Five Interesting Authors To Follow On Twitter

In 1846, Edgar Allan Poe championed the short story in his essay "The Philosophy of Composition," noting that this form was in fact superior to the novel because a short story is capable of being read in a single sitting. Poe's mind would be blown if he knew that more and more authors are turning their attention to the art of the Tweet, a form capable of being read in a single second. Here are some of the more interesting Twitter accounts headed by literary types.

Neil Gaiman (@Neilhimself)

The English fantasy author who has written everything from alternative comic books to children's novels now constrains his writing talents to 140 characters or less. He mainly talks to his friends and self-promotes, but there's occasionally an odd bit of wisdom.

Sample tweets:

— "Woke up. Hair EVEN more unlikely than usual. Normally if I have full on crazy hair it means rain. This may mean waterspouts or twisters." (Oct. 6)

— "They turned off the security cameras in the Degas exhibition so my wife could take her clothes off while I sketched her in chalks. #herIdea" (Oct. 4)

Judy Blume (@JudyBlume)

There are two things you need to know about this perennially challenged young adult novelist. First, that there are a lot of tweets about banned books. Secondly, that Blume often sounds like your parents do when they text.

Sample tweets:

— "Husband says: You and your tweeting makes me laugh! He laughs so hard bed shakes.  (What?!)" (Sept. 25)

— "On train to Baltimore. Person behind me is in lengthy phone conversation about work w/someone named Frank. he is in Trouble." (Sept. 16)

Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis)

The controversial author of "American Psycho" and "Less Than Zero" built his reputation on novels that focused on human vice and depravity. His Twitter, on the other hand, is concerned mainly with the movies and popular music he enjoys. We all need to let our hair down sometimes.

Sample tweets:

— "Went to a screening of "Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)" and yeah it's the grossest movie ever made but also kind of likable and charming." (Oct. 6)

— "But really My Chemical Romance's "Disenchanted" is the best power-ballad of the last ten years." (Sept. 14)

Margaret Atwood (@MargaretAtwood)

Frequent Booker Prize candidate Margaret Atwood, best known for books such as "The Handmaid's Tale," has one of the more literature-oriented accounts. Perhaps that's why she has such trouble keeping thoughts under 140 characters.

Sample tweets:

— "Help! Identify a story in which a stranger hides on a boat, appears only at night to tell of a woman he failed - keys are pregnancy, coffin" (Oct. 1)

— "The story I seek is not scifi. Might be 19th C or early 20th C. The boat is returning from some "colony"or other. The hiding man is a doctor" (Oct. 1)

— "Okay, giving up for the moment. Can query person in whose house book with the story resides. Will take time. Let you know answer when found." (Oct. 1)

Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo)

At this point, it's fair to describe the comedian Steve Martin as an author—he's written a novella that was well-received by the New York Times, a play that was well-received by the New Yorker, and many short pieces that were published in The New Yorker. Likewise, his Twitter has been acclaimed by the New York media.

Sample tweets:

— "After much thought, I have decided to use my sense of humor for good rather than evil." (Oct 1)

— "Just hired three ex-News of the World employees to get my voice messages.  So much easier." (Oct 1)