A
few years ago, a good friend of mine scolded me for not being on Twitter. She
(who is a lawyer, not a writer) told me that all writers should use social
media to its fullest, and Twitter was an important (if not necessary) part of
that arsenal. I, of course, scoffed. Twitter seemed so alien to me. After all,
I had a webpage and I blogged, so what more did I need?
Well,
all that changed on March 3, 2013, when I discovered through a Google Alert
that one of my short stories was Tweeted by the New Orleans Review. But in
order to respond appropriately (to thank the Tweeter), I had to open a Twitter
account. This was NOR’s Tweet and my grateful response:
"How
to Date a Flying Mexican," short stories and poems by Hispanic American
author Daniel Olivas can be found here http://www.danielolivas.com/
@NOReview Thank you for linking my
story...it eventually became a chapter in my novel, "The Book of
Want" (University of Arizona Press)
My
world changed forever that day. As anyone who has entered Twitterlandia will
attest, one can be self-righteous about Twitter addiction. True, there are
those who Tweet freely and often about the delicious cup of coffee they’ve just
enjoyed at their favorite café (accompanied by an artfully arranged Instagram
pic), and other such quotidian experiences.
Then
there are we, the self-righteous Tweeters, who Tweet about literature, art and
politics…and that delicious cup of coffee we’ve just enjoyed at their favorite café…but
mostly about literature, art and politics.
I
currently follow 635 Tweeters including such fine Latin@ writers as Melinda
Palacio (@LaMelinda), Gustavo Arellano (@GustavoArellano), Rudy Ch. Garcia
(@DiscardedDreams), Linda Rodriguez (@rodriguez_linda), and Reyna Grande (@reynagrande)…to
name but a few…who also follow me. Then there are surprise followers of mine,
people who have large followings themselves but decided to follow me such as
Amy Tan (@AmyTan), Edward James Olmos (@edwardjolmos), Luis Rodriguez (@luisjrodriguez),
and Francisco X. Alarcon (@FrancisXAlarcon).
And
who was the first to follow me? Well, it wasn’t a “who” but a what: Libros Schmibros (@LibrosSchmibros)
that wonderful lending library and used bookstore founded by critic David Kipen
in Boyle Heights.
One
of my colleagues at the Attorney General’s Office (my day job) told me that his
daughter told him that if you follow more people than are following you, you
are a “loser.” His daughter is in college and should know. So, I guess I am a
loser since I follow 635 but am followed by a paltry 241. But I cherish my 241
because they are writers and bookstores and publishers and lovers of culture
(particularly Chican@ and Latin@ related matters).
So,
what have I Tweeted about recently? Yesterday, these were my Tweets:
◙ Jeff Bauman, Boston Marathon Victim Who Lost Both Legs,
Reunites With Carlos Arredondo. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/jeff-bauman-cowboy-hat-hero_n_3164370.html
… via @huffingtonpost
◙
A spin through a world where bicycles rule streets by
Hector Tobar. http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-pete-jordan-20130428,0,4963566.story
…
◙
Recent and Recommended: "New California
Writing" (Heyday) edited by Gayle Wattawa & Kirk Glaser, a book I blurbed.
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-recent-and-recommended-20130425,0,7398480.story
…
◙
The boy behind Kristallnacht: review of Jonathan Kirsch's
new book by David Clay Large. http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-jonathan-kirsch-20130428,0,1478582.story
…
◙
A teen's quest for self-discovery in Isabel Allende's
'Maya's Notebook' (review by Reed Johnson) http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-isabel-allende-20130428,0,2409856.story
… @rjohnsonlat
◙
The GOP's Latino problem http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-south-latino-troubles-for-the-gop-20130428,0,695279.story
…
Those
are some damn righteous Tweets, no?
Follow
me on Twitter @olivasdan.
2 comments:
Daniel, there are some things we can avoid only up to a point. Tweeting is one of them. I also delayed getting involved with it as long as I could. But you're right about the potential role Twitter can play in expanding our networks. I think it's great to have yet another venue for connecting with like-minded folks we respect and enjoy learning about. More power to you and Twitterlandia! Adelante!
You know Linda Rodriguez is not a Latina, right?
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