The Paris AtlasCharting the artists, works, and places worth returning to.

In their own words

Maya Angelou quotes about life

33 quotations, each verified against its source and credited to the work it comes from — the wording as Maya Angelou wrote or said it, not as the internet passes it around. Drawn from the 214 in the full collection. Page 2 of 2.

Illustrated portrait of Maya Angelou
She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be.
Angelou (narration) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 15
Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.
Vivian Baxter (dialogue) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 34
Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives.
Angelou (narration) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 17
At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.
Angelou (narration) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 31
hoped for the best, was prepared for the worst, so anything in between didn't come as a surprise.
Vivian Baxter (dialogue) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 35
You ask for what you want, and you pay for what you get.
Vivian Baxter (dialogue) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 34
She comprehended the perversity of life, that in the struggle lies the joy.
Angelou (narration) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 34
Sympathy is next to shit in the dictionary, and I can't even read.
Angelou (narration) · Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Chapter 26

From the books

Every book with a quote collection of its own, each line verified against the text.

The Friday Letter

One story from the atlas, every Friday.

No algorithms chasing attention. A work, a place, and the connection between them — with the history checked.

One email a week. No spam, no selling your address. Unsubscribe anytime.