Writers aren’t necessarily known for their level heads—notoriously insecure and simultaneously narcissistic, it’s no surprise that they have a hard time stomaching criticism or keeping their envy over another writer’s success in check. And in this age of instant transmission of information, not even their publicists can keep them from ranting about it when they feel like it.
The phenomenon was on full display as Bret Easton Ellis went ballistic on the legacy of fellow author David Foster Wallace with an onslaught of nasty tweets. This might be the most sustained, aggressive literary assault Twitter has seen in its six years, but it certainly isn’t the first. Here are seven infamous examples of writers who took to Twitter to hastily air their grievances.