Tim McCormick, editor
Conversary, Palo Alto
2013
compilation © 2013 Tim McCormick
Introduction
One-Tweet Book Proposals is a collection of postings from the Twitter social network, by a spontaneous group of participants who self-“tagged” their posts with the hashtag #OneTweetBookProposal. Ian Bogost initiated the hashtag on Saturday August 13, 2013, and the current collection contains all posts using this tag observed on the same day as Bogost’s first tweet.
I decided to try gathering the collection of tweets into a book form, as an experiment in curating and rapid publishing, and to preserve & share this funny, sharp set of observations on bookmaking.
Tim McCormick
@tmccormick
Palo Alto, California
One-Tweet Book Proposals
1.
There is one kind of brain goo, which scientists call "braingoo." This braingoo determines how we think and innovate. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
2.
People once used various tools and technologies to accomplish goals. Now none of those are valid because "Internet." #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
3.
A major aspect of contemporary life and culture is ending. By "ending," I mean continuing with modest differences. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
4.
Why these people over here make great choices, and the people that I don't like are stupid. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
5.
How popular conventional wisdom is completely wrong, and is killing people. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
6.
I have a business plan guaranteed to make fabulous money, but am telling you how to execute it because it's bullshit. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
7.
Businesses would be better served if they listened to customers, then advertised to them a bunch. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
8.
I am a psychologist whose unrepeatable studies produce uncertain results, which I argue ground all decision making. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
9.
"Be Where the Cats Will Be." Predicting online trends by counting paws. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
10.
I fell into the good fortune of massive material success, and this book catalogs my sexual conquests. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
11.
Find someplace where the people eating out are skinny, and document their diets. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
12.
http://twitter.com/SeeBeeWhitman/statuses/363787907120640000
13.
How introverts are like extroverts, except not really. #OneTweetBookProposals
— O. L. Bateman (@MoustacheClubUS) August 3, 2013
14.
A bunch of spurious correlations from shitty unreadable econ papers dressed up as meaningful social commentary. #OneTweetBookProposals
— O. L. Bateman (@MoustacheClubUS) August 3, 2013
15.
One time Steve Jobs said hi to me in the hallway #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andrew Smart (@andrewthesmart) August 3, 2013
16.
My data is too specious to submit for academic publication, so I tarted up my conclusions to get interviewed on FOX. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
17.
I have experienced a personal tragedy which has transformed me into a philosopher for the everyman. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
18.
Hastily assembled synopsis of recent high-profile trial, written only as an art history major can. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
19.
My oversimplification of the ideas of philosophers you'll never read, applied to problems they never considered. #OneTweetBookProposals
— O. L. Bateman (@MoustacheClubUS) August 3, 2013
20.
Crystals, man. The aliens helped out the Mayans with Crystals. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
21.
.@ibogost I'm worried your #OneTweetBookProposals might give Malcolm Gladwell more ideas.
— John Armenta (@johnarmenta) August 3, 2013
22.
The future of newspapers. ________ #OneTweetBookProposals #OneTweetBooks
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
23.
I just learned a new niche community label that doesn't have a "Chicken Soup for the _____ Soul" yet. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
24.
365 more lessons from the lives of Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Phil Jackson and other modern demigods. #OneTweetBookProposals
— O. L. Bateman (@MoustacheClubUS) August 3, 2013
25.
'Numbers on the Boards: Learning Math Through Hip-Hop' #OneTweetBookProposals
— bath toy (@Vint13) August 3, 2013
26.
I'm a comedian famous enough to pay a ghostwriter to type up my lame 50 minute routine. #OneTweetBookProposals
— O. L. Bateman (@MoustacheClubUS) August 3, 2013
27.
A high school manifesto wrapped up in a story about tortured geniuses ditching an oppressive government #OneTweetBookProposals
— Michael Robinson (@mkronline) August 3, 2013
28.
I'm a journalist who just took a night class on statistics and want to misrepresent psychological studies in print. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ben Munise (@BMunise) August 3, 2013
29.
I had a boring suburban childhood so ill write about that, only with vampires instead of anything important #OneTweetBookProposals @ibogost
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
30.
'Teach Me How to Dougie: Ideology and Pedagogy in the Work of Cali Swag District' #OneTweetBookProposals
— bath toy (@Vint13) August 3, 2013
31.
I wish to write about my years of drinking and deep sea fishing through the lens of a formulaic epiphany story. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ben Munise (@BMunise) August 3, 2013
32.
