Lethem: The second time around

Jonathan Lethem's argument is that artists or authors should be able to use other people's work within their own, but they must acknowledge that it's someone else's idea or thought and not their own. Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's piece of work and calling it your own. What Lethem is advocating is not plagiarism at all: He isn't saying that one should claim another's original thoughts. He's arguing that its okay to use other people as influence or even twist a work into something new. On the contrary of advocating plagiarism, Jonathan Lethem is affirming that intertextuality exists.

The influence of one artist on another isn't a cause for shame. Influenced work can come out very well done and be popular, although its uncommon. Many people, after reading the original work and enjoying it will not even want to know what happens in the newly created version. People create a feeling of needing to stand behind the original, and feel like they're cheating on it if they like the work that is more recent. Often, the artist who made the original will be annoyed by the person who copied them, and feel like they stole their original ideas. However, Lethem believes that the artist shouldn't feel this way because its a form of flattery. Just like your parents tell you when you get annoyed with your little sister or brother following you around all the time. They aren't trying to make you annoyed-they want to be like you.