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Twit of the Day: Jailed Screenwriter Roger Avary
Inmate #34 at the Ventura Co. Jail has found a rather enterprising way to share his tales from the big house. Up until Friday, Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary, sentenced in a drunk driving manslaughter case that resulted in the loss of his friend and injuries to his wife, was part of a prison furlough program, but has since been returned to lockup. The writer is "Tweeting about his experiences," reports the Daily Breeze.
"About 10,000 people are following his accounts of life in jail on Twitter," where the SoCal native sends out gritty, detailed messages. "Some media accounts have questioned whether the Twitter account @AVARY really belongs to him, but Avary's mother said in an interview that it is." She agrees that the extent of the details may be due to her son's profession as a writer. The account is protected, but the mini-bio asserts: "director, producer, and academy award-winning screenwriter. all content ©2009, roger avary."
So did Twittering cause Avary to be moved from the furlough program to lockup? "The Los Angeles Times and the Ventura County Star reported that he was removed from the furlough program and jailed after allegedly Twittering about his experiences since being sentenced," notes the HuffPo. However "[Ventura County sheriff's spokesman Capt. Ross] Bonfiglio told The Associated Press that he was jailed over security issues and Twittering wasn't a key factor. Avary attorney Mark Werskman denied Twittering caused his incarceration."
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