(no subject)

[jfb]

The New Yorker recently published a terrific piece by Malcolm Gladwell--whose article about the psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis was an uncredited source for a stage play by Bryony Lavery--on the messy ideas of plagiarism, creativity, intellectual property, and originality.

She didn’t copy my musings, or conclusions, or structure. She lifted sentences like “It is the function of the cortex—and, in particular, those parts of the cortex beneath the forehead, known as the frontal lobes—to modify the impulses that surge up from within the brain, to provide judgment, to organize behavior and decision-making, to learn and adhere to rules of everyday life.” It is difficult to have pride of authorship in a sentence like that.

Insightful and moving. Oh yeah, and I got this link from Will Shetterly.

Comments

does look good...

[talking-sock.livejournal.com]

But I'm still trying to make time to read it all. In the meantime, I'll add Shetterly to my bloglines list!

Re: does look good...

[jfb.livejournal.com]

It took me a week to get around to it but I'm glad I finally found the time. Did you see where I posted about Shetterly last month? He's been posting chapter drafts online from his next novel, in a separate blog (http://secretacademy.blogspot.com/2004/10/chapter-one.html). Speaking of things to make time for. But it looks interesting, from my occasional glances.