Lukewarm reviews don’t go over well with bestselling author Alice Hoffman – as evidenced by the vitriol spewed on her now defunct Twitter page.

On Sunday, Hoffman tweeted her anger towards Roberta Silman, the reviewer of her latest novel "The Story Sisters" for The Boston Globe. Though the review was moderately critical, Silman also had plenty of praise for Hoffman’s previous work. That didn’t stop Hoffman.

"Roberta Silman in the Boston Globe is a moron," Hoffman wrote. "Now any idiot can be a critic," stated another tweet. In all, Hoffman fired off 27 angry tweets, including one with Silman’s phone number and e-mail address. She encouraged readers to "tell her what u think of snarky critics."

Both mainstream media and the blogosphere are on fire debating whether or not Hoffman had a right to lash out at a critic simply doing her job but using a new tool to do it. Many rightfully observe that Twitter and other social media tools have narrowed the communication gap between writers, reviewers and readers in a positive way. But they also feel that Hoffman went too far, and her behavior bordered on harassment. She came across as a grade-schooler rather than an accomplished author.

Hoffman offered a muted apology. “I responded strongly and I wish I hadn't. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. Reviewers are entitled to their opinions and that's the name of the game in publishing. I hope my readers understand that I didn't mean to hurt anyone and I'm truly sorry if I did.”

While Twitter is a powerful tool that is becoming increasingly mainstream, many users seem to forget that no matter how contained 140 characters appear to be, those tweets are messages. Just as in any communication – whether it be blogs, Facebook, e-mail, memos, or voice mail - the person delivering that message needs to think how that message will be received.

Certainly the immediacy of Twitter makes it compelling - but it can also be dangerous. When emotions are running high it might be best to take a walk before putting forth a message you soon wish you’d never sent.

(jlavin@ecdinsight.com)