Did Dylan rip off Pynchon?

[Carvill John]

>
> Paul Mccartney said once that what he feared the most about writing lyrics was accidentally stealing them from somebody else (or something, I can't remember the exact quote), and I have this feeling while writing too. I don't think Bob Dylan would ever outrightly copy whole passages like this.
>


I love Dylan, he's been my favourite artist (of any type) for decades now. BUt he isn't perfect. There have been far too many instances of plagiarism lately. The way he took, for example, lines form old folk songs and mixed them in with his own words on 'Love & Theft' was daring and original. Same goes for teh way he reinvented meaning by using nursery rhymes on 'Under the Red Sky'.

But the writing in Chronicles was so acclaimed, and it's disappointing to find that a *lot* of it isn't his. It crosses the line, I think. That particular Pynchon 'rip off' is minor and tenuous, it could be coincidence; but a *lot* of other 'borrowings' cannot be. This goes way beyond the 'anxiety of influence' thing, I think.

It's a blemish on his late period. Still love him.



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