Six word memoir
Write your memoir in 6 words and submit it to Smith magazine for potential inclusion in a book to be published in 2008 by HarperCollins.
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in six words. The result was “For sale: baby shoes, never used.”Here are some examples from the website:Since SMITH [magazine] celebrates the personal side of storytelling, our twist on this classic concept is the six-word memoir–the short, short true story of your life.
It could be the title of your autobiography, or maybe your epitaph. Shorter than haiku and meatier that a one-liner, it truly makes you take stock of who you are. Try it.
Barrister, barista, what’s the diff, Mom?
– Abigail Moorhouse“What? Lemony Snicket? Lemony Snicket? What?”
– Daniel Handler“My spiritual path is 100 proof.”
– John House“He wore dresses. This caused messes.”
– Josh Kilmer-Purcell“Yes to every date, met mate.”
– Maria Dahvana Headley“Shy Jersey kid, overcompensating ever since.”
– Ariel Kaminer“Take a left turn, then fly.”
– Hillary Carlip“Haunting dad, spotlight mom, retrieving marriage.”
– Nell Casey“Big hair, big heart, big hurry.”
– Larry SmithEight thousand orgasms. Only one baby.
– Neal PollackI still make coffee for two.
– Zak Nelson“On the seventh word, he rested.”
– Stephen J. Dubner
