“I have myself always been terrified of plagiarism - of being accused of it, that is. Every writer is a thief, though some of us are more clever than others at disguising our robberies. The reason writers are such slow readers is that we are ceaselessly searching for things we can steal and then pass off as our own: a natty bit of syntax, a seamless transition, a metaphor that jumps to its target like an arrow shot from an aluminum crossbow.” WritingReasonBitsReaderShotsMetaphorCleverStealingTargetTransitionThievesTerrifiedAccusedArrowsPlagiarismRobberySyntaxSeamlessAluminumBeing AccusedCrossbows Author:Joseph Epstein
“It has come to be practically a sort of rule in literature that a man, having once shown himself capable of original writing, is entitled thenceforth to steal from the writings of others at discretion.” MenWritingLiteratureCapableOriginalsStealingEntitledDiscretionPlagiarism Book:Essays and Lectures Source: Essays and Lectures