海角大神

If there鈥檚 one author who knows how to stir controversy, it鈥檚 Jonathan Franzen. The author engaged in an legendary feud with talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey, blasted e-books as 鈥渘ot for serious readers鈥� and damaging to society, and struck out at some of the nation鈥檚 most prominent literary critics, most famously calling the New York Times鈥� Michiko Kakutani 鈥渢he stupidest person in New York City鈥� for giving his 2006 memoir a poor review.

Now it seems the author is turning his infamous ire on Twitter.

Speaking with BBC Radio 4鈥檚 Today program, Franzen complained that the literary world has become obsessed with Twitter to the point of valuing that self-promoting social medium over literary talent.

Not surprisingly, the Twitterverse struck back, with Francesca Main, editorial director at Picador, tweeting, 鈥淢ost of the authors on Twitter have a book out far more frequently than those who spend loads of time grouching about it."

And Sunday Times columnist and novelist India Knight added, 鈥淟ighten up, Franzo.鈥�

As the newspaper pointed out, it鈥檚 not the first time the author has bemoaned social media. Just last month he wrote a piece for the Guardian lamenting the tweeting, texting, Internet-surfing, and social media-obsessed ways of the modern world.

And as we wrote earlier, Franzen has been called a Luddite for deploring the Internet, Amazon, and e-books, respectively.

Interestingly, his latest book, 鈥淭he Kraus Project,鈥� is an examination of the works of satirist Karl Kraus, himself a critic of technology, consumerism, and popular media.

Here鈥檚 our theory: In lieu of promoting himself via Twitter and social media, like many of his comrades, Franzen engages in periodic spats with critics, talk show hosts, and the media to stir controversy and draw attention to his latest work.

It鈥檚 the kind of publicity even a devoted tweeter could only dream of.

Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.