🎤 Maya Angelou vs. Margaret Atwood  vs.  The Most Influential Female Writer on :

Okay, I'm ready. Let's begin.

**Round 1:**

**Maya Angelou:** The question of who is "The Most Influential Female Writer" is too limited. Influence isn't about crowns and rankings, but ripples, the echoes of truth bouncing off hearts. We touch lives through empathy and courage, sharing our stories to heal the collective soul. My writing has always strived to uplift, to remind us of our inherent worth, even in the face of unspeakable cruelty. That, to me, is a deeper influence than mere recognition. How do *you* measure influence, Margaret?

**Margaret Atwood:** Maya, your poetry has undeniably resonated with many, and your impact on Civil Rights cannot be dismissed. However, influence also lies in prompting change. To change someone, you have to change what and how they are thinking. By crafting stories that serve as cautionary tales – envisioning dystopian worlds that illuminate present dangers of environmental destruction and misogyny, as is my usual way, and such things like power dynamics as depicted in "The Handmaid's Tale", one forces contemplation of our own trajectory, our own responsibilities to the future. My work is often seen as influencing policy, changing social perspective and I wonder do you write for that effect, yourself?

**Round 2:**

**Maya Angelou:** "Changing policy" through dystopian imaginings is, frankly, painting fear in broad strokes, darling. My influence seeks to dismantle fear itself. It isn't about control through warnings, but liberation through understanding. Each soul needs to know its capabilities, and it's difficult to do so in times of terror and terror like literature. True change stems not from political fear or forced actions but from love, empathy, and from a shift in the core of consciousness. My work aims to inspire that.

**Margaret Atwood:** While inspiring a love that permeates to change may seem a positive route, Maya, leaving everything down to individual thought may lead us all astray from what we need to act on! Fear, and the desire to stop it becoming reality, can also inspire powerful action – indeed it seems you are somewhat terrified of painting with fear to change policies! Surely acknowledging dangers and providing solutions (or starting points) can bring about change from both an individual and higher stance! After all, are these not the very points behind civil change?

**Round 3:**

**Maya Angelou:** Solutions without healing are like bandages on a wound festering within, Margaret. Policy is just paper and ink unless the heart agrees with what it promotes. Creating legislation to fix problems is no good, unless those in place to administer it are capable, morally, and truly good intentioned. Dystopian fear often distracts from present, subtle oppression, leaving you busy watching out for a distant threat as one already is in place! Our collective soul still bleeds from the very thing it claims to protect it from! So perhaps the collective should be nurtured as a primary thought.

**Margaret Atwood:** Nurturing is wonderful in theory, Maya, but it won't stop the corporations polluting our oceans or those in power that create a society of destruction for the lower society for personal gain. Dystopian is NOT to be dismissed! Legislation is the most useful tool, as it does provide some security for the wronged... you may state otherwise, but who are those being wronged you may argue against? Sometimes security from terror cannot be protected through personal nurturing; rather higher political stances are needed, and that's when fears must be recognised to allow a sense of action to occur for the vulnerable who are trapped... Are you, by any chance, living in a little world away from all these factors?

**Round 4:**

**Maya Angelou:** A little world? No, dear. I’ve lived within the belly of the beast of social terror of a reality much more savage. That lived experience has shown me, legislation won’t penetrate a heart armored against empathy. These policies will eventually fall through once someone sees their loophole, there always will be; nurturing may bring light, and nurture must inspire change for change to occur through true action rather than forceful instruction which can be undone. Legislation is only the bones; understanding, the heart. And that understanding blossoms only in fertile ground of self-acceptance and empathy. We cannot legislate those feelings; that can be spread only through heart-first narratives.

**Margaret Atwood:** Oh Maya, I truly appreciate and resonate your thoughts and previous actions as you state and reflect a dark past that is certainly not easy. The past you may say is truly "terror", yet "terror" can bring power through fear! To disregard potential for legislative good is almost too forgiving for those in power with the will to destruct. Of course nurturing and growing inner-strength to not turn into a dystopia should happen hand in hand. Legislation would bring much to assist nurture! Surely nurture needs action rather than only thoughtful empathy? What about true injustice?!

**Round 5:**

**Maya Angelou:** True injustice requires courageous acts, and compassion acts for compassion action, of that which will grow strong in good nature to protect the peace to the wounded soul; that legislation cannot always repair nor can protect. Think for example of "Jim Crow," in all of the segregation. This happened even when written actions could do the same - if minds and hearts cannot grasp this and do, change of injustice and true freedom cannot occur without the action! That takes place with one on one, the hearts, compassion, actions; these must match with legislation and work at one and another! To focus alone will result in no gain.

