Even The Stars Look Lonesome is a collection of short stories and poems by Maya Angelou that expresses her as a caring individual whose purpose is to give sound advice. She is definitely qualified to pass this information to the youth of today because her experiences have taught her much.

Her works center around what she knows best: Maya. There is no doubt that she is indeed a phenomenal woman. Her writings touch the senses and make one reflect on one's own life experiences.

Angelou talks a great deal about how a house can either heal or hurt an individual, and is not necessarily a home. A home has a special feeling when you open the door - that familiar smell of fresh bread that warms the soul and makes that comfortable place home. I believe she means that a home should be a safe haven full of love.

Answering the question "What is Africa to me?" Maya is filled with enormous pride. She is proud, as I am, to be of Afri-can descent. Although she admits many Africans show little or no interest in their dislocated ancestors, she is aware that the American descendants kept some African culture that is now spread through the entire world.

One of the funniest stories is under the heading "Age and Sexuality," in which Maya explains to her then five-year-old son where babies come from. Her humor adds a unique quality to her writing.

I recommend this book to mature teenagers who can appreciate an author who is direct and speaks her mind. Maya has a style all her own. She tells it like it is, never holding back a thought, and does it in the most eloquent manner.

I think the most important statement Maya makes here is that it's okay to be alone. Even though it may not be sociably acceptable to be a hermit, there are times when we should be comfortable being by ourselves. Some people waste so much time trying to be popular in the belief that it will grant them happiness. I laugh and think of my mother when Maya writes, "Not only is it acceptable to be alone, at times it is positively to be wished for."