When I was in film school, she sent me a donation check for my thesis film after I wrote her a letter explaining how we needed gas to get to our many locations. I never knew her and she never knew me. The NYU staff made a copy of the check and put it up on the wall.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was one of the books that inspired me to commit to writing. She truly was a role model for me. RIP Maya Angelou.