Failbetter: “I didn’t merge the last two novels of the I. trio into one. The trio became a duo when McSweeney’s rejected the second voume of the work, then called 2. They rejected it, they said, because they were cutting back on their fiction. So I removed 2 from the trio, rewrote it in its entirety (something I’ve been doing a lot with my work the last few years), gave the I. character a name, and submitted the work, as Old Friends, to Melville House, which took it in a couple of weeks. Then McSweeney’s wrote, saying they were starting a new fiction series and they’d like to see 2. I said 2 was now Old Friends and unavailable, would you like to see 3, which was now End of I. and also entirely rewritten from first page to last? They did and they took it.” (via Moorish Girl)
prolific
unappreciated
sexy
not a dickhole
you have to hand it to the man.
i would have told mcsweeney’s to go back to their fucking pirate store or to go write something witty about pop culture or fellate dave or something like that.
but not stephen. a true class act.
Important message about a Black Dog Publishing Book with plagiarized passages
Dear Sir or Madam,
Today I take the liberty of informing you that the book
ISBN: 1-904772-03-X of Black Dog Publishing of the UK
contains plagiarized text from a thesis of a young German student. The publisher failed to mention the work of the young student in the first place.
Moreover, in spite of repeated requests for insurtion of an erratum slip, Black Dog Publishing is refusing to accept liability and to honor its obligation to make references to text which was copied verbatim from the thesis.
I would appreciate it very much if you could kindly confirm receipt of this message. Please feel free to contact me for further information.
Thank you very much for your immediate attention to this serious academic, ethical, moral and legal offence commited by Black Dog Publishing.
Best from Berlin,
Daniel Dagan
Wilhelmstr. 90
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel. +49 – 30 – 22 62 06 50
Here are the citations for both works:
Thesis written by Ms. Miriam Dagan:
“Oppositional Spaces: Kenneth Anger and Sixties Counterculture” by Ms. Miriam Dagan de Picciotto
The thesis was submitted to Professor Dr. Guenter H. Lenz of the Humboldt University http://www.hu-berlin.de
in Berlin, Germany, on 21 November, 2003, and it can be obtained there for reference.
The thesis can also be obtained for reference in the Anthology Film Archives http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org
in New York, USA, where it has been kept in the institution’s files since January 2004 (and from where it has been appropriated by Ms. Alice Hutchison and by Black Dog Publishing, a London based UK publisher).
I, Daniel Dagan, can also send a printed or electronic version of the thesis upon request.
Book written by Ms. Alice Hutchison:
Kenneth Anger
by Alice L. Hutchison
LIST PRICE:
£24.95 FORMAT: Paperback (pp: 256)
ISBN: 1-904772-03-X PUBLISHER: Black Dog Publishing, United Kingdom
PUB. DATE: 08 Sep 2004
Here is just one example of yet more text which was copied from the thesis verbatim without attribution.
Original work Ms. Miriam Dagan, page 12:
While the threatening, hypnotic quality of some of Anger’s films will be shown to echo the bitter, apocalyptic side of sixties counterculture, Anger’s perspective on Lucifer as an angel of disobedience and on the coming of a New Age in many ways relates to the utopian countercultural spirit of the sixties.
Copied text in the book of Ms. Alice Hutchison, page 189:
While the threatening, hypnotic quality of Invocation of My Demon Brother perhaps reflects the apocalyptic underside of 1960s counterculture, Lucifer Rising as an angel of disobedience and the coming of a new age relates to the utopian countercultural ethos of the 60s and 70s.
The position of Ms Miriam Dagan has been all along this:
This case is not about money but about properly acknowledging the academic work of a young student, in accordance with the educational and ethical values which we all share, and with the accepted, internationally applied rules of attribution.
What we have been asking for is simply that Black Dog Publishing accept liability for infringement of copyright.
The settlement we have proposed would consist of:
– Insertion of an erratum slip in unsold copies of the book, making reference to the passages copied from Miriam’s thesis;
– Reimbursement of Miriam’s legal costs;
– Symbolic damages, which our London lawyer Mr Peter Wienand of the law firm Farrer & Co. has set at 1000 British Pounds.
Please note that in its book, on page 256, Black Dog Publishing states:
“Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity”.
In the acknowledgement section of the book, on page 251, Black Dog Publishing states: “Berlin: Miriam Dagan”. The publisher and the author have used this remarkable statement as an excuse for avoiding proper attribution. Please note, that nowhere in the book the thesis of Miriam is even mentioned.
Mr. Ian Johnson of the Wall Street Journal, author of “Wild Grass” (Pantheon, 2004) and 2001 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, wrote this on March 24, 2006:
The parallels between the two texts (i.e. the thesis of Ms. Miriam Dagan and the book of Ms. Alice Hutchison) are striking.
There is nothing wrong with borrowing ideas, but the usual procedure is to credit the author with a footnote or some other acknowledgement. This seems to me to be especially true when borrowing from a younger author.
Failing to do so gives the impression that one is trying to take advantage of the younger colleague, hoping that no one will notice or that the young colleague will be awed into keeping silent.
This is the comment of Daniel Dagan, father of Ms. Miriam Dagan, the student who became victim of plagiarism:
‘It is irresponsible, shameful and appalling that the publisher, Black Dog Publishing of the UK, keeps rejecting liability and is not prepared to provide a remedy for copying text verbatim from the work of a young student.
