Raymond Chandler: The Simple Art Of Plagiarism
This LA Times' blog item about Raymond Chandler's wife's ashes being relocated to his grave in San Diego reminded me about a blog item I did a while back on Chandler.
It actually didn't start out to be on Chandler at all. I was just checking out a Chandler quote -- or what I thought was a Chandler quote from "The Simple Art of Murder" -- to make sure I got it right: "Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid."
Unfortunately, it seems Chandler practiced the simple art of plagiarism. It seems he cribbed the line (and borrowed even more) from novelist Rebecca Harding Davis, who died in 1910. More here.
Well, that's a little disheartening. I wonder how often this kind of thing goes on.
Old RPM Daddy at February 15, 2011 5:43 AM
My favorite example is the famous "Ask not what your country can do for you ..." line from JFK's inauguration speech. This was first uttered (or something like it in Latin) by Cicero in the first century BC. More details here.
AllenS at February 15, 2011 6:45 AM
We make way too much of this kind of thing these days. Bach ripped whole concertos from Vivaldi without credit, but then he usually didn't even sign his own works either. It was all considered fair game, and what mattered was what you did with it. I bet the same is true of Shakespeare, as it is for virtually any artist prior to copyright. As Stravinsky said good composers borrow, great ones steal.
Todd Fletcher at February 15, 2011 7:55 AM
I don't know, or care, if this rises to the level of plagarism, or is just something he heard or read one time coming back to him. I don't care enough to follow the link.
If we're concerned about plagarism, let us start at the top, with our ghost writing President, and our goofball VP. (It sure is great he saved us from the trauma of Vice President Palin or something. How incorrect of me, I'm sure.) I wouldn't knowingly plagarize. I'm also certain that most phrases I've written have been used or spoken before me.
With Google, everything can be checked. Chandler, one assumes, lacked Google.
MarkD at February 15, 2011 8:06 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/02/the-simple-art.html#comment-1844362">comment from MarkDOf course it rises, MarkD. Did you go to the link and read?
Amy Alkon
at February 15, 2011 8:28 AM
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