Description
Book SynopsisOffers a novel reading of the abolitionist writer's plagiarism, arguing the act was a means of capitalizing on the energies of mass-cultural entertainments popularized by showmen such as P. T. Barnum.
Trade ReviewThis deftly researched and compellingly written account reminds the reader of [William Wells] Brown's power as a writer, and resituates him as both an important antiracist thinker in the Civil War era and a powerful writer who is part of the narrative of 19th-century American culture.... Recommended. * Choice *
Should stimulate much-needed discussion on plagiarism and originality, authorship and ethics. * Times Literary Supplement *
A dynamic, original discussion about plagiarism and the self-multiplying discursive aesthetics of William Wells Brown. * The ALH Online Review *
Plagiarama! is an important new book that, in addition to this game-changing information, offers a provocative and celebratory reading of Brown’s texts and personae. * MELUS *
An impressive work of scholarship that details for the first time Brown's complex carnivalesque artistry. * Modern Philology *
Sanborn is indispensable for the thoroughness of his examination of [William Wells Brown's] plagiarism. In the appendices to
Plagiarama! Sanborn catalogs every case of lifted language and every boosted bit of prose, noting the original source and the total number of words taken. -- Gordon Fraser * American Literature *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Plagiarama!
2. The Spirit of Capitalization
3. The Aesthetic of Attractions
4. The Beautiful Slave Girl
5. The Sound of Fame
Appendix A: Plagiarism in Brown's Works
Appendix B: Bibliography of Plagiarized Works
Notes
Index
