Six-Word Memoirs
SMITH Magazine, self-described as “a home for storytelling,” challenged readers to write six-word memoirs inspired by Ernest Hemingway, who, when asked to write a six-word novel, came up with “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
Genius, right?
To get the words rolling, SMITH teased with six-word memoirs written by author of Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert (“Me see world! Me write stories!”) and Chef Mario Batali (“Brought it to a boil, often”).
Some of my favorites are:
Secret of life: Marry an Italian. (Nora Ephron)
Wasn’t born a redhead; fixed that. (Andie Grace)
Found true love, married someone else. (Bjorn Stromberg)
Must remember: people, gadgets. That order. (Brian Lam)
One tooth, one cavity, life’s cruel. (John Bettencourt)
You can read more in Not Quite What I was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, but you know I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write mine:
In search of heritage, found self.
Read more about six-word memoirs in the L.A. Times Op-Ed Short on words, deep in meaning and send yours in to SMITH Magazine here. But first, do share:
What is your six-word memoir?
Buon weekend!
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[tags] SMITH Magazine, six-word memoirs, books[/tags]
42 Beans of Wisdom to “Six-Word Memoirs”
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
I do, therefore, I have done.
This is mine. Though I’m sure it will change 🙂 Maybe you should do one for every year.
I agree Sara–this is a great thing to come back to periodically. Great idea for a yearly sum-up!
“In search of self, found Paolo”
hehehe. Had a few come to mind but thought you’d enjoy (and relate) to that one…
Maggie’s last blog post..Super Tuesday
Hah! That’s like my Part 2 😉
I bought Eat, Pray, Love this week. Look forward to read it.
Britt-Arnhild in Norway’s last blog post..Already missing chocolate………..
I really enjoyed it; hope you do too!
Oh, this is so cool. I love some of these!!! I don’t know if I could rise to the challege. I am such a wordy girl….6 words is tough. I’ll have to think about it…. But, but…what is YOURS Michelle?????
My Melange’s last blog post..Language Links
Robin, look closer–mine’s in the post 🙂 Come on, you can do it!
Sought tranquil lifestyle, landed in snow.
anna……from Maine.
Love it! Brava!
Life is a banquet, enjoy it.
Wow, I did it. 6 words. Amazing.
kacey’s last blog post..From Organized to Chaos
Yeah Kacey!
Couldn’t sing. Couldn’t dance. Wrote poems.
Or at least that’s what first came to mind. This was fun … definitely something to try once in a while. Thanks!
anno’s last blog post..I Never, #2
Fabulous! Isn’t it addictive?!
mostly gave it her best shot.
🙂
somepinkflowers’s last blog post..bloglandia polar festival
Excellent 🙂
Went to Rome, fell in love.
That sums it up for me.
xo
A
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..J. Crew’s yellow purse in Rome, Terroni and Whitney Houston
Gorgeous 🙂
Hated advertising, opened up shop instead…
Got divorced, changed my whole life…
Oh…this is addictive!!
sadira’s last blog post..Temporarily Blinded…
Yeah! Keep going! Woohoo!
a memoir for the adventure…
lost: one heart in venetian canal!
one for the serious side of self…
small town catapult into wide world
and one for love…
one vow, four children, love’s journey
this could go on for a very long time! i am loving this post & dreading the time i will spend on the links & the writing that follows…;-)
qualcosa di bello’s last blog post..overheard…
Such wonderful memoirs! I’m glad you enjoyed this; I’m thinking of ordering the book myself 🙂
Can’t write, can’t blog. Please help!
Thought-provoking projects halt work, Bad Michelle. (is thought-provoking cheating??)
No work. No money. No Palermo!
I was lost, Italy found me.
This was fun, but now, ciao!
Cherrye’s last blog post..A Piccolo Confession
Aw I thought for sure Disney was going to make it into one of yours….
Oh, and for me hyphenated words are *so* not cheating.
I can’t decide…
Travel often, with book in hand.
Or,
Hamburger and softdrink, hold the fries.
softdrink’s last blog post..Three Junes
Love them both! No need to pick–apparently Mario Batali sent in seven!
“I live by one motto, r.t.d.”
I guess that’s cheating somewhat, given r.t.d. is an acronym, but I’m sticking to it… I’ll check out the book when I get a chance… love Hemingway’s line
Chris’s last blog post..Super Days
Chris, perhaps I’m missing the obvious, but that could stand for a few things–definitely don’t think it’s cheating though! Thanks for visiting and playing along 🙂
Can’t do it in less than seven, and it’s not even original:
“Not dead yet; feeling very much better.”
Seven work too, and I’m especially glad to see that “very” in there.
OOH, I love this, and if I wasn’t so busy at work, I too could get seriously carried away creating these, and lost in the links reading others…bur for now, I’ll just tell you that I LOVE LOVE LOVE yours, and here’s mine:
Living for today, hopeful for tomorrow.
LATER
Karina’s last blog post..Follow-Up Friday – It’s Baa-ack!!! (with a contest)
Love it Karina! Hope you’ll do more!
This is brilliant! Let’s see if I can come up with one.
Only rule for my life: play
Oh, I went out to breakfast today and just had to order the oatmeal. See what you did! It was delicious and nutritious. Thanks for the reminder!
Debbbie Egizio’s last blog post..Art Sharks at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and IF Choose
I love it Debbie–and I can’t believe you ordered OATMEAL and thought of me; isn’t blogging amazing?!
This is fun. I love all the posts, and I have spent a better part of my day looking at all the different bloggers that did write a 6 word bio.
Here is mine:
Talk with accent, think without one.
