Because fresh plagiarism charges seem to be unfurled more frequently than we replenish our own underwear drawer with scores of freshly laundered boxers (Is it too late to call 2006 the Year of the Plagiarist ?), the time has come for Return of the Reluctant to institute a new weekly feature: Plagiarist or Not Plagiarist ?
This Week’s Plagiarist : Antjie Krog
Source of Charges: Stephen Watson, writing in The New Contrast
Author’s Response to Plagiarism: “Stephen Watson in the annals of Plagiarism”
Work in Question: The Country of My Skull
Alleged Sources of Plagiarism: Multiple. Ted Hughes’ essay, “Myth and Education,” and two 19th century European linguists.
What the Publisher Says: Eve Gray at Random House: Only one phase strikingly similar, Krog’s book different in tone. Random House considering libel action against Watson.
Magic Hours by Tom Bissell: This marvelous collection of essays chronicles everything from film shoots to novelists rescued from oblivion. (The essay on the Underground Literary Alliance, with its portrait of raucous factions, unexpectedly reveals how soft today's literary world has become.) But if you peer between the cracks of these smart pieces, you may very well see how cultural lives are formed from the most unexpected life choices. And as we follow Bissell's development as a writer over the years, that goes for Bissell as well. (
Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway: Harkaway's latest novel greatly improves on his previous book, The Gone-Away World, which I'm already on record as praising. Angelmaker adopts genre elements without ever feeling like a genre book, and it leads me to believe that Harkaway is well on his way to a narrative grace close to China Miéville's. Yet inexplicably this very fun book, which includes an eightysomething badass named Edie Banister, a mysterious mechanical object that may destroy the world, farcical scenarios involving lawyers and the police, and some unexpectedly moving moments about fatherhood, doesn't appear to be getting much attention in American newspapers. Nothing from the snobs at The New York Times Book Review, nothing from The Washington Post. And since I can't get Harkaway on Bat Segundo, I hope this Jump Up and Down mention gets you hopping as well.
The Age of Insight by Eric Kandel: Unless you're really pressed for time, forget Jonah Lehrer. If you want to understand creativity and its relationship to neuroscience, then the bowtie-wearing Nobel laureate is your man. In addition to being a physically beautiful book (you will drool over many of the paintings), there are helpful overviews on optical illusions, science, biographical backgrounds, and many vital figures from the Vienna Secession. Kandel's enthusiasm (and his call for greater unity between the humanities and science) is contagious.
Has Eve Gray actually read the Ted Hughes article? If so, she must be blind, or dissembling frantically in the hopes that none of the rest of us will notice that Krog has stolen from Hughes with the brazenness of the truly egotistical. I hope Faber & Faber get hold of Krog, with the full fury of the famously protective Hughes estate behind them. Righteous indignation aside, I feel a bit sorry for Krog in odd moments – I think hers is the plagiarism that arises from a combination of laziness and a dry well of inspiration – maybe she just doesn’t have the patience to ride out an arid spell.
Since Krog says pretty much the opposite of what Hughes said, and the quote is on page 290 of a 350-page book, um, Harry, maybe you ought to try doing some reading yourself sometime, instead of flinging around ludicrous accusations of laziness.
LOL, sorry, at your careful revelation of the page number in Krog’s book. Should we laud her for 349 pages of originality and ignore the plagiarism? Oh wait, hang on, the Mail and Guardian just reported that there’s MORE plagiarism in Country of Everyone’s Skull But Mine. Or maybe it’s her stamina in producing such a very lengthy book that’s got you welling over with admiration.
And it doesn’t matter that Krog says the “opposite” to Hughes – what she is stealing here is a discourse. But hey, don’t forget all those pages! What a gal!
PS I was laughing so hard that I forgot to apologise for the lack of clarity in my first post – my comment about laziness was in reference to ‘the stars say “tsau”‘. However, I can’t tell you off the top of my head how many pages it has, so maybe I’m wrong again.
This is the saddest piece of “writing” i’ve ever come across. I hope YOU dont ever try to bring out a book or even ATTEMPT to do what Antjie Krog has done. I’m sure you are just a bitter, lonely man and rightly so, because you cant type for shit.