An article appeared yesterday about a reporter resigning from her post after she was caught plagiarizing. From the article: " She was conscientious, solid. She wasn’t known to be among Politico‘s rock stars, but as a former reporter for WaPo whose work has appeared in The Orange County Register, San Jose Mercury News and The Miami Herald, she had a bright future. Now, we’re told, her career in Washington journalism is effectively over."
"...her career in Washington journalsim is effectively over" - as it should be, but would that there were such standards in the world of poetry today.
As I've been reading over submissions, I'm struck by how many times poets attempt to copy the work of others and pass it off as their own. I'm not talking about mere similarity of ideas, or accidental repeats of a phrase, but full blown copying of poems, or merely twisting a line or two here and there and slapping their name on the creative work of someone else.
It's bad enough to catch someone plagiarizing, and then it is further disheartening to see said plagiarist still managing to get published by other publications after he/she has been exposed. Further still, I wonder what my role as editor is in exposing plagiarists to the world. Once caught, do I let other editors know that this person is a thief, or do I sit back and wait for him/her to expose him/herself? Because, mark my words, plagiarists do not stop at one theft or two. They will steal again. Oh, it may change from whom they steal, or how blatant they are in their thievery, but they will repeat their offence and others will eventually catch them, too.
I've known poets to "borrow" from others, only to plead that it was accidental. Okay, let's give them the benefit of the doubt on one instance or perhaps two. But when it happens repeatedly, surely we're not expected to suspend common sense and overlook a major act of wrongdoing.
Poets, don't become lazy in your craft. Work at it, check your own work by running it through search engines to be sure you haven't inadvertently copied someone else. If you write something and worry that it sounds familiar, it's because probably it is. Have others check it out for you as well. Consult with those who have inspired your work and see if they mind you "borrowing" from it, but above all, have integrity in your work. Nothing you copy will be as authentic as sharing from your own inkwell, and no publishing credit that you've earned dishonestly will shine as triumphantly as that you've crafted yourself.
