NEW YORK (AP) β Sorry, Cormac McCarthy fans. That blue-checked Twitter account for the famous, and famously media-shy author is fake.
βThe account referenced was verified by mistake and that has since been reversed,β a Twitter spokesperson told The Associated Press on Monday. βThe account will also be required to adhere to Twitterβs parody, newsfeed, commentary, and fan account policy.β
The McCarthy account, @CormacMcCrthy, had more than 48,000 followers as of midday Monday, among them Stephen King. It was established in September 2018, but was only recently given a blue check for verification. Another McCarthy parody account from 2012 managed to fool Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, who tweeted at the time βWe have the best authors in the world right here.β
McCarthy, 88, rarely speaks to the press and has no known presence on social media. His novels include βAll the Pretty Horses,β βNo Country for Old Menβ and the Pulitzer Prize-winning βThe Road.β Some of the tweets on the current parody account make light of his unfamiliarity with technology.
βMy publicist is on my case about my infrequent use of this infernal website,β reads a tweet from last week. βHe says engagement is down and so are metrics and something something who cares.β
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
