This Charming Man
oh, Copyeditor.
i was so proud of myself today. i spotted plagiarism in a submission. silly freshman thinks he can steal from tom stoppard and i won't notice, but i am quick like a cat, sharp as a tack, and tired as a cliched simile.
i danced about the office in wonderment, and my staff asked if that had ever happened before. i related an incident last year where a poet used a line from a Smiths song without citation, and i caught it.
"oh, really?" said my young copyeditor and crush, who happened to be wearing a Smiths t-shirt.
"really." i commenced riffling through our immense file folder to offer him proof.
"read it to me," he began, "and i bet i can point out the line."
so i did. it went something like this.
"Poem"
by Poet
Poempoem. Poempoempoem.
Poem. Poempoempoem.
Poem. Poem. Poem. Poem.
Poempoempoem. Poem. Poem.
Poempoem. Poempoem. Poem.
Poem. Poem. Poempoempoem.
Poempoempoempoempoem.
Poempoem. Poempoem.
Poem. Poempoem. Poempoem.
I've seen this happen
in other people's lives
and now it's happening in mine.
Poempoem--
"stop." he said, pointing out the correct line.
he then went on to name the song it was from ("That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"), the album (Meat is Murder), and the track number (five).
amazing.
hollis interjected (because that's what he does). "how can anyone think they'll get away with plagiarism? that's so stupid."
they don't count on us being so clever. i said it would have been stupid if the guy had copied a more well-known Smiths song, like "How Soon is Now."
"yeah," i continued, "it would be immediately caught if a submission started out 'i am the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar...'"
and Copyeditor joined me in my spoken-word Smiths. "...you shut your mouth..."
that's why he's employee of the year. and he has good taste in music and good taste in britishisms.
how can i not adore him? we are the easiest puzzle to fit together.
i still feel proud. it's a fair cop.
i was so proud of myself today. i spotted plagiarism in a submission. silly freshman thinks he can steal from tom stoppard and i won't notice, but i am quick like a cat, sharp as a tack, and tired as a cliched simile.
i danced about the office in wonderment, and my staff asked if that had ever happened before. i related an incident last year where a poet used a line from a Smiths song without citation, and i caught it.
"oh, really?" said my young copyeditor and crush, who happened to be wearing a Smiths t-shirt.
"really." i commenced riffling through our immense file folder to offer him proof.
"read it to me," he began, "and i bet i can point out the line."
so i did. it went something like this.
"Poem"
by Poet
Poempoem. Poempoempoem.
Poem. Poempoempoem.
Poem. Poem. Poem. Poem.
Poempoempoem. Poem. Poem.
Poempoem. Poempoem. Poem.
Poem. Poem. Poempoempoem.
Poempoempoempoempoem.
Poempoem. Poempoem.
Poem. Poempoem. Poempoem.
I've seen this happen
in other people's lives
and now it's happening in mine.
Poempoem--
"stop." he said, pointing out the correct line.
he then went on to name the song it was from ("That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"), the album (Meat is Murder), and the track number (five).
amazing.
hollis interjected (because that's what he does). "how can anyone think they'll get away with plagiarism? that's so stupid."
they don't count on us being so clever. i said it would have been stupid if the guy had copied a more well-known Smiths song, like "How Soon is Now."
"yeah," i continued, "it would be immediately caught if a submission started out 'i am the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar...'"
and Copyeditor joined me in my spoken-word Smiths. "...you shut your mouth..."
that's why he's employee of the year. and he has good taste in music and good taste in britishisms.
how can i not adore him? we are the easiest puzzle to fit together.
i still feel proud. it's a fair cop.