Rowling’s courage in the face of such an onslaught has been remarkable. Anyone who has ever been the subject of a social media frenzy will appreciate how psychologically damaging it can be, and for a figure as famous as Rowling, the extent of it is unfathomable. The intensity of the rage can be partly explained by the fact that the new puritans have grown accustomed to getting their own way. They appear not to comprehend the idea that one of their victims might refuse to apologise, to yield to their superior authority, or retreat entirely from public life. Rowling made this point in a tweet
...more