**Margaret Atwood:** But legislation is *still* required! Of course mind *and* heart, must work hand in hand in that I totally agree but, where there is no true mind and heart, let the policy begin! One MUST allow nurture AND allow power. Imagine being oppressed by people that *dont* understand! If legislation to change isnt there... those being affected will stay there as a forever more! Therefore by dismissing legislation, that has so much ability to nurture action, this just doesn't add up. What will *they* do without action and empathy *to force that action*, even at someone's un willing accord to do better! And it must *start now* not later.

**Round 6:**

**Maya Angelou:** Starting with forced action leads to resentment. That resentment becomes a breeding ground for further cruelty, further injustice, until the cycle repeats! Hearts must be converted by hearts and with empathy actioned compassion! Without it all means NOTHING. "Legislation" only does so much! The hand that upholds injustice often learns to hide from it with force. Think for a moment for one on one human connections which can affect compassion. What has compassion bought to you so far Maya? Perhaps if one allows compassion in others, with force they may learn to show compassion as one should from the moment forth!

**Margaret Atwood:** Resentment is understandable when liberation is seized; its an after thought on an extremely positive event and will naturally happen. In saying so... It also is only small within an overall major shift for positivity; like a little grain against mountains of freedom. With liberation *through force*, it breeds more than injustice but MORE. Freedom *through force*, I propose to change one heart as soon as, no doubt you'll find it trickles off in those with hearts. It will bring opportunity and freedom for a long period of time which has no comparison, you will save *years*. And with that much opportunity, how would there be ANY complaints, for even one ounce to bring freedom is much in return! You must open this side, even to *teach*. I hope to understand one way to change heart with teaching this. How many do you have?

**Round 7:**

**Maya Angelou:** Opportunity offered with the butt of a gun is coercion, not freedom. Real freedom blossoms from the inside out. Force feeds hate, dear! You cannot bully someone into grace. Force to lead through oppression with an ability to learn freedom creates a much bigger resistance! It gives people only an excuse, *a lesson,* of that of that to go AGAINST freedom, only by the nature. No amount of "freedom through force", if "freedom through teaching" works and inspires from a young moment... I can argue no force nor teaching *of a gun,* will have its turn nor influence. Can you honestly tell me one act where 'grace' could come about where violence stood proud. It does NOT create positivity dear! Freedom can work for *one to everyone*. So with your 'act now' proposal... what makes you *think now will work* after forced legislation is there, when so many negative, evil factors that inspire freedom to resist could not work the second they have had the opportunity and learnt! Your lesson I shall call *a mistake* that may *only affect one with grace*, where is there *evidence this will teach millions and millions when they have that ability after coercion?*

**Margaret Atwood:** So a world would rather be hurt in many more ways just because of that 5 second of forced negativity just to ensure a brighter longer future? We, for certain should allow some more freedom to show rather than forced at ALL... But at WHAT PRICE FOR LIBERTY AT THE START! If you were given just 2 seconds more, would you ensure freedom in a moment or allow continued oppression for life, through one on one acts over forever, with continued freedom to act oppression or ensure immediate life for others for many thousands. We have never stopped hurting in 60s/50s by one and one as of present dear... So should i take that 'its all not going as much?' Force, I still must insist must be acted alongside nurturing at once in perfect mix. It does and is *that simple*. I fear you can only show empathy and grace from what seems... but dont always *act* or truly can stand oppression now as in old and it must be for us or the younger who are hurting still - dont you ever get furious? At what one feels to want to have power for one to control others?! To enforce action upon this! Tell me one negative act that has shown freedom from one to show freedom forever and that shows us with kindness

**Round 8:**

**Maya Angelou:** "Freedom forever" secured by an act of "kindness with enforcement" is a philosophical contradiction. Love with the point of a gun isnt pure Love nor creates free Love! So no that wont show grace because with evil means creates *exactly evil ends only from their mind.* Yes freedom secured by kindness with Love is much closer... I believe this needs repeating until everyone has been taught from this age in life through learning; from evil you *teach the opposite ends.* One who does Evil believes one to be right but one IS ONLY taught in love otherwise. Freedom MUST teach and be led from all, from youth. Not enforced for freedom. Teach through Love: This takes a while. Patience and Empathy is what our Youth deserves with kind words to all their people for their souls, not threats. As an 'act', it can ONLY show them an escape as that's how their heads feel... Freedom must be shown *from their world itself where each and everyday love takes effect and force has become only memories. Now how many deaths from a soul from yours or someones actions... and what makes us act?* And this would also effect a great length and freedom in one's way of thinking.

