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—