Kaavya Viswanathan
 

I'm suprised this isn't on the LoT yet. (If it is, I didn't see the thread--I haven't been here for a few days and there's a lot of new stuff.)

Basically, this 19-year old Harvard student and author of some chick-lit book that I never intend to read is accused of plagiarising 40+ passages from 2 other books. She claims that this is a genuine mistake, and that she must have "internalized" those books more than she knew.

I think she's a liar.

Here's a link to the story in the NYTimes from a couple days ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/bo...=1&oref=slogin

It's been all over the news here in Boston. You know, her being a Harvard student and all.
I haven't read her book nor the one she may have copied.

While digging up that link, I spotted a headline that said she may be taking a "break" from Harvard.

Was the book she allegedly plagiarized somewhat obscure? I bet she was hoping no one would notice.

The article says they were popular books.

I'd guess she was hoping no one would notice as well.

I don't know. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt if she is anything like me (and I haven't looked at the passages closely).

Not to be immodest but I have a pretty powerful memory for exact writing when it is something that clicks with me. It isn't uncommon for me, when trying to summarize someone's writing to end up using exact or near exact passaages without intending to. This was useful when I took the AP History exam and I was able to quote several consecutive paragraphs of a Thomas Jefferson essay from memory. Not so useful when I don't realize I'm doing it, which is often.

I can easily see sitting down to right a book in a style inspired by some specific books I've read and unintentionally spewing out very similar and at times exactly similar segments without realizing I had moved so close to the source material.

If the passages are all short like I've seen in newspaper articles then I'll cut her slack. If some are longer then I'll turn on her.

I also don't see why Harvard should get involved (as many have been saying Harvard should expel her). She wrote the books after she was accepted and they are entirely separate from her academic work (though professors might want to take a closer look at anything she has written for them).

Yeah, none of Harvard's frelling business.

I know that zapppop has a phonographic memory, and can remember everything he's ever heard with astounding precision. Who knows if someone with a photographic memory has so much text in their heads that they sometimes confuse imitation with the exact source.

I would say cut her some slack ... but since she's in Massachusetts, I say BURN THE WITCH!!!

I have a pornographic memory. Everything I remember becomes a sex scene in my mind.

Considering some of the links you post...that disturbs me. ;) I mean, I like the Optimus Keyboard as much as the next guy but...

I can relate, in the sense that I'm very good at remembering pieces of music that I have heard before and can generally play something pretty accurately, even if I haven't heard if for 10 years.

But I'm usually very aware of the source during my own recollection, and if I'm not, the one thing I am pretty certain of is that the source isn't ME.

I guess I have a hard time understanding how she could include something close to verbatim in her books and yet have this same material not ring any bells when she was writing it. If I was "borrowing" from someone else while writing something, I would like to think that I would be aware of it while doing so. And if I was aware, I would certainly alter it enough to where it wasn't easily recognizable as someone elses work.