The Ecstasy of Influence

Jonathan Lethem suggests that plagiarism is simply a part of the creation of art. Artists are inspired by each other's works, which leads to the creation of new art.

Making the familiar strange is reimagining things that are known to us. I think that making the familiar strange has two main benefits for artists. The familiarity of the art attracts consumers, while the strangeness of it keeps them interested. It would be a bit boring to see art that is the exact same as someone else's, but similarities to previous art may attract new fans.

Art participates in a market economy and a gift economy. A gift economy creates a bond between the giver and the receiver, while there does not need to be a connection in a market economy.

"The commons" are things that belong to everyone, yet belong to no one. Some examples from the reading were roads, public parks, and beaches. Commons are free to be used by anyone who wishes to, and they are not owned by a singular person. Commons are important because anyone can alter or contribute to them since they are not owned by a singular person. A good example of this is language. The English language is constantly changing, and some terms are popularized by certain groups of people (for example, AAVE, or African American Vernacular English, has become so popular that it has spread outside of the group from which it originated).