The following short poem was inspired by the plagiarism scandal at Harvard, and particularly by the depressingly typical and unsurprising responses from the typical and unsurprising quarters. I couldn’t find a good home for it in a timely fashion, so I’m posting this bit of ephemera on my personal blog here.

“From One Ivy Leaguer to Another, upon Contemplating the Papers of Claudine Gay and Their Reception”

To plagiarize is not so bad;
It even seems quite nice
To give the words the honor of
Getting to be read twice.
So if your prof accuses you
Of stealing someone’s work,
Don’t take his guff—say, “I won’t be
Oppressed, you racist jerk!”