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Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things. — Theodore Levitt (quoted in Helene Blowers, “Innovation Starts with ‘I’“)

I revived Twitterprose yesterday, and will try to keep it going for a while.

Twitterprose publishes a line a day from the best creative nonfiction. You can follow Twitterprose (at least) two ways:

It’s a blog! Subscribe to the Twitterprose feed, and you’re done.

It’s a Twitter feed! If you’re a Twitter user, just follow Twitterprose.

I started Twitterprose last June, when I was in between my first and second jobs in Tallahassee. I stopped updating in August, when I was getting busy with my new job, starting a community writing critique group, continuing to write and revise personal writing, and otherwise dog-paddling through life.

But last night I grumpily decided to upgrade this blog to WordPress 2.5 — not because I was bursting to see the new Wordpress administrative interface with its adorably unreadable eensy-teensy fonts (think “serial number on the back of an iPod”), but because there’s reportedly some bug that afflicts earlier versions of WordPress.

I say “reportedly” because though I read a panicky tweet on Twitter and saw some blog posts, I don’t see this bug reported on the WordPress blog. I hope I baven’t been FUDded into this upgrade (FUD = Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt), but I don’t need to get on the road and find my blog has been misbehaving.

So I upgraded poor neglected Twitterprose, on the assumption that if it died, that would be a clear warning (poor little Twitterprose, serving as the queen’s taster). The first question is always “can I post to my blog,” and so I rummaged through my bookshelves for a sacrificial first line.

(The upgrade went well. But I resignedly gird my loins for the next “OMG you must upgrade WordPress NOW” post.)

When I flipped through Jeffrey Steingarten’s The Man Who Ate Everything, I remembered why I like doing Twitterprose.

I’m a reader, a writer, and a librarian. Why wouldn’t I want to select great first lines from creative nonfiction and share them with the hungry world? I’m also a bit of a geek. Why wouldn’t I want to use social software to do this?  I’m also plowing through acres of books and essays right now as I work on an review essay about food writing, so it’s not as if I’m short of good things to share.

I’m also feeling the afterglow of Helene Blowers’ talk at Computers in Libraries this week about the “I in Innovation” (see her slides).

When Twitterprose stopped, no one rushed in to fill its gap. Debra Hamel does a marvelous job with Twitterlit, but Twitterprose focuses exclusively on creative nonfiction. I also try to link to online journals, LibraryThing, WorldCat, and the occasional obscure bookseller, leaving Amazon as a source of last resort. Nothing wrong with Amazon — I shop there regularly — but the librarian in me wants to do more than offer up first lines; I want to share new and interesting places to find them. (The social networker in me also hopes you’ll share your own ideas for great reading I can highlight in Twitterprose.)

As Helene drummed into us this Tuesday, creativity is well and good, but innovation is defined by action. So let me try once more. I’ve salted Twitterprose with great lines for the next several days which will automagically appear whilst I romp in Miami at IA Summit 2008, courtesy of the magic of a tool called Twitterfeed and the Wordpress scheduled posting function.

Let’s see if I can make time in my life to cup my hands around the small flame of this idea.

Bookmark to:

Read 1 to 3 books by Zora Neale Hurston. (It really is fine just to read one.)
This mini-challenge runs from January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2008.
This challenge would go great with those in Melissa's Expanding Horizons challenge.
To sign up for this challenge just leave a comment on this post...

Here are some of the options available:




http://www.zoranealehurston.com/



Any book by or about Zora Neale Hurston will qualify for the challenge.

Here are the participants for the Jane Austen Mini-Challenge.

(The original post announcing it is here. The goal of this challenge is to read and/or watch at least two Jane Austen novels/movies in 2008. Masterpiece Theatre is showing all 6 movies in the 2008 season. I am going to be aiming for all 6. But if you want to just watch two movies and blog about them, that is fine too. It would still be participating. For those that may not get PBS, rent (or buy) two Austen movies--any version--and you'll still qualify as a participant. Want to read an Austen biography as a substitute for one of the novels, go for it. Or watch Becoming Jane as a substitute for one of the movies. I'll allow it. Just read two Austen-related books. OR watch two Austen-related movies. You can always read more or watch more. What about audio books? Sure. Listening would count as well. Whatever you want. It's supposed to be fun.

It is not too late to join in on this one. It officially starts in January. But I won't be rigid with the sign up date or anything :) When you sign up either at this post or on the original, I'll add you to the list.

Chris from Stuff As Dreams Are Made On...
Ex Libris
Michelle (3M) from 1MoreChapter
Debi from Nothing Of Importance
Stephanie from Stephanie's Confession of a Bookaholic
Pattie from FreshBrewedWriter
Melissa from Book Nut
Debbi from My Reading Spot (? She didn't specify if she was joining the Austen and the Tolkien or just the Tolkien ?)
Ladytink_534 from The Movieholic & Bibliophile's Blog (She was one that was on the fence, but considering it...)
Kate (didn't specify if it was Austen and Tolkien both or just one of the two...unless I hear otherwise...I'm assuming she's in for the Austen)
Jehara
Shannan
Naida
Gautami Tripathy from My Own Reading Room
Angliophile Football Fanatic
Booklogged
Susan from Susan Loves To Read
Alisonwonderland from So Many Books, So Little Time
Curiouser and Curiouser
Webster Twelb

These two mini-challenges are compatible--very compatible--with the Cardathon Challenge. But you don't have to be a participant in the Cardathon to join one of the mini-challenges. These "mini-challenges" are not as open-ended as most challenges. But they're not strict either.

One would be to read and/or watch at least two Jane Austen novels/movies in 2008. Masterpiece Theatre is showing all 6 movies in the 2008 season. I am going to be aiming for all 6. But if you want to just watch two movies and blog about them, that is fine too. It would still be participating. For those that may not get PBS, rent (or buy) two Austen movies--any version--and you'll still qualify as a participant. Want to read an Austen biography as a substitute for one of the novels, go for it. Or watch Becoming Jane as a substitute for one of the movies. I'll allow it. Just read two Austen-related books. OR watch two Austen-related movies. You can always read more or watch more. What about audio books? Sure. Listening would count as well. Whatever you want. It's supposed to be fun.

The second challenge would be an Inkling-related challenge. One would commit to reading at least two books by C.S. Lewis (I suggest the Chronicles of Narnia, a seven book series) and reading two books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Movies once again are acceptable. If you want to watch the somewhat new and forthcoming movies The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian that would be fine. A biography of Lewis or Tolkien can be substituted for one of the books. You can watch a mix of Lord of the Rings and Narnia movies. Or you can stick to the books. Whatever you want. I'll be wanting to read all seven of the Narnia books. The Hobbit. And the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Want another book substitute? Try Here There Be Dragons by James A. Owen. And the sequel, The Search for Red Dragon. These books have Lewis and Tolkien appearing as fictional characters.

If you're interested in either please leave a comment. (But be specific as to which one you're considering.) These challenges *officially* start in January 2008. The Masterpiece season begins then. But you could begin whenever you want. But I'm not planning on starting until the new year.

DailyLit is a service that may or may not appeal to you. You can have various classics including the six Austen novels in question delivered bit by bit daily into your inbox.