Legendary journalist Gay Talese recently told a room full of people that there are no female writers that he admires.
His comments incited a backlash on Twitter. “Coincidentally I can’t name a single reason I feel like reading Gay Talese right now,” wrote @jodipicoult.
The 84-year old Talese claims that he misunderstood the question and thought he was asked specifically if there were any female journalists that inspired him while he was young. He has since said that he is currently inspired by the female writers: Mary McCarthy, Carson McCullers, Susan Orlean, Larissa MacFarquhar, Katie Roiphe and Nora Ephron.
Talese has a new book coming out from Grove Press in July called The Voyeur’s Motel.