Quote on Angelou stamp apparently came from another author

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 7, 2015

[Ditto]

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

Actually birds 'sing' for a couple of reason.

1. "I'm a sexy bird. Come have sex with me."

2. "This is my tree. Get the hell away from here."

3. "Everybody look out! There is critter around that is going to eat you."

OK, I'm not a poet, but I know birds don't make noise just to please us. They don't give a damn about us. ;~))

[dr_lew]

OK, I'm not a poet, but I know birds don't make noise just to please us.

There was a NOVA once called WHY DO BIRDS SING? It was interesting, but it never addressed the question of singing. It just assumed that this was the word to be used for the sounds they make. ( Well, most birds have a "song" and a "call", you know. )

Bird songs bring me as close to mysticism as I'm ever going to get. They transport me. I have a notion that they are the inspiration and model for human singing, and music making in general.

[trebb]

Years ago, my mother had a magazine, then lost it that had a large article about how Angelou was a plagiarist. I searched for the magazine and ordered several back copies (can’t remember now the name) then searched the internet and found nothing.

When I was in college, I had poetry as part of my English. I found an old poem about "I k now why the caged bird sings" and it had a depth of feeling that touched me so i used it and recited it in class. It wasn't by Maya Angelou (by some male author) and was really heads and shoulders above her "adaptation". The book was old and in the library - probably not seen by many folks. I wish I could find the poem again, but I would guess that the internet has been purged of all traces so as to protect her fake status.

[StAntKnee]

Your white privilege question is laden with nuance. Nice insight.