Maya Angelou’s words speak louder than publicity. So the Campus Activities Board hasn’t widely advertised next week’s visit from the renowned poet.

Angelou is speaking at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Capitol Arts Center, and Student Activities Coordinator Azurdee Garland said limited seating and Angelou’s notoriety made advertising unnecessary.

Most people have heard about the event by word of mouth, Garland said.

“Some folks I’ve been receiving calls from think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Garland said.

CAB distributed about 700 available tickets to members, the Student Activities office and campus departments that help sponsor the organization’s events, Garland said. Departments are giving tickets to students and employees as they’re requested.

People can inquire about tickets with the student activities office. Students get priority, and there’s a waiting list, Garland said. Most requests have been accommodated.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and Angelou is speaking for one hour.

Angelou’s lecture venue had to be smaller than many Bowling Green forums because of her health, Garland said.

Angelou is a poet, educator, author and civil rights activist among other things, according to her official Web site. Two of her books include “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “A Song Flung Up to Heaven.”

In 1993, she was the second poet ever to speak at a presidential inauguration.

The CAB lecture committee presented the idea of having Angelou speak early last semester, said Louisville senior Terrance Harris, chair of the CAB lecture committee.

“She’s an inspiring person with a lot of knowledge who has been through a lot,” he said. “She could tell anybody a thing or two about life.”

The event was possible because Garland obtained a discount on Angelou’s usual speaking fee and other organizations are co-sponsoring the event, Garland said.

“It was really the right place, right time, right set of phone calls to get her here,” she said.

Angelou’s lecture reflects a different approach that CAB is trying in which resources are directed toward fewer, more notable performers instead of many smaller ones, Garland said.

“It’s a big risk to put all our money toward one speaker, but it gets results,” she said.

Reach Samantha Hupman at features@wkuherald.com.