August 10th, 2010 / 10:03 pm
Behind the Scenes

Thief!

Alexandre Dumas said: The man of genius does not steal, he conquers.

And Robert Schumann said: Talent works, genius creates.

And Oscar Wilde said: Talent borrows; genius steals

And Pablo Picasso said: Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.

Or maybe Pablo Picasso said: The bad artists imitate, the great artists steal.

And Igor Stravinsky said: Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal.

And T.S. Eliot said: One of the surest tests is the way in which a poet borrows. Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different. The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different than that from which it is torn; the bad poet throws it into something which has no cohesion. A good poet will usually borrow from authors remote in time, or alien in language, or diverse in interest.

96 Comments

  1. Khakjaan Wessington

      This assumes all language is theft.

  2. zusya17

      who knows if Banksy saw someone else pull this stunt, and then decided to the do the same…?

      vaguely related: http://www.jason-huff.com/projects/autosummarize/

      i downloaded then looked through that thing, and wondered for a bit whether or not “Jason Huff” had actually created anything original with this project.

      though i must say… his version of “The Metamorphosis” is chillingly spot-on. all hail the computer!

  3. d

      I just made a short found poem. It is copyright protected.

      All language assumes
      this is theft.

  4. ryan

      I’ve heard these quotes so much that they’ve become vaguely irritating.

  5. marshall

      Prose with line breaks isn’t poetry, bud.

  6. andrew

      i am a great poet

  7. andrew

      i mean artist

  8. Khakjaan Wessington

      I think you just wish you could write an anapest.

      I also think you wish you knew what that meant, you prose rapist.

  9. Jhon Baker

      I can’t find a way to agree with the statements without saying that I believe I am a thief.

  10. marshall

      nice

  11. marshall

      do you use anapests

  12. marshall

      is “what the fuck” an anapest

  13. Khakjaan Wessington

      You mean artist?

  14. alan

      Pretty sure there’s a Brecht quote along these lines.

      And he would know.

  15. Stephen

      Lily, I like to think of you mumbling yr post drunk in a parking garage after a Timberwolves home game at the Target Center, flashing that photo at occasional passersby or question marks fresh from a show at First Avenue. Which is to say I love it.

  16. Matt

      “We [artists] are all engaged in looting from the past. (Only the greatest geniuses manage to steal from the future.)” – Donald Barthelme

  17. Stu

      Of all the things to be condescending about.

      What a bore.

  18. Khakjaan Wessington

      @Stu You write very dull sentences. Low compositional standards?

  19. Khakjaan Wessington

      This assumes all language is theft.

  20. Stu

      Khaki Jeans,

      You have officially rocked me to the core of my being with this oh so very illuminating truth about the quality of my sentences. I will quit writing and defer to you as the preeminent poet/mind of our generation.

      You controls our mindz.

  21. d

      I just made a short found poem. It is copyright protected.

      All language assumes
      this is theft.

  22. ryan

      I’ve heard these quotes so much that they’ve become vaguely irritating.

  23. Guest

      Prose with line breaks isn’t poetry, bud.

  24. andrew

      i am a great poet

  25. andrew

      i mean artist

  26. Khakjaan Wessington

      I think you just wish you could write an anapest.

      I also think you wish you knew what that meant, you prose rapist.

  27. Reynard Seifert

      if you walked up to a caveman painting his cave up for his woman all nice like and such and you asked him hey man aren’t you stealing the sky there guy you know like the trees the animals the earth the everything you know he would just prolly grunt and throw a sharp bone at you and say yes and no and so what who asked you anyway i’m just painting my room go away now thank you goodbye

  28. Jhon Baker

      I can’t find a way to agree with the statements without saying that I believe I am a thief.

  29. Guest

      nice

  30. Guest

      do you use anapests

  31. Guest

      is “what the fuck” an anapest

  32. Khakjaan Wessington

      You mean artist?

  33. Steven Augustine

      Does 7th Street Entry still exist? Does the New French still celebrate Bastille Day?

  34. Steven Augustine

      Does 7th Street Entry still exist? Does the New French still celebrate Bastille Day?

  35. alan

      Pretty sure there’s a Brecht quote along these lines.

      And he would know.

