Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/The Heart of a Woman

The Heart of a Woman

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add   to the top of the discussion and   at the bottom, then complete a new nomination underneath. To do this, see the instructions at TFAR nom/doc.

The result was: not scheduled by Brianboulton (talk) 08:37, 21 February 2016 (UTC)



The Heart of a Woman is an autobiography by American writer Maya Angelou (pictured), the fourth in her series of seven autobiographies, published in 1981. She recounts events in her life between 1957 and 1962, as she travels to California, New York, Cairo and Ghana, raises her teenage son, becomes a published author, active in the US civil rights movement, and romantically involved with a South African freedom fighter. One of the most important themes of the book is motherhood. It ends with her looking forward to newfound independence and freedom when her son leaves for college. Although most critics consider Angelou's first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings more favorably, The Heart of a Woman has received positive reviews and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in 1997. The title is taken from a poem by Harlem Renaissance poet Georgia Douglas Johnson, which connects Angelou with other female African-American writers. Critic Lyman B. Hagen states: "Faithful to the ongoing themes of survival, sense of self, and continuing education, The Heart of a Woman moves its central figures to a point of full personhood".
 * Most recent similar article(s): last book 6 December 2015, other literature-related in between
 * Main editors: Christine (Figureskatingfan)
 * Promoted: 2013
 * Reasons for nomination: I believe this would be good choice for International Women's Day, and if not for some other day that month.
 * Support as nominator. Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:37, 12 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Coordinator's note: I'm fully in favour of marking International Women's Day at TFA. But we had a Maya Angelou autobiography quite recently (17 January 2016) so I'm not sure this is the best choice. There are other choices available: a number of biographies of women, and a fairly recently promoted Nora Roberts novel, Vision in White. Is this more appropriate than these alternatives? Brianboulton (talk) 00:39, 14 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Vision in White would be acceptable to me. Jean Bellette strikes me as appropriate as well. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 04:03, 14 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Personally, I wouldn't go for a literary article or woman writer, I'd go for one of the women of action, a campaigner. I dare say Hillary Clinton would be problematic at the moment, but we have available Ellen Wilkinson, or Bessie Braddock. Either would, in my view, be appropriate choices. Brianboulton (talk) 14:38, 14 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Wilkinson or Braddock would both work really well, too. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 00:06, 15 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Oppose because another article from the same artist appeared on the main page recently. After looking at the International Women's Day article, I also oppose any BLP since the event seems to celebrate socialism and feminism, and not every woman agrees with these movements. A non-living biography may work well, though. sst ✈(conjugate) 09:45, 19 February 2016 (UTC)

 The result was: scheduled for April 4, 2017 by Mike Christie (talk) 21 March 2017 (UTC)



The Heart of a Woman is an autobiography by American writer Maya Angelou (pictured), the fourth in her series of seven autobiographies, published in 1981. She recounts events in her life between 1957 and 1962, as she travels to California, New York, Cairo and Ghana, raises her teenage son, becomes a published author, active in the US civil rights movement, and romantically involved with a South African freedom fighter. One of the most important themes of the book is motherhood. It ends with her looking forward to newfound independence and freedom when her son leaves for college. Although most critics consider Angelou's first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings more favorably, The Heart of a Woman has received positive reviews and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in 1997. The title is taken from a poem by Harlem Renaissance poet Georgia Douglas Johnson, which connects Angelou with other female African-American writers. Critic Lyman B. Hagen states: "Faithful to the ongoing themes of survival, sense of self, and continuing education, The Heart of a Woman moves its central figures to a point of full personhood".
 * Most recent similar article(s): closest author: Shaw 17 March, closest drama: 15 March, both not by a woman
 * Main editors: Christine (Figureskatingfan)
 * Promoted: 2013
 * Reasons for nomination: I believe (as last year) that this would be good choice for March when women are in focus
 * Support as nominator. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:30, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Comment April 4 would also work, as that's Angelou's birthday. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 14:15, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Good point! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:01, 7 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Support - Certainly Agree on April 4, as THE perfect day to run this. Sometime in March would also be good.  But her birthday is perfect. — Maile  (talk) 01:16, 9 March 2017 (UTC)