QUILLBLOG

Coupland borrows an Earth Sandwich

Sometimes writers will stop conversations to have this one:

“Can I use that?”
“What?”
“That joke/anecdote/story/funny phrase.”
“Why?”
“In a story? Can I use it?”

Writers are often collage artists, making stories out of observations, culling dialogue from covert eavesdropping. It makes sense that some might make a habit of asking permission if they’ve ever been called out for stealing ideas.

Last week, Douglas Coupland twittered about ZeFrank,  the blogger who invented the Earth Sandwich idea Coupland uses in his new book Generation A. The Earth Sandwich is, in short, when two people on opposite ends of the earth put a piece of bread down, forming a sandwich, and take a photo. In the book, Coupland describes the Earth Sandwich in detail without giving credit to its creator.

In a promotional video for Generation A, now offline, there is a small credit on the screen, but the blogger claims this is  “still infuriating” and asks, “Do you think I could get away with doing something he did VERBATIM and them putting a tiny credit?”

Coupland’s twitter response said, “@zefrank. I send you warm wishes and much cheer. And thank you for the lovely (and amazing) Earth Sandwich idea. You are brilliant.”

This conversation starts a larger one – when we put ideas into the world, via the Internet or casual conversation at a bar, are they fair game for appropriation? Should we keep our wit to ourselves when Douglas Coupland is within earshot?

Friends of mine know to interject and say, “No, you can’t use that.” Perhaps we should all be wary of the observer with the moleskine. Or, you know, relax a little about our ideas.