written disappointment

A big book of poems, a Collected was delivered today, but a porch pirate snagged it. I’d like to believe the book changed her/his life…or it would be interesting to study the face of whoever opened the package.

pickpocket

Plagiarism is major theft, while parody is a lesser poet picking the pocket of a master.

making bad choices

If the plagiarist had real talent she would have stolen a better poem.

[News link.]

pickpockets practice magic tricks too

The publisher tries to explain away his prize-winning author’s plagiarisms as instances of careless ‘intertextuality’.

stealing from the poor

The plagiarist is most damned by stealing from the unknown and underappreciated. The plagiarist hasn’t the guts to rip off one of the renowned, because the exposure would be swift and pitiless.

under the influence

That fine line between riffing off, and ripping off.