Gay Talese, the 84-year-old writer who was named by Tom Wolfe as the inventor of the New Journalism, on Saturday found himself at the centre of a shock of the very new media.

In an appearance at Boston University, Talese was asked to name women writers who inspired him. As part of his answer, he said: “None.”

Cue a Twitter storm, complete with hashtags, outrage and suggestions of female authors Talese might be advised to read.

Amy Littlefield, a 29-year-old journalist from New York who was in the audience in Boston, told the Washington Post Talese first named the novelist Mary McCarthy as a woman who had inspired him in his work.

The Post quoted Littlefield as saying: “And then there was a pause and he said, ‘None. And I’ll tell you why.’ And he went into this explanation about how educated women don’t want to hang out with anti-social people.”

Amanda Katz, an arts writer for the Boston Globe, wrote on Twitter: “Women don’t write good NF [nonfiction] [because] they don’t feel comfortable talking to strangers, Gay Talese tells largely female journo audience.”

The author Anubha Bhonsle was also in the audience. Also using Twitter, she said Talese was asked “by NBC Washington reporter: scrappy reporters of all ages want to report on murders and scumbags. Do you think your comment was in relation to that generation?”

According to Bhonsle, Talese responded: “It could be. I am not sure. I didn’t know women who were doing that at the time. I know many brilliant women.

“I can see you are upset. I don’t want to make it about gender.”

Didn't think I'd ever walk out of a Gay Talese talk. Turns out misogyny will do it! #BUnarrative #narrativeBU — Anne Ford (@allthingsanne) April 2, 2016

Talese’s work includes famous pieces on Frank Sinatra and Babe Ruth. The New Journalism involved the combination of literary techniques and journalistic practice in the treatment of nonfiction subjects.

The title comes from a 1973 anthology, co-edited by Wolfe, in which Talese’s work featured with that of Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Michael Herr, Hunter S Thompson, George Plimpton and other literary lions.

The only female authors featured in the collection were Joan Didion and Barbara Goldsmith.

The Post also quoted Andrea Swalec, a producer for NBC Washington, as saying Talese said “in his experience, educated writers want to interview educated people”.