16 On Originality

Then a writer said, Speak to us of originality.
And he answered and said:

Originality is the “original state or quality.”

Or so the Webster would have us believe, though I have never held the Webster to be a highly original work. And of “original”, the Webster says, “that from which anything is copied”. But did I not just now copy from the Webster? Is the Webster not then an original work?

Would you dishonour the copy and not tarnish the original as well? How can one shame the son, and not sully the father? And how can one shame the father, and not sully the son?

Much of what you see or hear may be derivative. As a very wise ass once said: “Some works are more original than others.”

But was not The Godfather Part II just as exciting as Part I, which did precede it?
There are some pretty darn good sequels in this world.