Why Am I Carrying All These Potatoes? An OCD Guide To Skyrim #OneTweetBookProposals
— BitterOldPunk (@BitterOldPunk) August 3, 2013
33.
I'm a politician that has seen some pseudo-science bullshit, I'm here to tell you why real science is wrong. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
34.
The earth experiences four simultaneous 24 hour days, and people have been educated stupid. I aim to change that. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
35.
Events often have outcomes counterintuitive to my ignorant lay knowledge, so let's construct a theory of everything. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ben Munise (@BMunise) August 3, 2013
36.
@ibogost Where Is Your Liberal Tolerance Now You Faggots #OneTweetBookProposals
— La La La Logan (@logandecker) August 3, 2013
37.
How to have the body you did in your late teens by eating nothing but ice cream and shellfish, by a leading actress. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
38.
I am a hippopotamus who swallowed a man #OneTweetBookProposals
— Karl Steel (@KarlSteel) August 3, 2013
39.
I'm an American who spent a year living in a foreign country. My unique story must be shared with everyone. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Noah Arceneaux (@noahax) August 3, 2013
40.
As an overpaid business leader, I do not need to be qualified to write a book, nor will I do any of the writing. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
41.
'Over/Under: Différance, Gender and the Politics of Toilet Paper Installation' #OneTweetBookProposals
— bath toy (@Vint13) August 3, 2013
42.
Cutting jalapenos never used to make my hands burn like this #OneTweetBookProposals #AlsoTrue
— Karl Steel (@KarlSteel) August 3, 2013
43.
The Cronut Diet #OneTweetBookProposals
— Noah Arceneaux (@noahax) August 3, 2013
44.
It's not technically child pornography if I label it 'Young Adult Literature', right? #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
45.
My consulting business would benefit from the seemingly neutral endorsement of a non-fiction bestseller. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ian Bogost (@ibogost) August 3, 2013
46.
Economists explain the exchange of paper for goods and services. In haiku. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Fairchild (@paul_fairchild) August 3, 2013
47.
My narrow personal experience as a metaphor for the struggles of my generation. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Political Math (@politicalmath) August 3, 2013
48.
A proposal on a new idea that, in reality, is just a simplified/repackaged idea from the 80's that bombed hard. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Chris Hanel (@ChrisHanel) August 3, 2013
49.
I was a total selfish arsehole until something horrible happened to me so I grew up. I now preach about being a saint #OneTweetBookProposals
— PlayFair (@PlayFairIre) August 3, 2013
50.
My white male power fantasy is totally turned on its head when I reveal that my protagonist was black all along! #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
51.
By merely insinuating that a harmless activity could kill you, I persuaded you to buy a book proving that it's safe. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
52.
A guide to a complex software suite. All the tutorials will be obsolete in weeks, just in time for the 2nd edition! #OneTweetBookProposals
— Chris Hanel (@ChrisHanel) August 3, 2013
53.
As a successful male baby boomer, my sense of self-importance guarantees that my opinions are essential reading. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Clockwork Corduroy (@CorduroyClock) August 3, 2013
54.
A set of poorly edited examples of how to do X in tech Y that is just repackaged listserv content from last year. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
55.
Ok, este hashtag la está rompiendo: #OneTweetBookProposals ..
— Rodrigo A. Fernández (@Rod_F) August 3, 2013
56.
Michael Bay is the undisputed master of watertight plots. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Fairchild (@paul_fairchild) August 3, 2013
57.
Everything I ever needed to know about memes I learned from the kindergartners on Twitter. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
58.
The Four-Hour Serial Killer #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
59.
Escalator Pitch – How the Elevator Pitch is moving forward. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
60.
How to Flip Some Sort of Asset to People You Can Bamboozle #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
61.
World War II was a staged production. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Fairchild (@paul_fairchild) August 3, 2013
62.
A hackneyed regurgitation of Tolkien with absolutely nothing original at all. Plot generated by authors D&D session. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
63.
Self-Help Stuff I Flat-Out Stole from Ben Franklin (but with a list of apps) #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
64.
Everything I need to know I learned from clicking cows, by Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Andy Phelps (@RITIGM1) August 3, 2013
65.
I have a blog. And there are lots of words on it, already broken up into tiny chapters. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
66.
How [insert current president here] Ruined Everything #OneTweetBookProposals
— Political Math (@politicalmath) August 3, 2013
67.
