It isn’t uncommon to find literature rendered in the style of Twitter’s trademarked 140-character blasts. But it’s rare for such tweets to make their way into print.
Yet that’s the concept behind a new book penned by two rising University of Chicago sophomores, titled Twitterature: The World’s Greatest Books, Now Presented in Twenty Tweets or Less. The project’s Web site calls it “a humorous retelling of works of great literature in Twitter format.”
Emmet Rensin and Alex Aciman, who both just completed their freshman years at the university, pitched the project to Penguin Publishing. The book is scheduled to be released this fall.
Mr. Rensin and Mr. Aciman say on their site that combining classic literature and young technology “is the perfect remedy and counterbalance to the esoteric texts, which are still so vital to us—and to our GPA.”
Both students plan to work on the project this summer, though no updates have been added to their site. A Chronicle search of Twitter yielded an account for Mr. Rensin, but not one for Mr. Aciman or for the project itself. Neither could be reached for comment.
According to the site, both students have experience in writing and publishing. Mr. Aciman has worked for The Paris Review and the late New York Sun, and has also written essays for The New York Times. Mr. Rensin—whose father, David Rensin, has written five Times bestsellers—has contributed to The Huffington Post and is also an ordained reverend. Both say they hope to be writers. —Erica R. Hendry
