he black American writer Maya Angelou won international acclaim with the publication of the first volume of her autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", an eloquent memoir of a tragic childhood in the deep south. Raped by her mother's boy-friend at 8, she became mute for five years. Despite these harrowing accounts, her writing is full of hope, providing inspiration for a whole generation. Jeremy Isaacs asks Maya Angelou about her life, writing, and her hopes for the future.