Renowned Author and Poet Maya Angelou Dies at 86

Maya Angelou, the author and poet best known for classic memoirs such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, has passed away at the age of 86. Angelou reportedly passed away at her home in Winston-Salem, N.C. and was discovered dead by her caregiver. Her “longtime literary agent” Helen Brann told the New York Times  that the author had been in “frail health for some time and had had heart problems.” Angelou had just turned 86 in early April, and leaves behind several dozen bodies of work, including spoken-word albums, poems, essays and films.