pla(y)giarism versus plagiarism
Consider these two texts. The first was published on 28 June 2010 at Everyday Genius, the second was published yesterday at Metazen. The second author is very familiar with the first author.
The first text:
Rip off the wings of dragonflies
Rip off the wings of dragonflies, take their “spines,” their central lengths and a bit of paste, affix them down noses, between the eyes, one per customer. A dream.
The most important thing
The most important thing, about this pen, is to maintain inkflow: (the idea that) the ink must flow and continue flowing, at all times.
A Certain Angle
Remember, he said, when loaning it to me, this pen won’t write unless held at a certain angle.
It is said of the Emperor Fu Kang
“It is said of the Emperor Fu Kang: that He, with eyes unflinching, and a hand at peace, would have His enemies, and He had many, executed by decapitation. Further, that He would have their heads scooped out, embalmed then impregnated with magnet: the cavity that held the brain would be filled with iron, mined in the furthest West. During His ample leisure He enjoyed tossing these magnetized heads at a metallic surface. Actually in later years, with His son gaining influence, His Empire modernizing and so falling to ruin, this metal surface was often the door to an enormous refrigerator, then the largest to be found in the universe (opening it required two teams of oxen and an equator of rope). Inside this fridge the Emperor kept his foodstuffs, luxuriously imported at our expense, at a temperature most appropriate.”
Brief Eulogy For Federman
I am rereading Malone Dies
just to mock death a little
and boost my cancerous spirit.I shall soon be quite dead at last
Malone tells us at the beginning
of his story.What a superb opening
what a fabulous sentence.With such a sentence
Malone announces his death
and at the same time delays it.
–from Federman’s blog
Raymond Federman switched tenses last week. And now I really regret not having corresponded with him in time.
I would have liked to tell him how much he inspired my work, how much I admired his imagination, and how much I believe he contributed to the field of experimental literature.
I would have liked to tell him about my experience of reading his collection of postmodern essays, Critifiction, from cover to cover in one sitting at Brennan’s coffeeshop in Columbus, Ohio — how I had only intended to flip through the book while waiting for the #2 bus, but quickly found myself locked into his consciousness — how I needed to read that particular book at that particular time — how it gave me confidence and helped me to form thoughts that I struggled to form on my own — how it made me feel connected at a time when I felt supremely alienated by a creative writing program hellbent on perpetuating conventional realism and marginalizing anyone who attempted otherwise, as if I was not alone in my desire to create unorthodox wordmagic.
I would have also liked to tell him about my experiences reading his fiction…
New Federman
New from BlazeVox Books:
THE CARCASSES
A FABLE
by
Raymond Federman
— but she knows from her experience on planet Earth that even if she denounces her comrades she will be thrown on the pile of carcasses known as the pile of eternally rejected carcasses — it is the worse condition — the most terrible fate for a carcass is to know that she will never be transmuted — that there is no hope of ever be transmuted — not even as an ugly vegetable — let’s say as a carrot — or as a ridiculous object like a chamber pot — meanwhile the secret forces of the authorities — known as the authoritarian militia — are in the process of arresting all those who are involved because even if the NAFC did not give their names — the OFCS denounced them — no need to say more about the pathetic failure of this revolution — what will happen in the zone of the carcasses will be told in a subsequent chapter — but as it is now said and repeated in every corner of the zone since the miscarriage of this revolt — the more things change the more they’re the same —