  36. Stephen

      Lily, I like to think of you mumbling yr post drunk in a parking garage after a Timberwolves home game at the Target Center, flashing that photo at occasional passersby or question marks fresh from a show at First Avenue. Which is to say I love it.

  37. Matt

      “We [artists] are all engaged in looting from the past. (Only the greatest geniuses manage to steal from the future.)” – Donald Barthelme

  38. Stu

      Of all the things to be condescending about.

      What a bore.

  39. Khakjaan Wessington

      @Stu You write very dull sentences. Low compositional standards?

  40. Donald

      what if the prose be poetic bud

  41. Donald

      what if the prose be poetic bud

  42. Stu

      Khaki Jeans,

      You have officially rocked me to the core of my being with this oh so very illuminating truth about the quality of my sentences. I will quit writing and defer to you as the preeminent poet/mind of our generation.

      You controls our mindz.

  43. Reynard Seifert

      if you walked up to a caveman painting his cave up for his woman all nice like and such and you asked him hey man aren’t you stealing the sky there guy you know like the trees the animals the earth the everything you know he would just prolly grunt and throw a sharp bone at you and say yes and no and so what who asked you anyway i’m just painting my room go away now thank you goodbye

  44. Steven Augustine

      Does 7th Street Entry still exist? Does the New French still celebrate Bastille Day?

  45. marshall

      I was playing. I said that because KW said in another thread: “[A]ny idiot can write prose with line breaks, frame it with a title, and call it a poem.” Dude is mad pedantic.

  46. marshall

      I was playing. I said that because KW said in another thread: “[A]ny idiot can write prose with line breaks, frame it with a title, and call it a poem.” Dude is mad pedantic.

  47. Donald

      what if the prose be poetic bud

  48. mimi

      this is kinda romantic ;)

  49. mimi

      this is kinda romantic ;)

  50. Lily Hoang

      or he’d say: mine. which is what i would say.

  51. Lily Hoang

      or he’d say: mine. which is what i would say.

  52. Lily Hoang

      Thank you, Stephen. Sadly, I don’t drink. I’m allergic. Which is not to say I wouldn’t do everything else described above while completely sober. That’s just the kind of gal I am.

  53. Lily Hoang

      Thank you, Stephen. Sadly, I don’t drink. I’m allergic. Which is not to say I wouldn’t do everything else described above while completely sober. That’s just the kind of gal I am.

  54. Guest

      I was playing. I said that because KW said in another thread: “[A]ny idiot can write prose with line breaks, frame it with a title, and call it a poem.” Dude is mad pedantic.

  55. mimi

      this is kinda romantic ;)

  56. d

      I just wrote another found poem. It is severely copyright protected.

      An anapest prose rapist
      I wish you just
      I meant that wish
      Could write, just you
      You think also
      You meant
      Think
      You knew
      What.

  57. d

      I just wrote another found poem. It is severely copyright protected.

      An anapest prose rapist
      I wish you just
      I meant that wish
      Could write, just you
      You think also
      You meant
      Think
      You knew
      What.

  58. lily hoang

      or he’d say: mine. which is what i would say.

  59. lily hoang

      Thank you, Stephen. Sadly, I don’t drink. I’m allergic. Which is not to say I wouldn’t do everything else described above while completely sober. That’s just the kind of gal I am.

  60. Khakjaan Wessington

      @d 8/11/2010, 3:30pm: You’re welcome! You love the form and yeah, it’s great for insults. Keep it up. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep practicing.

  61. Khakjaan Wessington

      @d 8/11/2010, 3:30pm: You’re welcome! You love the form and yeah, it’s great for insults. Keep it up. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep practicing.

  62. Donald

      Khakjaan Wessington
      you seem like a ‘dude who knows the names of things’

      what is the name of that thing where you repeat something but switch its order the second time? Shakespeare did it sometimes. other people did it, too.

      this has been upsetting me for weeks.
      (in the original sense of the word)

  63. Donald

      Khakjaan Wessington
      you seem like a ‘dude who knows the names of things’

      what is the name of that thing where you repeat something but switch its order the second time? Shakespeare did it sometimes. other people did it, too.

      this has been upsetting me for weeks.
      (in the original sense of the word)

  64. d

      I just wrote another found poem. It is severely copyright protected.

