entertainment

Maya Angelou rejects teen’s ‘fat skater boy’ poem

By Atiq Roshan ⋅ November 12, 2007 ⋅  Email this article ⋅  Print this article ⋅ Post a comment

Angelou: Get this poem outta muh face.

Sayreville, NEW JERSEY — A 14-year-old male teenager and aspiring poet accused Maya Angelou of being an “elitist” after the Pulitzer-nominated author and contemporary American literature icon rejected his poetry submission.

The poem, titled “Fat Skater Boy,” was submitted by Adam Kowalski for consideration in a poetry collection to be curated by Angelou and slated for publication in the Summer of 2008.

Kowalski said it took Angelou “a long-ass time” to respond to his submission, and that the response wasn’t very pleasant.

“She’s an elitist. She threw shade at me because I’m not like one of her old-ass poet pals.”

“I, like, sent her my poem in, like, August, and she only responded to me on Friday. Like, I know she’s old and everything, but doesn’t she have people to help her answer her e-mail?” said the disgruntled teen. “And, like, she totally ripped my poem apart, saying it wasn’t appropriate and stuff. She’s an elitist. She threw shade at me because I’m not like one of her old-ass poet pals.”

The teen said he was inspired to write poetry after receiving Angelou’s “Poetry For Young People” compilation as a birthday gift from his parish priest, Father Kieran Fletcher. Fletcher said Kowalski was so moved by Angelou’s deep and penetrating words. They had often read Angelou’s poems together during numerous parish sleepovers. The teen decided one night that he wanted to be a poet himself and asked Fletcher to coach him.

“I told Adam to write from where his passion lies,” said Father Fletcher. “I was hoping it would be the Eucharist, but obese skater boys is a good start.”

Fletcher said Kowalski was ecstatic when he found out about the planned poetry collection and sought his assistance in finding out Angelou’s e-mail address so that he could submit his poem directly.

“I pulled some strings at the Vatican, yes,” said Fletcher. “I would do anything for a good altar boy.”

Kowalski said he plans to submit his rejected poem to Fall Out Boy, hoping that they will turn it into their next hit single. The teen is confident “they would totally get it.”

Angelou could not be reached for comment, but a representative for the respected poet has stated that “Maya treats everyone with respect and dignity, and does not disparage other people’s creativity.”