Debbie Okpoebo
English 102-12
Professor Carlozzi
09 March 2015
Can a writer be influenced by other people and outside sources?
Many people who enjoy writing tend to find themselves alone, writing for hours about
whatever it is that their subject is about. A key component to a successful piece of
literature however is not to just sit confined in a space. A good piece of writing requires the
criticism and assistance from peers. No noble piece of writing has been submitted right
away without the critiques and help of others which is what many authors have discussed
in their writings about writing.
In the article “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community” written by James E. Porter, he
discusses the fact that all texts are interdependent, meaning that most works of literature
are based on/referring to other works of literature. He writes “Not infrequently, and
perhaps ever and always, texts refer to other texts and in fact rely on them for their
meaning. All texts are interdependent: We understand a text only insofar as we understand
its precursors.” (34) In this quote, Porter is speaking on how many authors use their
processors writings to better their own pieces of writing. This idea he calls
“intertextuality.” He defines the idea of intertextuality as “the principle that all writing and
speech—indeed, all signs—arise from a single network.” (34)
http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20071129_cristina_nehring_on_whats_wrong_
with_the_american_essay
http://www.jstor.org/stable/356630?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents