You know how James Lipton asks his guests on Actors Studio the same questions by Bernard Pivot? So that’s awesome, right?
"James Lipton" with "Charles Nelson Reilly"
I wanted a similar bit for my blog this year. So, I’ve asked several of my friends who interest me to answer the same 12 questions. The only ground rule is that each response must be limited to 140 characters, twitter-style. I couldn’t figure out whether to call these Twitterviews, Tweeterviews or Twinterviews. So I landed on 140 or Less.
My first guest (and guinea pig) is Tony Jones. He has a PhD from some school in New Jersey with a lousy football team. Here is his official bio:
Tony is the author of The Church Is Flat: The Relational Ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement and is theologian-in-residence at Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis and an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and at Andover Newton Theological School. He is the author of many books on Christian ministry and spirituality, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, and he is a sought after speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism, and Christian spirituality. He co-owns a social media consulting and event planning company. Tony is married, has three children, and lives in Edina, Minnesota.
(Drum roll in your head please.) And now the first ever edition of 140 or Less with Dr. Tony Jones!
Tony Jones
JOE: Tony, tweet to the first person you kissed.
TONY: Lisa Washington. She kissed me, actually, in 6th grade. Her dad played for the Vikings, so I was scared.
JOE: Tweet your bio as if you were your biggest fan.
TONY: @jonestony calls the church to be better than it is. And he’s a good writer.
JOE: Tweet your bio as if you were the one person who hates you the most.
TONY: @jonestony hasn’t said anything new or interesting in years.
JOE: Tweet to potential visitors to your city.
TONY: #Edina is a suburb of #Minneapolis, but it’s more than a suburb. It’s a city, with a village feel.
JOE: Tweet as your present self to yourself ten years ago.
TONY: @jonestony, you’d better face the fact that you’re going to lose that hair. In better news, you will be able to grow a mean beard.
JOE: Tweet to someone you love who has passed.
TONY: I miss you, Beaumont. You were a good dog. I don’t, however, miss your gas.
JOE: Tweet your #1 rule of leadership.
TONY: The younger you are, the less you know. Realizing this will save you a world of hurt.
JOE: Tweet to the American voter.
TONY: Vote, but don’t be #stupid.
JOE: Tweet to God
TONY: Seriously, a little empirical evidence of your existence would be appreciated.
JOE: Tweet your own epitaph.
TONY: He wrote a lot of books. Some of them are still in print.
JOE: Choose one – tweet to Yoda, Gandalf, Santa Claus or Charles Nelson Reilly.
TONY: CNR, were you separated at birth from @markscandrette?
JOE: For those of us captivated by your brilliant and witty responses, how can we find out more about you?
TONY: You can find me at http://tonyj.net. Also on http://fb.com/jonestony and @jonestony.
That’s it! Thanks Tony. If all seriousness, Tony’s stuff is great. He is really smart and an important voice in the emerging church. So follow him, read his blog and get his books.
Next week on 140 or Less is Mark Batterson, best-selling author of books like The Circle Maker, Primal and In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day.
And now…A Free Bonus Video!
http://www.hulu.com/embed/tviiSjI5dMb0aXtk5KhWeg?shared_ad_id=79499
Great interview. Love the possibilities of this format, but want much more…. improv lesson there too!
Interview the twitter way was great. Actually we get fed up with the long questions and the equally lengthy answers so keeping it short and crisp can do the trick. Thank you so much for sharing this interview!