Author Joyce Carol Oates has sparked a social media ruckus with a series of tweets linking rape culture to Islam, drawing a stream of responses from other writers and users of the site.
Oates is not the first high-profile writer to stumble into the political arena, but her choice of timing, topic and media were particularly incendiary.
Oates's 140-word political tweet-bombs began by remarking: "Something dispiriting about 'Brotherhood' political parties – wonder what it is."
And drove on with "Where 99.3% of women report having been sexually harassed & rape is epidemic – Egypt – natural to inquire: what's the predominant religion?"
The famously prolific Oates, who has won the National Book award and twice been nominated for the Pulitzer prize, was rounded upon by fellow writers and Twitter users.
Open City author Teju Cole (@tejucole) responded: "This makes me sad. Religion is a non sequitur here. You're being unfair, and presenting that unfairness as forthrightness."
Writer Edward Champion (@drmabuse) replied "80 sexual assaults in one day, @joycecaroloates? Try 720 in one day in the US…"
Journalist and novelist Lorraine Adams (@lorraineadams) added: "Violence against women is rampant across almost all cultures since time began. Why is that so hard to understand?"
Other Twitter users poked fun at Oates, with @cszabla saying "love your literary experiment tweeting in the voice of Oates tweeting in the voice of Fox News, @JoyceCarolOates!"
Oates later retreated, admitting "Blaming religion(s) for cruel behavior of believers may be a way of not wishing to acknowledge they'd be just as cruel if secular."
Many writers have dipped their toes in politics with more or less success.Harold Pinter chose poetry for his political proclamations, but was dismissed by Forward Prize-winning poet Don Paterson for his "big sweary outburst[s] about how crap the war in Iraq is", in a 2004 Eliot lecture.
