She Had Her Own Hallmark Collection

At the age of 72, Angelou wrote a series of two-sentence sayings for the well-known greeting card business that were printed on cards and serving utensils in 2000. She was well aware that she would draw flak for using a business endeavor to lower her status. Angelou has joined forces with the industry titan of greeting cards in a previously unimaginable alliance. She agreed to create a line of greeting cards and gifts after initially feeling that she was trivializing herself.

The Life Mosaic collection was created from the Hallmark product line. Everything from recipe books, picture frames, and treasure chests to bookends, bookmarks, and bookplates with inscriptions were featured. They served as literary art that could be used, gifted, and displayed, sort of like heirlooms from Angelou's poetic life. The partnership between Angelou and Hallmark was audacious and successful. It stood apart from Mahogany, Hallmark's original imprint, which was expanded in 1991 to year-round target African Americans. The memoir Life Mosaic made use of Angelou's distinctive brand of lyrical feeling, reliance on African-American oral traditions, skill as a memoirist, and focus on women. It respected her close connection to the general public.