Canada’s esteemed author, Margaret Atwood, joined Twitter mid-way through 2009 and today has 39,792 followers and counting. Last week in the New York Review of Books, Atwood recounted with a warm heart how she became a full-on Twitterer. It’s a witty article and Atwood gives the impression of relenting to the inevitable, of finally succumbing to her web developer’s advice and opening herself up, 140 characters at a time, to the hordes of fans who wished and willed her on to Twitter. It is significant that Atwood has embraced Twitter, as the prolific author has long been known for being a very private person, who fiercely guards her family’s privacy, and is in her element when in her private garden outside the City of Toronto. That said, Atwood upholds a reputation of being loyal to her fans across the globe, and at one point, even I myself was a recipient of a hand-written letter from Atwood in response to my fan mail.
In the New York Review, Atwood noted the benefits of Twitter, where you can ask a question, just put it ‘out there’ to the masses, and get an immediate response. That immediacy has broken down many barriers of celebrity as well, allowing Atwood’s dedicated fans to engage with her like never before. Now, instead of typing, signing, and mailing a letter expelling our praise, we need only jump onto Twitter and fire off a few words, ‘Good morning, my favourite author!’
These times, they are a-changing…
Tags: margaret atwood, Twitter
