Alas, there are such strong and seemingly persuasive arguments on both sides. I think two key factors may be trust and permission. Is the writer a trustworthy source of the words and insights? Does he or she have any form of “permission” to do the appropriating? Non-fiction writers are continually paraphrasing, translating, condensing, interpreting, and yes, appropriating, other peoples’ words and thoughts. The good ones earn trust and permission through various forms of editing, fact-checking, and/or peer review. I’m not sure there are parallel safeguards for fiction and other creative arts, and that’s where many of the problems arise, especially in this era of debates about rights, entitlement, and political correctness. In his commentary published Friday, I thought Andre Alexis’s paragraph about “the idea of place” resonated and supported the statements in his final paragraph.