Miriam and I have brought this matter to the attention of committees for cultural and scientific affairs of several parliaments (in the UK, in New Zealand, in Germany and in the European Union) and we will continue to remind Black Dog Publishing of its commitment to honor the customary, internationally applied rules of attribution.
We would welcome it if organizations and individuals join us in our effort to draw attention to this serious case of infringement of copyright.’
daniel.dagan@surf-club.de
i hope that Black Dog Puublishing will stand by its commitment to honor the rules of attribution and will thereby redress the wrong done to Miriam Dagan,the victim of plagirism.So far, they have taken advantage of a young author by rejecting liability and by trying to intimidate her.
The settlement proposed by Miriam and her father seems extremely fair, what is the objection of the publishers to such a settlement?
Dear Editor,
I am writing to draw your attention to the fact that Black Dog Publishing and Ms Alice Hutchison plagiarized text verbatim not only from the thesis of the German student Ms Miriam Dagan, as convincingly documented and explained in previous contributions appearing in your web-site.
In the very same book (ISBN: 1-904772-03-X) , the very same offenders – i.e. Black Dog Publishing and Ms Alice Hutchison – also plagiarized text verbatim from the well-known American author Ms Carel Rowe.
Here is the information:
The passage of ten lines on page 176 of the book in question (ISBN: 1-904772-03-X) , that begins “The cosmology of” and ends “Horus as well.” is copied verbatim from page 17 of Carel Rowe’s essay in “Moonchild: The Films of Kenneth Anger”, edited by Jack Hunter (Creation Books, 2002).
This is the original text of author Carel Rowe in her article (Moonchild page 17):
“The Cosmology of his Book of the Law introduces this third Aeon: after Isis’ aeon of matriarchy and Osiris’ aeon of patriarchy follows the aeon of Horus, the Child or true self independent of priests or gods. In his 777 Book of Correspondences, Crowley cross indexes Greek, Egyptian, and Hindu mythologies, Venus is found in Isis and corresponding goddesses. Lucifer is the Roman name for the planet Venus which was worshipped both as Aurora (the morning star) and Vesper (the eveing star). Until these myths were suppressed by the Catholic Church the Gnostics worshipped Aurora/Lucifer as the Herald of the Dawn, the light preceding the sun. The Crowleyan/Anger doctrine exchanges Lucifer with Horus as well:”
This is the plagiarized text taken from Carel Rowe’s work, as it appears on page 176 (middle paragraph) of the book of Black Dog Publishing and Alice Hutchison (ISBN: 1-904772-03-X) :
“The cosmology of Crowley’s Book of the Law introduces a third Aeon, the Age of Horus (Aquarian Age), which follows after Isis’ aeon of matriarchy and Osiris’ aeon of patriarchy (and christianity). In Crowley’s 777-Book of Correspondences, he cross-indexes Greek, Egyptian, and Hindu mythologies. Venus is found in Isis and corresponding goddesses. Lucifer is the Roman name for the planet Venus which was worshipped both as the morning star and Vesper (the evening star). Until these myths were suppressed by the Catholic Church, the Gnostics worshipped Aurora/Lucifer as the Herald of the Dawn, the light preceding the sun. The Crowley/Anger doctrine exchanges Lucifer with Horus as well.”
Dear editor,
I would be glad to send you (and any interested reader) all the information proving both offences of plagiarism committed by Black Dog Publishing of the UK. Specifically I can send you:
1) An attachment with a comparative chart showing the exact passages of text copied verbatim from the thesis of Ms Miriam Dagan, as well as an electronic version of her complete thesis.
2) An attachment with the page of Carel Rowe’s article from which Black Dog Publishing copied the above text verbatim.
The copying without attribution from Ms Carel Rowe highlights that in the above mentioned book (ISBN: 1-904772-03-X) Black Dog Publishing of the UK has been using text verbatim not just from one author. Rather, this example underlines that Black Dog Publishing has been demonstrating a pattern of an irresponsible, shamefull and appalling plagiarism.
Thank you for your attention. I believe it’s high time that Black Dog Publishing accept liability for both cases of flagrant plagiarism. In the meantime I am asking your readers to contact Black Dog Publishing of the UK and to urge its leaders to assume responsibilty for the ongoing abuse of both authors – Ms Miriam Dagan and Ms Carel Rowe.
Sincerely,
Daniel Dagan
Wilhelmstr. 90
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel. +49 – 30 – 22 62 06 50
Email address: Daniel.Dagan@surf-club.de
Dear Carel Rowe,
As you can see in the information posted above,
ten lines from your essay in this book
“Moonchild: The Films of Kenneth Anger”,
edited by Jack Hunter (Creation Books,
2002, ISBN: 1-84068-029-6)
have been copied verbatim without attribution into this book
ISBN: 1-904772-03-X of Black Dog Publishing of the UK.
Exactly as other victims of plagiarism in this book ISBN: 1-904772-03-X
you obviously have the right to demand that the publisher insert an erratum slip in unsold copies of the book with the plagiarized passages, making reference to text which was copied verbatim without attribution. It goes without saying that Black Dog Publishing of the UK must accept liability for infringement of your copyright and must provide a remedy, which would include covering all of your legal costs (if you have any).
For a remedy – and hopefully for a speedy, amicable resolution – you may want to approach the UK publisher directly. Here is the address:
Black Dog Publishing
Unit 4.04 Tea Building
56 Shoreditch High Street
London
E1 6JJ
UK
T +44 (0) 20 7613 1922
F +44 (0) 20 7613 1944
General Enquiries:
info@blackdogonline.com
Sincerely,
Corinna Koch