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    Quote On Maya Angelou Forever Stamp Belonged To Another Writer

    The line often associated with Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings appeared in a children's book written two years prior.

    The quote that appears on the Maya Angelou Forever Stamp, which was released Tuesday, may have been misattributed, the U.S. Postal Service announced.

    The sentence, "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song," appears in Angelou's acclaimed autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, published in 1969.

    Mark Saunders, communications representative for the U.S. Postal Service, told BuzzFeed News in an email that the line "was chosen to accompany her image on the stamp to reflect her passion for the written and spoken word," and that it "held great meaning for her and she is publicly identified with its popularity."

    But two years before I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was printed, children's author Joan Walsh Anglund wrote A Cup of Sun, which contains the same quote.

    The incorrect attribution was reported by the Washington Post on Monday, which alerted the U.S. Postal service to the mistake.

    "Further, it appears that this sentiment likely springs from much older sources than both women – and all of us draw upon this wisdom for inspiration," Saunders added. "Had we known about this issue beforehand, we might have used one of her many other works."

    On March 4, the U.S. Postal Service announced that Angelou, one of the most beloved voices in American literature, would be commemorated with a Forever stamp.


    The U.S. Postal Service will honor Maya Angelou — the beloved author, poet, actress and champion of equality — with a Forever Stamp.

    "Maya Angelou inspired our nation through a life of advocacy and through her many contributions to the written and spoken word," said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. "Her wide-ranging achievements as a playwright, poet, memoirist, educator, and advocate for justice and equality enhanced our culture."

    Although the stamp looks like a photograph, it is actually a hyper-realistic oil-on-canvas portrait of Angelou by artist Ross Rossin. The stamp features a quotation by Angelou, and the stamp pane has a quotation from her book Letter to My Daughter.


    The stamp showcases Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin's 2013 48" x 48" oil-on-canvas portrait of Angelou. The large hyper-realistic painting is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's collection, where it will be on display through Nov. 1.

    Customers are encouraged to use social media to spread the news about the stamp using #MayaForever.

    The artist met Angelou in 2013 and tried to capture her aura in the painting:


    "During my visit to her Winston-Salem, NC, home I spoke with Maya for several hours about her life journey and courage of finding the light in the midst of her darkness. It is her energy, the God Particle which struck me. Later that evening, Oprah Winfrey hosted a birthday party for Angelou. This was the critical moment when I saw Maya through the eyes of others. My personal experience around Maya's aura led to the creation of an intimate yet universal painting, which later Maya enthusiastically approved."

    "This is exactly how I see myself and exactly how I wish to be remembered," Rossin recalled of Angelou's reaction to his work.

    "I wanted to capture her laughter, her cry and the forgiveness and blessings that came from her face," he added. "It is not only her portrait that is bigger than life. It is she herself who is bigger than life. The portrait is evidence of her magic."