Tom Friedman's cab drivers' takes on the question, "what is art?" #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
68.
Boobs, Man. Nothin' But Boobs. #OneTweetBookProposals
— BitterOldPunk (@BitterOldPunk) August 3, 2013
69.
Idaho's secession from the Union will tear global markets asunder. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Fairchild (@paul_fairchild) August 3, 2013
70.
What [insert name of motivational speaker] didn't tell you about overcoming _______. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
71.
"Let me out of this box, and stop misquoting me!" and other things Samuel Clemens would say today. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
72.
What [my exes] didn't tell you about overcoming [delicious vices] #OneTweetBookProposals. (Seriously @ikepigott ! :-) )
— Williesha Morris (@WillieshaMorris) August 3, 2013
73.
Old people won't realize this was all copy-pasted from Tumblr. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jarrod Hammond (@geddysciple) August 3, 2013
74.
Fifteen megatrends that will make your kids complain even more about your grandkids. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
75.
Edutech prophecies that nobody will call me on in 18 months when my new book comes out. #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
76.
How to get paid a handsome ransom and live a life of luxury from creatively hijacking hashtags. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
77.
http://twitter.com/drewloewe/statuses/363801168754909184
78.
Autobiographical first novel about my class privilege that's actually kinda ok but don't expect another one #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Devlin (@PaulDevlin) August 3, 2013
79.
Use Unsubstantiated Statistics to Extract Income from the 90% of People Who Will Fall for it. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ike Pigott (@ikepigott) August 3, 2013
80.
Race hustle book. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Devlin (@PaulDevlin) August 3, 2013
81.
Bob Dylan Matters: Another Book About Bob Dylan. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Devlin (@PaulDevlin) August 3, 2013
82.
http://twitter.com/drewloewe/statuses/363801962568876033
83.
Plucky underdog newbie lawyer takes on well-financed evil cabal, prevails, but is chastened #OneTweetBookProposals , the Grisham edition
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
84.
In which I describe everything that ever happened in history as ethically illegitimate. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ben Munise (@BMunise) August 3, 2013
85.
You Didn't Write That. Author unknown. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Blair Warren (@blairwarren) August 3, 2013
86.
Say Hello to My Little Friend – The Anthony Weiner Story #OneTweetBookProposals
— Blair Warren (@blairwarren) August 3, 2013
87.
I'm really into X but I don't actually know much about it, so I'll market it as Life Advice and go on the Today Show. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Ben Munise (@BMunise) August 3, 2013
88.
Oversized glossy B/W portrait photos of artists that fairly screams from being so far up its own ass. #OneTweetBookProposals
— drew loewe (@drewloewe) August 3, 2013
89.
http://twitter.com/ASK47/statuses/363804386788929536
90.
Millennials ruin everything: all the ways they are terrible that the NYT, WSJ, & Slate didn't write about yet. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Leslie Kavanaugh (@lesliekav) August 3, 2013
91.
Bobos in Black Twitter: How David Brooks Solved the Race Problem in America #OneTweetBookProposals
— David Walton (@dwalton1) August 3, 2013
92.
A collection of #OneTweetBookProposals
— Frank Lantz (@flantz) August 3, 2013
93.
Fredric Wertham was right. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Paul Fairchild (@paul_fairchild) August 3, 2013
94.
I'm worth every $1,000,000, what's good for the CEO is good for America. You know I'm right. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Don Bolen (@dbolen) August 3, 2013
95.
How Media Concentration Raised the Intellectual Tenor of US Political Discourse #OneTweetBookProposals
— David Walton (@dwalton1) August 4, 2013
96.
Politesse Oblige: Richard Dawkins, Linguistic Nuance, and the Broadening of Multicultural Discourse #OneTweetBookProposals
— David Walton (@dwalton1) August 4, 2013
97.
A child's brain in the 21st century is fundamentally different from yours because they used an iPad. #OneTweetBookProposals
— John the Person (@johntheperson) August 4, 2013
98.
@ibogost I am a failed expert in one field who learns valuable lessons applying my faulty wisdom in another #OneTweetBookProposals
— d i g i t t a n t e (@digittante) August 4, 2013
99.
On page one a guy sees a castle. He tries to get in but 300 pages later has not. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jan Mieszkowski (@janmpdx) August 4, 2013
100.
250,000 words on an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy in Dublin. It's also Homer's Odyssey. #OneTweetBookProposals
— Jan Mieszkowski (@janmpdx) August 4, 2013