I came across a very inspiring book today called Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.
Here’s what Publisher Weekly had to say about it:
Can you describe your life in six words? That’s what the editors of storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers in 2006; the results, though decidedly uneven, make for compulsive reading and prove arguably as insightful as any 300+ page biography. Taken as a whole, this cascade of quotes from contributors famous and unknown creates a dizzying snowball effect of perspectives and feelings. Highlights from professional writers and artists include journalist Chuck Klosterman wondering, “Nobody cared, then they did. Why?”; pop singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger lamenting, “We still don’t hear a single”; and comic strip artist Keith Knight illustrating “I was a Michael Jackson impersonator.” At their best, these nano-memoirs evoke the same kind of rich emotional responses as a good story: 9 year old Hannah Davies considers herself “Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends”; Zak Nelson says “I still make coffee for two”; Scott Birch claims “Most successful accomplishments based on spite.” Some entries read like bumper stickers (Rip Riley: “No wife. No kids. No problems”), and others are just plain weird (Amy Sedaris: “Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched”), but this compelling little book will have readers and their friends hunting for favorites and inventing six-word self-definitions of their own. This review in six words? Read. Enjoy. Pass it on. Repeat.
So, let’s hear it. Can you write your bio or sum up your life in six words? Here’s a few of my own…
1. Hey, I am not done yet.
2. This is my take on apathy.
3. When do I get paid again?
4. My reckless eyes are a mystery.
5. Waiting in the wings is tiresome.
6. Not the path I would’ve taken.
kfreudenberger
March 20, 2008
These are harder to write than you’d think, but I’ve been challenging people to do it and it’s fascinating to see what they come up with. It’s even harder to pick just one. Who wants to be summed up in only 6 words? We’d like to think our lives are inextricably complex, but when it comes down to it, 6 words can pretty much say it all. I still haven’t setlled on my 6 words, but it’s definitely made me think harder about the recurring themes in my life. The most prevalent? Breathless anticipation. (Which is why your “waiting in the wings” is my favorite.) Now I just need 4 more words. It’s good to be introspective.