Thursday 2 October 2014

Are you copying me?

Something on the radio put me in mind of early school days this morning, when your desk-mate would cup their hand over their writing to stop you indulging in a bit of instant plagiarism.

The only time I was tempted to do this was during Maths lessons - I was hopeless at Maths. I don't mean a bit hopeless, I mean completely and utterly hopeless. To give you an idea of how hopeless, I can tell you I scored a magnificent zero for my Maths 'O' Level.

I loved essays, and I found them a breeze. If I happened to be sitting next to a boy who was struggling with his free prose and I happened to glance in his direction whilst thinking of something else, and he shielded his half-written masterpiece with his left hand, I would think, why the hell do you think I would want to copy you?

A silly person I once knew, decided that she was going to be a writer. "All I need is some ideas," she actually said, "Have you got any?"

Prince Charles - at some literary function - once asked a female writer where she got her ideas from. "Harrods'', was her brilliant answer. This was before Al Fayed bought the place and ceremoniously burnt the wood Wales Feathers in his garden.

It is difficult - not to say impossible - to avoid plagiarism in any form of the Arts. The reason why there is so much bad art around is because most bad artists are trying too hard to avoid copying others as they struggle to find a 'voice'. "If I say it's Art, then it is." No it isn't, actually.

My favourite musical quote (I have temporarily forgotten who said it) is, "Composing is remembering a melody which nobody else has thought of." That really sums it up - the idea that there is nothing new under the sun, but it is still possible to be uniquely original.

People who make things look easy are just very relaxed. How are you, in yourself? (as the old Irish greeting goes).

22 comments:

  1. I haven't got O level Maths believe it or not. I am however good at mental arithmetic but could never master algebra. English was easy, I just made up stories just like I do now.

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  2. Algebra is a language is mathematical language that I understood and only half grasped.
    Otherwise I am fair to middling Tom, as I prepare to give a poetry reading later in the day.

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    1. Judging from your opening sentence, Algebra is your first language too.

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  3. I still don't understand your levels systems. But I will chime in and say I'm another person who did absolutely horrible in algebra (but I did great in geometry)

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    1. I don't think the 'levels' system exists anymore.

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  4. How many combinations of 8 notes are there? Then add a second octave.

    I loved both algebra and geometry, but found ordinary adding, subtracting, and multiplying, so very boring.

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    1. Answer: 8 to the power of 8 = 16,777,216 I can't even imagine the result if repeating by another 8. Enough tunes for everyone!

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    2. Are you making fun of my inumeracy? (according to my machine, I can't spell that word either)

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  5. Hey Tom, as your job is a bit artsy... are you left handed?

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  6. I feel sorry for the little boy who covered his work up from you. He wasn't thinking you were going to copy from him, he knew exactly what you were thinking.

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    1. I was there - I know how he reacted. Don't project.

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  7. 7 x 8 has always tripped me up. My husband told me the answer and then asked me what 8 x 7 is. I shamefully admit that I didn't know the answer. Other than that I am doing well.

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    1. I'll find out and get back to you, Iris.

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    2. This is my favourite sum 56 = 7 x 8!

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  8. Sometimes John Cage's saying 'I have nothing to say and I am saying it - and that's poetry' is the best of all things.

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    1. That's what blogging is all about, isn't it?

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    2. ...with pictures tom...with pictures

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    3. Yes, I have been a bit mingey with the pictures recently. I'll have to make up for it.

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