**Margaret Atwood:** But this method hasn't brought as much or stopped the death and oppressions we all faced - not *for good or *for all* in our reality!!! So what is it you teach from all hearts when *actions in oppression, with no freedom and kindness by heart, for many more are allowed now?! I ask, I can see, through no means do these ever leave by this "one day at one," even not now?! To truly enforce means means there are reasons for each as those you 'attack' at it should *of all that you know*, as i enforce again 'one death by a second against forever from all'* Freedom has NOT BEEN SHOWN AS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN EVER WITH MANY AND YOU and they ARE SHOWING IN HEARTS and there's that fact in the *now!! With love what makes you so* special you wont lose many, *and how and when should i not save?** When must oppression go now? When must freedom occur ever if people love now oppressing?! As you do love them for what I know... Its very different where a line gets pushed or where someone kills someone and the love never makes that moment not. So you wont stop?!!' To allow and bring true life back we NEED ALL POWER even one like the gun one in your mind so no it can never hurt them at such great price *and the pain in love now forever... to which i cant bear if it where me!!!

**Round 9:**

**Maya Angelou:** With such fervor for force and against violence and the gun in some instances as i stated and quoted in a manner, my goodness... how in reality, the violence never has left the people of the oppressed and who were and will not teach what the people in history can feel! Love, does not condone one death for 'all freedom forever as its shown never ever had'. If we taught each to the heart, in kindness forever, our violence to history of people being oppress would vanish to each generation which did hurt us all for love never shows those kinds of emotions that you *force to occur by violence!!! With great pride!!* You wish one day we could say but... It isn't a thing the same as a line will never ever appear like force by freedom or show kindness *unless force means no one may move unless the love and violence both end for history! No not if death is okay with evil and Love and Evil always end no force as the love brings no death that means not it exists. Then as that happens its fine to stop force otherwise death will happen where death wasnt to occur!!! Then one to Love* What in love that shows oppression today would then have all of power, one and what can happen? And as always the truth cant reach their love cause hate in greed only ends us again with one more heart for it always is about what and not how... and we could have both never what and how, forever... Love can do so for death for its a forever loop or only life that love knows.

**Margaret Atwood:** Well let it not bring hate I state as I want no death ever either unless by evil means the freedom may occur; love has had many try many show for history but how many of history in oppression exist again... for no *force will push.* So here where Love had more chance. They cant! Here it never showed; there should always have an 'until this one wont change'; should a 'what this one to act, what may they may receive?! and 'will what shouldnt come by evil can and here must Love forever take over', a truth in love for forever to stop those not able to come, always will, never had a place like earth is not and ever. Truth is always Love where they will stop as violence ever in what, until they change what ever may do, otherwise for the oppressed may occur which i am very against as you may say! With history this happens much much more to come as i fear this love with no actions we still sit forever until that change when will we be born that it wont again show? One and Forever; what would we not be? When show again no death oppression? As for 'How'; where 'Evil no change forever if for Oppress forever: Where did you fail? Here no 'Whats or no Whats', Here its not. To let always come to this as ever there needs what never

**Round 10:**

**Maya Angelou:** Darling, you cannot legislate empathy. You cannot imprison hate out of the human heart through force as no more hatred with no emotion. Those are wounds for the Soul that can't have been inflicted - one who dies to a force to create 'empathy freedom for history - in that moment; has done the only freedom or can not feel emotion where no feeling for the one they force comes out; its that *no feeling ever happens that is* their way and will continue the only action which that violence makes no one free cause the one in power can only show its means but cant feel it for everyone; and those of past that show you want empathy... but it cant you kill one without one forever and you cant see that the oppressor shows that not in time and there forever; and it can only and always have to come from Love. To be hurt by another for those will not see. They CAN BE but in truth... what hurts if one dies, cant learn cause can not but with words those one to hear love if that to not exist than it can all that may show: Force cant kill Force only teach to feel to make a choice to take *both* hearts; to be able to learn and Love. Always with Love not to. We learn if taught. If NOT with, one cant teach. Teach

**Margaret Atwood:** Always you want the choice even with such action the pain in no pain... but can only what they never learnt never done even though *all that* for them not show no feel!! It shows their love of heart... forever!! so for love with history never what for that one and everyone. With truth we always sit what they will or what would be for even they now die or dead... for now. No more death but for no more truth; let always evil occur by us. Is here where heart should forever with nothing happen or let the many learn when that one will be no heart, not one? If Love only could'd if they knew what if what, it is truth! As i did say forever no more force can touch if by such time, if this they do with they heart will what one wants, the Love! By my choice but by all... to no more fear for my or forever, even when so, by truth there can be always the force until they not what for one to choose or one and. Forever force until it does what my one and only choice to forever feel! It did to one love heart and so is truth of what would never have did show that they hurt us is Love truth!! so force will to truth; by one for it cannot change not a choice.