SLSL Intro, "...the question of credit lines..."

[Mutualcode at aol.com]

The paragraph beginning: "Fascinating topic..." and ending with
"...the major 'source' for the story" is interesting in a number
of ways, and could as easily be the start of a meditation on
language itself, as about literary theft. The "nothing is original"
comment mid-paragraph almost suggests that. I do not think,
however, this to be an oblique reference to St. Augustine, but 
that's a possibility.

What is hinted at, and what the whole bogus facade of
"autography" presented as "Introduction" to the stories is
pointing to, I think- in an subverted way- is not so much the 
theft of literary sources, but, rather, the opposite of that- 
the theft of authority. The term for this is "pseudepigraphy."

It is frequently encountered in discussions of The Kabbalah,
most familiarly, in the works of Gershom Scholem, but also,
in the discussions of rabbinical literature in general, the midrashic
literature, for example, where writers often  attribute their own 
commentary to more ancient sources.

Of course, in these times, although not recognized as such,
the most common examples of pseudepigraphy might be in
the scientific literature, where the description of original and
innovative research is attributed, not only, to the hard-working
graduate students and post-docs, but also, to The Chairman of
the department, the school's nobel laureate, and any other 
authoritative names available, in an effort to elevate the merit
of the work.

Gaddis, I think, made quite alot about the theft of authority
and/or authenticity.

respectfully