The Story of Six-Word Memoirs

Post on 13-Jun-2015

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When Hemingway wrote the six-word novel "For sale: baby shoes, never worn," he didn’t know he’d inspired one the hottest storytelling trends of the modern age. But with four books and 300,000+ online submissions later, SMITH Magazine's Six-Word Memoirs [sixwordmemoirs.com] have become a part of the national conversation. Larry Smith tells the story of the Six-Word Memoir project.

Transcript of The Story of Six-Word Memoirs

For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

Class clown, class president, town drunk.—Victor Goad

Married by Elvis. Divorced by Friday.—G.M. Rouse

Catholic girls. Jersey. It’s all true.—Mary Elizabeth Williams

One life. Six words. What’s yours?

Down for maintenance,

be back soon.—Greylond Sherman

After Harvard, had baby with crackhead. —Robin Templeton

Being a monk stunk. Better gay.—Bob Redman

Life has gone to the dogs. —Ted Rheingold, CEO Dogster

Eight thousand orgasms, only one baby. —Neal Pollack

Found on Craigslist: table, apartment, fiancé.—Becki Lee

According to Facebook, we broke up.

—Jonathan B.

Yes, you can edit my biography.—Jimmy Wales

Nine years stacked within my soul. —Laura S., age 9

300,000+ Six-Word Memoirs!

“You could spend a lifetime brainstorming.” —The New Yorker

“Let’s dub this American Haiku.”

— St. Louis Post Dispatch

Make it easy.

Empower the crowd.

….and set the crowd free.

Add a touch of celebrity.

Have a Jewish mother.

The exits were entrances in disguise.—Shannon B., from SMITHTeens.com

Keep moving.

Six is everywhere. (Just look around.)

larry@smithmag.net * @smithmag * www.smithmag.net * thank you.