Six-Words Memoirs

By Alex in Book & Literature on Feb 5, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Ernest Hemingway once famously said that he could write an entire story in just six words – "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." (Before the age of Twitter, no less)

Inspired by that, SMITH Magazine invited writers, both famous and obscure, to write their memoirs in exactly six words, and published it in book form: Not Quite What I Was Planning and the sequel It All Changed in an Instant.

You can even submit your own at SMITH Magazine’s website. Some samplings there:

One week left of childhood. Anxious
Shoes perpetually untied. Yet rarely trip.
Lost fiance. Found self. Only eighteen.
Ten weeks pregnant, still my secret.

… and over at National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation:

Found on Craigslist: table, apartment, fiance.
I picked passion. Now I’m poor.
Yale at 16, downhill from there.

What’s your six-word memoir?


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  1. Alex
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Wife. Three kids. Broke but happy.

  2. Fiestoforo
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    Only six words? I tried but failed.

  3. adivz
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    Catholic School. Israeli Navy. Rabbi’s Husband.

  4. MJ Druitt
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Life sucks. And then, you die.

  5. jlew
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 3:51 pm

    Mom, daughter die. Grandsons. Joy returns!

  6. JoeD
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    Look what drug in the cat.

  7. Rachel*
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 4:15 pm

    private school: 18 years of control,
    University: none.

  8. chrisr
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 5:15 pm

    God’s sense of humor is wacky

  9. qwilty
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 5:44 pm

    I didn’t sign up for this.

  10. Eri
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    All in all, it was awkward.

  11. Maxie
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    I can never find the words

  12. Johnny Cat
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    I’m never gonna give you up.

  13. Simpleton
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    He wished he never loved me.

  14. unimportantbob
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 9:40 pm

    What the hell just happened here?

  15. Ms. Dysthymia
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    Big dreams came true, now what?

  16. marishka
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    So much time wasted on internet.

  17. pyrit
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    Why is the rum always gone?

  18. Jodie
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 10:59 pm

    Keeping them guessing; much more fun.

  19. Xinavera
    Feb 5th, 2010 at 11:43 pm

    No complaints so far. What’s next?

  20. Jaded Unicorn
    Feb 6th, 2010 at 5:57 am

    All born dying. Deal with it.

  21. ted
    Feb 6th, 2010 at 9:04 am

    Went to Iraq.
    Didn’t come back.

    (also doubles as a poem)

    Nobody can beat Hemingway at that concept, BTW.

  22. donna kay
    Feb 6th, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    runs with scissors: stops for passion

  23. Ivanna Ghopi
    Feb 6th, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    weed is awesome lets go eat

  24. Leo
    Feb 6th, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    It was all going so well…

  25. Houman
    Feb 7th, 2010 at 2:26 am

    I see now how I erred.

  26. Wes
    Feb 7th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    Six-Words Memoirs has extraneous S.

  27. gia
    Feb 7th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Architect no more. Happy, in love.

  28. zazie
    Feb 8th, 2010 at 7:03 am

    Expatriate. Happy but yearning for home.

  29. purplekiwi
    May 2nd, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    Obsessed with a guy. Dating another.

  30. chadd
    Jan 1st, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Your born, You Age, You die

  31. loguchi
    Jan 12th, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    POOP ON A STICK IS AMAZING!!!


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