The tenure dispute story is becoming a newspaper staple, an archtype, but the stories themselves are getting weaker. Case in point: a professor writes just one book; the book is not at all well known; and the book is viewed as derivative. The professor cannot believe he has been denied tenure at Princeton University just because his one obscure book is derivative. He has James McPherson in his corner to say originality is entirely overrated, but the tenure board is not buying that.

Cry me a river.