8 months ago
Literary Twitter: A Fading Literary Movement
Literary Twitter was a community on Twitter where people who love books, writers, and readers could connect.
They shared their thoughts about books, discussed authors and their works, and even found job opportunities.
Some famous people in this community included Joyce Carol Oates and Duchess Goldblatt, a fictional character created by an anonymous writer.
There were also some memorable moments, like the 'Kidney Gate' controversy and using Shakespeare's King Lear as a Covid project.
However, after Twitter was taken over by Elon Musk, the community started to fade away.
People found it harder to connect and see the content they were interested in, so many left for other platforms like Instagram.
It's a bit sad, but the love for literature continues to find new ways to thrive.
Literary Twitter was a community on Twitter connecting book lovers, writers, and literary enthusiasts.
The movement facilitated discussions, job opportunities, and the sharing of literary works.
Notable figures like Joyce Carol Oates and Duchess Goldblatt were prominent in the community.
Memorable moments included the 'Kidney Gate' controversy and using Shakespeare's King Lear as a Covid project.
The community began to fade after Twitter's takeover by Elon Musk, leading to changes in algorithms and content visibility.
- Who
- Literary enthusiasts, writers, and readers who were part of the Literary Twitter community.
- What
- The rise and decline of Literary Twitter, a movement that connected people through literature on the micro-blogging site.
- Where
- On the social media platform Twitter (now known as X).
- When
- The movement began to fade after 2022, following Twitter's takeover by Elon Musk.
- Why
- Changes in Twitter's algorithms and a shift towards paid content led to the decline of Literary Twitter, causing writers and readers to migrate to other platforms.
Key facts
- Literary Twitter
- A community on Twitter connecting book lovers, writers, and literary enthusiasts.
- Duchess Goldblatt
- A fictional character created by an anonymous writer, known for her witty and wise tweets.
- Kidney Gate
- A 2021 controversy involving a kidney donation and a short story inspired by it.
- Joyce Carol Oates
- An American writer known for her literary and political presence on Twitter.
- Twitter's Takeover
- Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, leading to changes in algorithms and content visibility.
Quotes
Hannan Cohen
Poet and writer
“Because of Twitter, you didn’t even need an MFA or attend in-person conferences or workshops just to rub elbows. You could follow all your favorite literary journals on Twitter and see when there was an open call for submissions or contests.”
indianexpress.com
“It has destroyed a central hub of communication that so many creative people relied on not only for work, but for social connections.”
indianexpress.com
Joyce Carol Oates
American writer and poet
“how strange is it, how contrary to expectations, that our most literate presidents lived in the 18th century; our most recently elected 21st century president is barely literate, with the vocabulary of a three-year-old & the atrophied prefrontal cortex of a nasty person who has outlived his time”
indianexpress.com
“Revulsion for the ravaging of Gaza & dismay for terrible leadership of Israel can be equally felt. many (of us). feel great sympathy for civilians trapped in this nightmare whoever they are & especially children”
indianexpress.com
Patricia Smith
American poet
“I’m not poeting the poems I should be poeting or noveling the novel I should be noveling. Y’all are entertaining & talented AF, but there’s no drug like the page.”
indianexpress.com
Meena Kandaswamy
Indian author and poet
“I look at my novels as my journey in life — they’re the landscape against which other things happen (men, love, children, jobs, heartbreak).. Somewhere while this novel was being written (2020-25), my life went on. soon it’s going to be out in the world.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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