The world of Twitter can be hard to navigate. We know that you’re already following us @flavorpill, but we decided it would be fun (and possibly helpful) if we rounded up some of our other Twitter favorites in a series we call “The Followables.” This eighth installment, inspired by the new that Maya Angelou (who already has 385,000 Facebook fans) plans to launch her Twitter account at a belated 82nd birthday party, spotlights the tweeting literati we love. (If you want to learn about critics and publishers as well as authors, we’ve got a list for that, too.) Do us a favor and leave a comment with anyone who you enjoy who didn’t make our list.
Who: The prolific Brazilian novelist is the world’s bestselling Portuguese-language writer and the author, most recently, of The Winner Stands Alone
Why: His tweets are nearly as lyrical as his literature, and he’s always good for an insightful aphorism.
Who: The New Yorker staff writer whose book, The Orchid Thief, was the inspiration for the Spike Jonze-Charlie Kaufman collab Adaptation
Why: Because she’s lighthearted and fun, especially for a highbrow type, and she’s always interacting with her followers.
Who: Augusten Burroughs, author of memoirs such as Running with Scissors and Dry.
Why: Because he’s funny in a conceptual, off-kilter kind of way that fans of his books are sure to enjoy.
Who: Yes, the author of the dystopian feminist classic The Handmaid’s Tale tweets.
Why: Once you get over the basic fact of how awesome it is to find Atwood on Twitter, you’ll be impressed by her engagement with politics and current events.
Who: The author and cultural critic who coined the term “Generation X”
Why: He may be more sporadic than most tweeters, but when he’s around, he posts great links.
Who: Rising literary fiction star and author of the novels Last Night in Montreal and The Singer’s Gun
Why: Her tweets are all lit-geek all the time. You know you love it.
Who: Author of acclaimed novels including The Intuitionist and Sag Harbor
Why: He’s funny, culturally literate, and… it looks like he’s a Lostie!
Who: Editor of the fantastic One Story magazine and author, most recently, of the novel The Good Thief
Why: She says what she means, and we love her Brooklyn-oriented literary Twitpics.
Who: Editor of culture-nerd mecca The Rumpus and writer whose books include the novel Happy Baby and the memoir The Adderall Diaries
Why: He’s constantly tweeting about everything from politics to literature.
Who: Curator of New York’s Happy Ending Music & Reading Series and author of the novel The Long Haul.
Why: Her events are among the best literary bashes in the city, and her tweets are full of insider info on upcoming themes and guests.