The Ecstasy of Influence: A Plagiarism

[serene]

I tried, but I can't write a better intro to this Harper's article than alanbostick did, so here's his. nooks, I immediately thought of you. I think you'll love it.

Literary Collage

I've been a bit slow posting a link to this, but it is too good to pass up.

In the February 2007 issue of Harper's, Jonathan Lethem fires a salvo in the ongoing war between the Creative Commons and the Society of the Spectacle. "The Ecstasy of Influence: a Plagiarism" is an essay on the impact and importance of appropriation in the creative process, and it is itself almost entirely appropriation of the words of others, with a little bit of connective tissue written by Lethem himself. Although it is a patchwork of quotation and appropriation, it is a single, coherent essay on the importance of influence, imitation, copying, and outright plagiarism in the creative process. As such, it is a brilliantly original piece of work.

Because of its nature as a collage, to excerpt quotes is almost to miss the point. Read the whole thing, including the explanation at the end of which part was stolen from whom.

(via Roz Kaveney)

Comments

[nooks.livejournal.com]

I'm not done reading it but yes, it is indeed awesome. Thanks for the link.