SparkNotes.

My friend texted me and asked if I’d heard of them? “Aren’t they like Cliff Notes?” You remember, the condensed versions of the Great Books we were made to read in high school? The ones with summaries and arguments, and were always considered just a bit like the cheater’s way out?

She told me to check out their Twitter feed.

And the first thing I saw was this:

It turns out the SparkNotes people are witty, concise and economical with 280 characters, just like a good summarizer should be.

Oh, boy, I’m excited by the possibilities! Not only are they hip and funny, but there are all sorts of applications for the modern writer. Continue reading →