The U.S. Postal Service not only has issues with a new limited edition “Forever” stamp honoring Maya Angelou with a quote written by another author but it doesn’t appear particularly disturbed about it. The stamp above features the quote “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” However, that is a quote from child book author Joan Walsh Anglund.
Someone changed Anglund’s quote to replace “he” with “it” and then left the impression that it was a quote from Angelou who has ample quotes of her own worthy for a stamp.
The quote was taken from Anglund’s 1967 book of poems “A Cup of Sun.”
I view the use of another author’s quote for this commemorative stamp to be terribly insulting and embarrassing but it did not seem to bother the U.S. Postal Service. Spokesman Mark Saunders admitted that he was unaware of the Anglund quote, but told the Washington Post that many people mistakenly attribute the quote to Angelou. This includes President Obama who used the quote, pointing out that “numerous references” attributed the quote to Angelou.
Indeed, President Obama attributed the same quote to Angelou during the presentation of the 2013 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal. Again a bizarre and embarrassing use of another author’s work. Saunders however dug deeper into the hole and insisted “The sentence held great meaning for her and she is publicly identified with its popularity.” Perhaps but it is not her work. It is like a stamp honoring the great architect Mies van der Rohe with the image of a Le Corbusier building.
What is truly bizarre is that between the Postal Service and President Obama, Anglund appears to be losing credit for her own writing. It is now becoming “associated” with Angelou and that appears to be enough for the government.
The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda.
Source: Washington Post
And Obama said to Anglund….. Hey white bitch….”you didn’t write that.”
At least Obama is consistent with his bigotry and lies.
Good one Squeeky.
So goes our government.
So Mays Angelou doesn’t have enough actual quotes of her own?
I would reverse Corbusier with Mies in your analogy.
If I go into court and when the three judge panel gives the nod, I say: May it please the Court. This is not a question. I did not create the sentence. It is some sentence expected. Someone else invented or created the sentence. Yet I have to say it. So, if I have a criminal defendant’s case before the appellate court I try to use the word “please” a few more times. Sometimes I follow the opening line with another sentence framed by someone else. I might say: “The district court erred in…. ” Someday the Post Office will have a Forever stamp depicting me. The tag line will be: May it please the court.
I will forever be given credit for that line. Or will I?
This is a real woman
Virtuoso pianist Valentina Lisitsa
A free speech woman, a rarity
https://youtu.be/zucBfXpCA6s
Maya Angelou should Not be honored. She was a Traitor to our Country
Maya Angelou publicly endorsed Mass Murderer / War Criminal Obama for the 2012 election
In backing Obama she defiled Martin Luther King’s memory and message of NONVIOLENCE
She will be remembered as a TREASONOUS CO-CONSPIRATOR of the Obama Criminal Regime
Maya Angelou had blood on her hands
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/feb/15/maya-angelou-barack-obama-remarkable-job
Dunno what stamp collectors say, but they can’t print this “forever” and it has got to become either a valuable collectors item or an advertisement of government bungling. It’s more embarrassing than Obama’s bumper sticker with his grinning face (like a boy caught stealing cookies) in front of his phony PhotoShopped birth certificate. It goes on and on…
The sign in the downtown post office window always says NOW HIRING.
Obviously not for a proofer nor a researcher…
… And obviously this will be “limited edition” stamp.
Well, this needs a poetic response!
The Cadged Bard???
A Short Poem by Squeeky Fromm
I know why
The plagiarized Author curses—
‘Cause somebody done stole
One of her verses!
I don’t know why
Nobody knew it???
The designer should. . .
Before he drew it!!!
And I know why
The taxpayers wince. . .
But what did you expect
For 49 cents???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
NOTE for ESLs: Cadge is a verb meaning:
1. to obtain by imposing on another’s generosity or friendship.
2. to borrow without intent to repay.
A bard is a poet, or reciter of tales. The title is a word play on Maya Angelou’s poem, “Caged Bird.”
They quoted another author’s work on a forever stamp for Ms. Angelou and didn’t even give that author credit and his explanation is I know its wrong but its a mistake everyone makes so we thought we would enshrine it on a Forever Stamp….. Its infuriating, frustrating and then one is not surprised or shocked at all. Its emblematic of what the US now is. This is the Administration that wants us to trust them on Iran and TPP yet they cannot get a stamp right. Good grief.
Reblogged this on A Conservative Christian Man.
This is what happens when form trumps function. Often reflected in a lack of attention to detail.
Didn’t Barry Soetoro promise the most ineligible administration in history? No, no, I mean the most incompetent…oops, sorry. I mean the most transgender. Damn, that’s not right, either, no, it was the most transparent administration in history. That’s right, I’m sure. The most transient cogitation in history.
Thomas – Barry promised something but he had his fingers crossed behind his back.
What a brilliant and inspiring quote. I will have to remember that……. >>><<<
The People are Stupid – or is that Stupid is as Stupid does š
This is clearly what we have come to expect from this administration. We are lucky it is not a quote from Shakespeare.
Looks like Angelou herself may have contributed to the misattribution:
http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/interview-with-dr-maya-angelou-a-muse-who-captivates-audiences
Reblogged this on A Speculative Poetry Blog.
Reblogged this on pundit from another planet.