Not Stolen. Permanently Borrowed.

Philip Roth, in an open letter to Wikipedia, published by the New Yorker:

My novel “The Human Stain” was described in the entry as “allegedly inspired by the life of the writer Anatole Broyard.” (The precise language has since been altered by Wikipedia’s collaborative editing, but this falsity still stands.)

This alleged allegation is in no way substantiated by fact.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, obviously, it’s better for the truth to be known and out there.

On the other hand, like, a novel is a magic trick. Why explain how to make it only look like you’re sawing a lady in half?

And really, Philip Roth? The Wikipedia page of your own novel? Yes, I know:

I had reason recently to read for the first time the Wikipedia entry discussing my novel “The Human Stain.”

Reason recently?

The rest of us call that “googling ourselves.”