and throughout the rest of life, she has had to
overcome various other obstacles and prejudices . . . yet
she has managed to survive and succeed and, as such,
made her life (and this story) an inspirational one.
Rating:
Summary: Angelou is like Butter!
Review: I am continually thrilled to catch up on Maya Angelou's life...or should I say her many lives all joined together in one! Her life as a child in Stamps Arkansas, her life as a prostitute, dancer, singer, actor, her life in Africa, her life as a black activist, her life after Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and her life now. 74 and still rising. Rising. And the dinner parties! I feel I have been to all of them. The delectable food, rich conversation, and guests to die for. I was there! "A Song Flung Up To Heaven"
brings the reader on another journey...from Africa to the
United States. We meet Malcolm X briefly and Martin L. King...before they are assassinated.
We walk the dark, smoky, streets of Watts. We meet racism face to face, smell the reality of it. And we meet "The African" (what a mysterious, sexy title)
this is what Angelou calls her African lover.
She describes him as intellegent, sexy, brilliant, astonishingly handsome, funny, "And he loved me." When he arrives in the United States she describes him again...
"When he walked in he was very beautiful and very black."
I love that! Angelou is devastated by the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin L. King... "Some words are spoken and not heard because the ears cannot
hear them." There is an image in the book which stayed w/me of a black man walking around Watts bare chested with a drum around his neck...pounding and yelling. No songs or music, just pounding and yelling. Like hope had dyed. But Maya's friend tells her this: "You know how we survived, Maya? We put surviving into our poems and our songs, in our folf tales, we danced surviving in congo square, and put it in our pots when we cooked pinto beans,we clothed ourselves in the colors of the rainbow..." "Song" is not a book about hopelessness. It is a book about surviving, living, loving, singing, dancing, and rising above the very depths of dispair. Maya uses an African phrase, (KO NE BRA)
which means
"Go and Come" Maya, please come more than go ...
and when you do go,
please come back soon with a new song for us to savor.
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