The Salmon

Montreal native Arjun Basu has been experimenting with the potential of Twitter as a literary medium since 2009. Calling his work “Twisters”, Basu presents suggestive scenes loaded with mystery, all dealing with the themes of  love, sex, food, family, home, and work (and are conveniently organized as such on his website).

“In October of 2009, I heard about Twitter and being the curious sort, checked it out,” Basu explains. “And then for whatever reason, I wrote a ‘short story’ – and that story came in at over 140 characters. And while editing it down, I realized something about the possibilities inherent in the limitations Twitter imposes on all of us. That first story came in at exactly 140 characters.

“I thought perhaps this was a new form and so I gave it a name: Twisters.”

Basu’s work is exciting formally, and his engagement with both technology and what to many is the necessary evil of social media is a model for any artist to follow. The restrictions may often get the best of him, however; his tweets cannot possibly work as stories, and may be more successful as catalysts to the reader’s imagination.

Basu’s Twisters can be read by following him @arjunbasu. Read his complete works at http://arjunbasu.com/twisters

For some long-form Twitter fiction, check out Jakob Rehlinger @jakob_rehlinger.