🙂
Beatriz’s last blog post..Sweet Surprise
Oh this is just wonderful Beatriz. I can *so* relate 🙂
“Dreamed him, met him, love him”
That sums up what’s in my heart 🙂
Aw! Lucky girl 🙂
Right hand on mouse. Double click.
Read comments on blog. Comment back.
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These could get addictive, and I think I just got a new prompt for my journaling group. Woohoo!
YummY!’s last blog post..But the fridge is clean….
Yeah YummY! Love ’em!
Olive oil, Tango shoes, plane tickets.
Tina’s last blog post..Sorry, I can’t blog right now…
Sounds about right 🙂
Boy you are something Michelle – Look how you got everyone fired up!
Everyone’s is brilliant – it is amazing how much we can say with so few words.
One big BRAVA for every single one so far.
One more…..
Michelle blogged and the world flamed!
Hah, thanks Anna. After I read this article, this was all I could think about while walking the dogs–great mind exercise! I hoped others would love it too 🙂
This is fantastic Michelle! I love what everyone came up with. You are on to something. Now for me…hmmm….
Always seeking, often dreaming, hopefully growing.
Beautiful Jeni!
Daughter, Wife, Mother, She Who Blogs!
Frances’s last blog post..while working on my shelfari
That’s *definitely* you Frances–brava!
Michelle,
I can’t beleive I missed it…right in front of me. How do you say duh in Italian???? I think I am getting old. Must have been tired, as I always read you first thing in the AM…after waking up. Better get BIGGER glasses!!!!!
My Melange’s last blog post..Language Links
No worries Robin; I personally would recommend more coffee, but that’s always my answer 😉
Six words? Here’s two: found love.
Paolo’s last blog post..‘Twixt Hither and Yon
Che carino 🙂
Great post. It made me think. Here’s mine.
Great love, great kids, great God.
Nadine’s last blog post..A Tale of Two Phone Calls
Great six words! Brava!
“I can’t believe you ordered email and thought of me…”
I don’t mean to clown you unfairly for that little gaffe (I do stuff like that all the time), but I just wanted to draw your attention to it so you get the reference when I talk about “sending oatmeals” for the next, oh fifty years or so…
Paolo’s last blog post..‘Twixt Hither and Yon
Hah! I actually did read your oatmeal before I saw this, and thought you were quite creative in your phrasing…like “Thanks for sending me this [yummy, delicious treat].” Now I just think you’re kind of a stronzo 😉
Ah and I’m editing the other one. Where’s that sticking-your-tongue out emoticon?
Loved once, loved twice, now again.
Sums it up pretty good.
Sandy M’s last blog post..This is so cool!
So lovely 🙂
I love this idea. I’ve seen the Hemingway-inspired six-word novel idea before, but not six-word memoirs. Unfortunately, I am drawing a blank on what mine should be, but yours is perfect.
Stefanie’s last blog post..Five things I have relayed via email in the past 24 hours
I’m sure you’ll come up with something Stefanie…be sure to let me know!
This a such a great post. I saw it on Friday and have spent most of the weekend coming up with them, mostly fictional thank goodness. I even got Julian having a go.
Here’s mine: Still dancing when the music stopped.
Here’s Julian’s: I tried, couldn’t do it, gave…
Thanks for giving me something to think about when walking the dog.
amanda’s last blog post..Carnevale
Love them Amanda (and Julian)! And this has been my brain exercise while walking the dogs too 🙂
Can’t escape Philadelphia. Will die trying.
JimD’s last blog post..The President Lies. Conservatives Cry.
Funny you write this now Jim; a friend of mine just sent me a copy of Philadelphia Magazine, and I’m really missing my old adopted city right now….
Started to work, first bleeding espresso!
😉
Well you know I love this one Constance 😉
What a great exercise! So far I’ve come up with: Became a mom: huge learning curve!
or
Became a mom: understood my mom.
or
Moved to Europe, opened my eyes.
or
Well, nevermind, I could go on all night. I think I’ll challenge everyone in the office to come up with something tomorrow!
Joanne’s last blog post..Parmigiano bowls
Joanne, fabulous! Let us know what they say at the office. Hope you can still get some work done!
Six more:
That’s me, “kind of a stronzo.”
Paolo’s last blog post..‘Twixt Hither and Yon
Me too! Kind of a stronza!
Traveled, taught, made a home, wrote.
Very, very cool exercise!
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday: Jen’s Chocolate Custard
Love it Jen!
These are all so fun! Great job.
RTD huh? My first thought was “read the directions” which of course is only a last resort for me.
It’s more fun that way.
Mine would have to be
“Improving with time, further to grow”
That was fun!
Big hugs, ciao bella!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..Rolling Out The Red Carpet
Love it! Glad you enjoyed the exercise. And I like the “read the directions” interpretation…funny I often read directions 😉
mine would be:
Became who I wanted to be.
Love it 🙂
You are so right! I do love it!!!! Great minds, think alike!
:-)))))))
Penelope
So glad you enjoyed Penelope!
.-= Penelope Tsaldari´s last blog ..What’s love got to do with it? …Food that is. =-.
How about:
My 6-word memoir:
Love. Kindness. Share a ripe avocado.
Very fun, Michelle!
Nice AmyEmilia! Mmm avocado….
Too fun! I have so many other things I should be doing right now! But who can resist!
Midwestern girl becoming Italiana via lingua!
Love it Melissa! Excellent work 🙂
.-= Melissa Muldoon´s last blog ..• una volta viveva una graziosa fanciulla =-.
sunshine sky blue white cotton laughter
jajaja just what i need another delightful distraction 😉
tide swift life sweet dream nothing
Glad you’re enjoying yourself Erich…thanks for sharing!