Plagiarizing your own autobiography, and other strange tales

Abstract

Miles Davis was known for his troubled relationships with writers, often expressing disdain for those who would comment upon his life and music. As a result, critical understanding of Davis has often been obscured, resulting from a self-generated silence from Davis himself, as a means to direct his own critical discourse. The allegations of plagiarism surrounding the publication of Miles: The Autobiography illustrate Davis’s imposition of a discursive silence on his critics and admirers alike. By refusing to speak openly and honestly about himself, Davis forced critics and scholars to fill in gaps in his narrative, with speculation and, in the case of the autobiography, other written work. By being ‘difficult’ or ‘uncooperative,’ Davis engaged in a process that was similar to his interactions with musicians, leaving spaces for others to fill. Thus, an aesthetic of silence underscores both his approach to music, and his engagement with the broader discourse.