      An anapest prose rapist
      I wish you just
      I meant that wish
      Could write, just you
      You think also
      You meant
      Think
      You knew
      What.

  65. Pemulis

      @Donald:

      Are you talking about palindromes? (i’m not the dude whi knows teh namez, but still).

  66. Pemulis

      @Donald:

      Are you talking about palindromes? (i’m not the dude whi knows teh namez, but still).

  67. keedee

      Cavedude might be pissed to see a better version of his painting in the cave next door.

  68. keedee

      Cavedude might be pissed to see a better version of his painting in the cave next door.

  69. keedee

      Picasso, without passing judgment: “Art is theft.”

  70. keedee

      Picasso, without passing judgment: “Art is theft.”

  71. Khakjaan Wessington

      @Donald Epanados

  72. Khakjaan Wessington

      @Donald Epanados

  73. bark » Being Overrated is Overrated

      […] Being the first to “turn a phrase” – Steal someone else’s instead and pretend it’s your […]

  74. Khakjaan Wessington

      @d 8/11/2010, 3:30pm: You’re welcome! You love the form and yeah, it’s great for insults. Keep it up. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep practicing.

  75. Donald

      Khakjaan Wessington
      you seem like a ‘dude who knows the names of things’

      what is the name of that thing where you repeat something but switch its order the second time? Shakespeare did it sometimes. other people did it, too.

      this has been upsetting me for weeks.
      (in the original sense of the word)

  76. Pemulis

      @Donald:

      Are you talking about palindromes? (i’m not the dude whi knows teh namez, but still).

  77. keedee

      Cavedude might be pissed to see a better version of his painting in the cave next door.

  78. keedee

      Picasso, without passing judgment: “Art is theft.”

  79. Khakjaan Wessington

      @Donald Epanados

  80. Donald

      That’s the stuff, KW. Thank you.

      (Special mention to Pemulis, without whom none of this would be possible.)

  81. Donald

      That’s the stuff, KW. Thank you.

      (Special mention to Pemulis, without whom none of this would be possible.)

  82. zusya17

      that could be a slogan: “Do you anapest?”

  83. Donald

      That’s the stuff, KW. Thank you.

      (Special mention to Pemulis, without whom none of this would be possible.)

  84. Steven Augustine

      Analpest

  85. Steven Augustine

      Analpest

  86. mimi

      Could write, just you.
      Could think, you write.
      You meant you think you knew what you could think, you write.
      You knew what you could write, you think.
      Just think what you could write, you think.
      Just write what you could think, you meant.
      Just write, just think, just you, you meant.

      I wish you just that wish, meant I.

  87. mimi

      Could write, just you.
      Could think, you write.
      You meant you think you knew what you could think, you write.
      You knew what you could write, you think.
      Just think what you could write, you think.
      Just write what you could think, you meant.
      Just write, just think, just you, you meant.

      I wish you just that wish, meant I.

  88. Steven Augustine

      Analpest

  89. mimi

      Could write, just you.
      Could think, you write.
      You meant you think you knew what you could think, you write.
      You knew what you could write, you think.
      Just think what you could write, you think.
      Just write what you could think, you meant.
      Just write, just think, just you, you meant.

      I wish you just that wish, meant I.

  90. Tadd Adcox

      I like stealing shit. Is that what we’re talking about here? I got this little ceramic shot glass from a Chinese restaurant once. It is a little chipped in one spot but I love it.

  91. Tadd Adcox

      I like stealing shit. Is that what we’re talking about here? I got this little ceramic shot glass from a Chinese restaurant once. It is a little chipped in one spot but I love it.

  92. Joseph Marcure

      picasso was talking about food – the bad artists mime they’re eating, the great artists steal their lunch, dinner, whatever.

      banksy sort of sucks either way.

  93. Joseph Marcure

      picasso was talking about food – the bad artists mime they’re eating, the great artists steal their lunch, dinner, whatever.

      banksy sort of sucks either way.

  94. Tadd Adcox

      I like stealing shit. Is that what we’re talking about here? I got this little ceramic shot glass from a Chinese restaurant once. It is a little chipped in one spot but I love it.

  95. Joseph Marcure

      picasso was talking about food – the bad artists mime they’re eating, the great artists steal their lunch, dinner, whatever.

      banksy sort of sucks either way.

  96. Fred is Dead