Ferrets? Sexy

[dangermousie]

I think by now everyone knows about the Cassie Edwards (trashy romance novelist who apparently stole every bit of written material not nailed down, including encyclopedia entries, acedemic articles, and oh yes, bits from a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel) plagiarism scandal.

If not, go read meganbmoore's post here.

But I just have to add one thing. Apparently, the latest work she plagiarized is...

...

...

...

Haiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

You know, the classic of American literature. The one that used to be taught in school rotuinely at least through 1950s and is probably still taught in a lot of schools now. Ummmm. And it's from the very beginning of the poem!

My God.

ETA: An author of an academic article on ferrets that Edwards lifted as part of romantic dialogue (!!!!!) writes one of the funniest articles I have ever read, commenting on the issue. Here it is.

Comments

[gingifere.livejournal.com]

God people who get caught for plagiarism always make me laugh. Its always hilarious to watch them try and defend themselves. This reminds me of the Plagarismn Scandal involving Cassandra Clare a few years ago who copied straight from books, magazines and shows for a *fanfiction*. People will never learn.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

That's nothing. Edwards actually ADMITS she took passages, but didn't know she had to credit them. She also allegedly(and even detractors are really hoping this one wasn't really by her) says that taking her to task on it is the same thing that has been done to native americans throughout the nation's history....that expecting her to own up to plagiarism is no different from, you know, genocide.

[gingifere.livejournal.com]

God how can she not know that she needed to credit them?! Its the first thing you're taught in both the final years in school and university. Not to mention its common sense that if you use someone else's work you need to credit them!

God in a way I hope that was her responding on myspace. Because if it is her she's just opened another can of worms by claiming that this is a blatant show of racism. She's going to be buried alive.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

It's even better if the myscpace letter is by her, because her books are blatantly racist.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Exactly. At least cassieclaire didn't make money off her stupid writing.

[gingifere.livejournal.com]

That is true although I have attempted to read her published trilogy 'City of Bone's'. Attempted is the key word here. It is not what I would call...good.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I tried (in the bookstore) and gave up. It was like pulling teeth.

[tricianna.livejournal.com]

These lines from the Newsweek article just about slayed me...

My words did not enhance her novel. They were filler. I can imagine frustrated and horny readers cursing the ferrets and skipping ahead in search of the next nipple.

Fandom & wank really makes a work day go by so much quicker :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

This whole article made me laugh so hard I had problems breathing.

[fenrir-khan.livejournal.com]

This just keeps getting better and better.

Also, I'm sure Longfellow's prose fit right in her trashy novel. A little piping bluebirds and singing robins next to the turgid manhoods and lady-caverns never hurt anyone. Oh, wait...

[fenrir-khan.livejournal.com]

I just read the article you linked to. Suffice it to say that this --> When the teepee flaps are rocking, don't come a-knocking. is my new e-mail signature. Thanks.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The ferret article author sounds awesome.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

On a quasi serious note, when I was reading in HS, it wasn't the incredible badness of the books that turned me off, but the amazingly blatant racism in the books, which makes the one passage from her alleged myspace letter all the better.

That article seriously made my day, though. Seriously, discussion of ferrets as post-coital bonding.

And there is a thread on it at fandom wank. I now have something fun to read if I'm on the internet computer at work.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

If she is racist, it doesn't surprise me. She sounds so incredibly 'superior.' Ugh.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I've read some of her 90s books. Blindly racist.

[ilanala]

I would really like to know what made her think that that ferret stuff was good dialogue, let alone good dialogue to use for a sex scene in a romance novel. It sounds utterly ridiculous...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Maybe she was on drugs. Seriously, what kind of dialogue is that? Is she paid by the word?

[village.livejournal.com]

Usually this stuff makes me livid. I have no tolerance for plagiarists/plagiarism. Makes me want to go to a bookstore, steal her books and then burn them in a field and I don't believe in stealing or book burning. At the same time, after reading that ferret article, omg, hilariousness. I mean, people buy this person's books? And like it? REALLY?! And here I thought Dan Brown was a terrible wordsmith, but compared to Cassie Edwards he's a freakin' genius. My mind is seriously boggled right now. I think I'm more appalled by her atrocious writing skills than I am by her plagiarism. You're stealing someone else's work and that's THE BEST YOU CAN DO?! Good God.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Seriously, that was dialogue? Hooooow?

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for linking to "Move Over Meerkat Manor." That was a fun and informative read. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I laughed so hard at it. The guy has quite a sense of humor.

[filmi-girl.livejournal.com]

OMG! I've totally been hanging around fandom too long. Your post title made me think: Ferrets -> Draco Malfoy and Cassie -> Cassie Clare.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I wish. Oh I wish.

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

Her myspace letter is just sooooo condescending towards her readers and the Native Americans...I remember reading one of her books as a teenager, and even then, i realised that they were bad!

The whole excuse offered up about reasonable use and all that and how she didn't think crediting sources, academic or otherwise, was important just goes to show that she is either incredibly naive or arrogant!

I spent a long, long time in academia and if there was even the faintest hint of anything remotely bearing similarity to any previously published work, you referenced it to death! Argh!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The best part is, she has also taken from fictional sources so there goes her excuse. Argh.

ROTFL!

[grace-om.livejournal.com]

OMG! That ferret article...sooooo funny.

Re: ROTFL!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I seriously died.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I love the Animal Planet banter between Shiona and her hunky Injun! It's so teh hot!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I mean, isn't that what you want your true love to say to you? I know I do.

[bennet-7.livejournal.com]

I've been following this over on the Smart Bitches website for a while now and I still can't wrap my head around it. Plagiarism is so easy to discover these days. Stooooooopid.

Also amazing - the fact that the scandal hasn't become a 'gate' yet. I love it when the media (or increasingly the bloggers) equate this kind of scandal with Nixon's hijinks and tomfoolery.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Apparently the latest is she stole a LOT from Longfellow. LOL.

I wait to see when they find out she lifted from Fenimore Cooper.